Find out which the top three sites for betting in Switzerland are. Look at our table to learn more details about them. Take a good look and pick the bookie that will meet your expectations.
TOP Bookmakers in Switzerland
Beyond that of the fine reputations of those casinos operating locally within Switzerland, punters will be limited to a handful of legal online operators who are in receipt of a license from the Swiss Federal Gaming Board and Swiss Lottery and Betting Board. Those that are licensed, however, many of the most popular bookmakers, such as 1xBet, Bwin and Bet365, afford Swiss punters a luxurious betting experience that features excellent betting products, fair odds, and high-quality services.
Interwetten
Since 1990, Interwetten has focused on building a brand that is constantly improving and, in the process, developed a reputation that is the envy of others in the market. As their online presence grew, so too did their products and services, and today the company is seen as a premier online bookmaker offering sports betting, an online casino, live casino, online poker, virtuals and live betting.
- Pros
- Quick and easy navigation
- Highly reputable brand
- Great sports betting markets
- Various casino games
- Cool bonuses and features
- Cons
- No live chat support
22bet
The company has become a preeminent online destination for not only sportsbook enthusiasts but also for those who enjoy a broad range of betting markets and options. Known for having an extensive range of sports to bet on, 22bet features a live casino, in-play and live betting, poker, virtuals, bingo, financials and more. With its extensive collection of deposit options, stellar customer support and a user-friendly interface designed for an international audience, 1xBet is available in over 40 languages and multiple viewing formats.
- Pros
- Great variety of additional betting sections
- Excellent odds
- Remarkable casino
- Useful betting features
- Nice promotions
- Cons
- Accessible through a mirror link
Bet-at-Home
The operator’s reputation exceeds itself through brilliant marketing and an in-depth understanding of bettors and their needs. Established in 1999, Bet-at-Home has grown to become on of the Europe’s best-known online destination for sports, casino, live dealer, poker and bingo gaming enthusiasts. Aside from a navigational-focused layout, it offers a complete range of options for those who bet online, including live stream events and an extensive range of sport and casino promotions.
- Pros
- Primarily focused on sports betting
- Excellent reputation
- Years of experience
- Good betting features
- Competitive odds
- Cons
- A bit rusty design
- Slow support
Cbet
Found in 2017 in Curacao, Cbet has put quite some effort into becoming a recognisable European brand. This betting platform will impress you from the very first click. It stands out because of its unique design and complex betting experience, granted by the various additional betting sections you will find there.
- Pros
- Complex betting experience granted
- Diverse betting options
- Useful features
- Great customer support
- Crypto payments accepted
- Cons
- Lack of downloadable apps
Stake
Stake.com is undoubtedly one of our team’s favourite operators out there, and that’s because it offers some exclusive self-developed games. Over the years, this bookmaker has proven it deserves trust and admiration for its constant efforts to push the gaming experience of its players to another level. Whether you choose to bet on sports or test the casino entertainments, you won’t be disappointed, as Stake offers some pretty cool and unique features.
- Pros
- Innovative and promising brand
- Unique gaming options
- Superb casino
- Excellent odds
- Extremely generous promotions
- Cons
- Lack of FIAT payment options
Igubet
Igubet is one of the newest players in the online betting field. It’s also e highly motivated and fast-growing brand, as we concluded in our Igubet review, which observed all of the platform’s betting options and features. It’s clear to see that the operator targets the European market and is ready to invest money and efforts into achieving popularity among players.
- Pros
- Great design
- Excellent odds
- Well-established and secured platform
- Cool betting features and bonuses
- Attractive odds
- Cons
- Lack of mobile apps
- No casino games
Why Choose Online Betting in Switzerland?
A large number of Switzerland residents partake in some form of gambling, and despite online games of chance previously being defined as illegal, the Swiss Federal Government finally made changes to its gambling laws in an effort to generate tax revenue, but also as a form of protection for its residents that have an affection for this form of entertainment.
Switzerland is one of the wealthiest nations in the world with an average income of 80,400 Swiss francs per year, in part due to a higher than average minimum wage that equals €19 or $22USD. That allows many to have a higher than average disposable income, which is supportive of its love for sports betting and casino games of chance.
The combination of these factors and the updated gambling laws makes gambling in Switzerland attractive, more so for those playing than the operators who are faced with a relatively high tax rate which can top 10 million francs yearly. However, with a large demographic engaging in online betting, it remains a popular locale for local and offshore operators with many offering favourable odds.
Gambling Facts at a Glance
CurrencyThose that operate within Switzerland do so using the official currency, the Swiss Franc. While the euro is also commonly accepted with licensed betting sites in the country, generally Swiss players prefer their national currency in order to avoid the added cost of currency conversion. This includes licensed betting brands such as Bwin, Bet365 and 1xBet. | |
PopulationAccording to recent census poles, the population in Switzerland is 8.42 million. It ranks as the 100th most populated country in the world and enjoys a higher per capita quality of life, both in employment opportunities and social activities. | |
Active playersSwiss players, prior to the amendments to Switzerland’s gambling laws, spent an estimated 250 million yearly with betting sites located outside Swiss borders. Exact numbers on the percentage of people actively gambling is unknown, but recent reported suggest over 70,000 have experienced some form of problem gambling. That is suggestive that the number of active users regularly placing real money bets online to be high, and is a direct result in why all tax revenue as a result of taxation and licensing fees collected in Switzerland are applied to addictive gambling measures. | |
Regulatory authorityAll regulatory responsibilities within Switzerland fall under the control of the Swiss Federal Gaming Board. The scope of their responsibilities include the governing and regulating all games of chance, poker, sports betting, bingo, and state/local lotteries, The FGB ensures compliance relating to the provisions for those games that fall under its responsibilities and when required, enforcing these regulations through the police and Federal Department of Justice and Police. | |
Licensed gambling productsIn order for a company to operate and offer gambling services within the country of Switzerland, whether, in a retail environment or online, they must be in receipt of a license from the Swiss Federal Gaming Board. Currently, licenses are issues for casino-style games of chance, online poker, and online bingo. The licensing of sports betting and local and state lotteries, both retail and online are carried out via the Swiss Lottery and Betting Board and as such, licensed for these fall under its responsibilities, both in relation to the issuance of the license and its regulation and enforcement. | |
Types of operatorsAs mentioned already, Switzerland and its regulatory board have control over all gambling activities including lotteries, casino games of chance, sports betting, bingo and poker. The scope of operators is strictly regulated to those who operate land-based gaming operations which have been issued licenses to operate online. On the same scale, it controls the activity of those that hope to encroach the Swiss market by operating illegally by ensuring through the law that they are denied access to the Swiss market. |
Previous to the passing of the Money Gaming Act in 2017, internet gambling was illegal in Switzerland, even though there was little to no enforcement towards those in breach of its laws. However, its passing made it possible for operators within Switzerland to apply for and receive licenses to offer gambling related services within its borders. This is related to online poker and casino games, of which all are regulated by the Swiss Federal Gaming Board, while sports betting falls under the regulating responsibilities of the Swiss Lottery and Betting Board.
The decision to change its outdated laws relied heavily on the internet gambling and the lack of having a non-regulated environment had on its citizens. In 2018 the Swiss held a referendum to vote on the passing of the Money Gaming Act. It referred to non-state licensed gambling sites operating offshore mandates service providers to block those that operates in contrary to Swiss law. However, those that are licensed are legally allowed to provide betting services, and as such, online betting is now legal in Switzerland.
Are there restrictions on Swiss players by some bookmakers?
As mentioned within the section pertaining to legal gambling in Switzerland, restrictions are in place relating to offshore betting site access. The federal laws stipulate that those operating offshore are illegal and therefore blocked by internet service providers by law. Therefore restrictions will be experienced should a Swiss player attempt to register and successful bypass a blocked casino or sports betting site not licensed within the Swiss state.
How to Choose the Right Online Betting Site
Punters living in Switzerland that are considering signing up with a new betting partner online need to consider a variety of requirements to ensure that those they chose meet their particular needs. The most suitable manner to accomplish this is to consider the following:
- Is the brand you are considering licensed by the Swiss Federal Gaming Board?
- Are you able to verify its reputation for being fair, trustable and secure?
- Do they provide multiple contact methods when you need to speak with their customer support team?
- When funding an account, does it offer an appropriate number of funding methods? And if so, do they offer your particular preferred methods for finding?
- Are there an appropriate number of promotions offered for newly registered members or those who regularly return and play often?
- If seeking a sports betting partner, do they offer in-play betting, live streaming and multiple betting options?
Bonuses for Swiss Players
Online bookmakers understand the power of providing attractive promotional offers, and subsequently, they include within those promotions, the ability for Swiss players to claim, participate and garner the best experience possible as a result. This goes above and beyond a traditional signup offer by extending to ongoing bonuses that are inherently received by those that actively enjoy this form of entertainment. The range of promotional bonuses include exclusive promotions, special rewards, monthly cashback bonuses, boosted odds, enhanced ACCA’s, match bonuses, reload bonuses and anything in-between that the creative minds of their promotional teams conjures up.
Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Switzerland
Predictably, one of the most popular sports in Switzerland is football, but being a nation that loves its hockey, it is a close second with many following it as closely as they do their favourite football teams. Based on overall viewership and betting among Swiss players, the following sports all have a loyal following in the country known for its high-end watches and luxurious chocolate creations.
- Tennis
- Golf
- Winter Sports
- MMA
- Boxing
- Formula One
Are Online Casinos Popular in Switzerland?
The legality of online casino gambling in Switzerland being still in its infancy, there is little doubt of its popularity and citizen’s penchant for enjoying gambling-related activities. Switzerland currently licenses 19 land-based casinos, many of which offer their services online, as do a select number of online betting operators. Each offers a variety of gaming tables with many including live casino action via licensed gaming studios and of course slot machines. The game of poker is also highly popular among Swiss players, in part due to it requiring a little finesse and strategy, who are known to spend in excess of 250 million Swiss francs per year with legal and foreign betting sites.
- That Switzerland ranks among the ten highest countries in the world based on its GDP? Those other countries joining this list include Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Macau, Iceland, United States, Qatar, Singapore, Australia and Denmark.
- Switzerland has one of the world’s lowest unemployment rate that averages 3%. It also has one of the highest minimum wages affording its citizens a higher quality of life.
- One of the most popular betting markets in Switzerland is football. It is estimated that millions is wagered yearly by players with the best bookmakers in Switzerland.
- One of Switzerland’s most popular gambling events is its annual Swiss Open Poker Championship. Known for attracting top Swiss talent, it also attracts poker players from around the globe.
- There are 21 casinos located in Switzerland. Those most popular are located in its major cities including Zürich, Montreux, Luzern, St. Gallen and Basel.
Available Mobile Apps
Switzerland, like many other nations in the world, enjoys a variety of options that allow them to connect via countless mobile devices to satisfy their continued desire to stay connected and abreast of worldly happenings. That same desire is transcended to their entertainment activities, and as such, many online betting sites have worked diligently in an effort to meet that demand. This is a result of cutting-edge technology that allows them to feature a selection of mobile betting apps and mobile compatible browser-based sites that provide full access to a broad range of betting products, customer support services, promotional offers, banking solutions and more for both iOS and Android applications.
Supported Payment Methods
While the national currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc, it remains a participating member of the European Free Trade Association, and as such, follows its rules and regulations pertaining to free trade. That position provides punters the opportunity to fund their accounts using a variety of payment methods such as credit cards, direct bank deposits, ewallets such as PayPal and Skrill, prepaid cards, payment by phone as well various cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. The overwhelming majority are internationally trusted payment methods known for their high level of trust in providing a secure environment for the handling of payments both in the form of a deposit, or that of withdrawal.
The tax laws in Switzerland pertaining to casino activities by individual players are non-taxable. However, Swiss constitutional law dictates that casino operators are taxed on gross revenues with that rate varying from 40-80%. However, casino operators can make requests for the tax rate to be reduced based on current conditions within the economy. While casino winnings are non-taxable, lottery and betting winnings are seen as income and therefore taxable at a rate of 3% on winnings exceeding CHF1,000. This only applies to those operating within the borders of Switzerland and those operating as a foreign provider are not required to forward any withholding tax.
FAQs
As a Swiss player, is it safe for me to register and place bets with a sportsbook operating offshore?
Yes and no. There are a number of offshore sportsbooks and casinos licensed to provide services in Switzerland legally. However, not all sportsbooks are allowed, and as a general rule, if you are able to view and register, an assumption can be made that they are safe. This is due to Swiss ISP providers mandated under state law to block those deemed illegal by the state.
How long does it take to receive payment of winnings when withdrawing from an offshore betting site?
This will depend on the method of payment that you have chosen to receive payment by. Generally, payments requested by ewallets are paid within 24-48 hours. However, alternative methods such as credit card or payment to your bank will require longer processing times, which customarily arrived within 3-7 business days.
What is the legal age in Switzerland for partaking in gambling activities, either online or offline?
Federal laws in Switzerland state that the legal age of consent for gambling activities is 18. Those under the age of 18 who are found to be gambling online will have their accounts closed, and any monies within will be forfeited.
I live in Sweden, are there any promotional restrictions I should worry about?
No. Generally, most betting sites do not apply limitations to those residing in Switzerland. The only exception to this will relate to specific funding methods whereby their respective associated fees charged to the operator eliminate their qualification.
If I register with an offshore sportsbook, am I still required to provide proof of identity?
Yes. All offshore operators that are in possession of a valid operating license by a respecting licensing authority will be required to verify all account holders information. This is to combat underage gambling as well as possibly money laundering initiatives.
How does a match bonus work, and if I accept one, are there any limitations?
A match bonus will award a bonus on a transacted deposit equal to a specific percentage amount. This can range from as low as 25% to as much as 1000%. It should be noted that most bonuses stipulate a maximum amount that can be received as part of its promotional value, wagering terms and conditions and in some cases, stipulate game exclusions.
Is there a minimum amount I must deposit in order to claim a welcome bonus or participate on on-going bonuses?
Yes. The majority of online betting operators set a minimum deposit amount that can be processed. Based on averages, this amount usually is 20 euros or an equal amount based on the applicable national currency.
Final Comments
Switzerland, while more liberal than in recent years, with respect to gambling and its legality, remains a highly regulated market. Those regulations benefit those that enjoy gaming online in ensuring their protection and, for those with addictive behaviours, robust services aimed at assisting the combating of their addiction. This is accomplished by the Swiss governments continued investment in ensuring its residents do not fall victim to irresponsible behaviour, and statistically, it has proven to be successful. Despite a strong regulatory position by the federal government, Swiss players are presented with a wide range of betting markets such as sports, games of chance, bingo and poker, and as such, are provided with a safe environment where trusted, and safe gaming operations are delivered.
