Swiss regulator highlights age verification gaps at retail betting outlets

Switzerland’s gambling regulator has reported a mixed picture of player protection at the country’s two lottery operators. Its evaluation of measures in place during 2025 found that online safeguards were generally working effectively, while sports betting remained a higher-risk product and age verification at physical betting outlets required further attention.

The Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa) published its evaluation of the operators’ 2025 reports on 2 November 2026. The assessment covers Swisslos, which operates in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino and Loterie Romande, which serves French-speaking Switzerland. Separate findings from a retail test-purchase programme, published by Gespa in July 2026, also highlighted gaps in checks intended to prevent minors from placing sports bets.

Retail test purchases highlight age verification concerns

Gespa commissioned Blue Cross Switzerland to conduct 200 test purchases at land-based outlets during 2025. The exercise involved 100 purchases at Swisslos locations and 100 at Loterie Romande locations in urban and rural areas of the cantons of Zurich and Vaud.

The published results showed that 47.5 per cent of underage test participants were able to place a sports bet. In 44.5 per cent of the test purchases, no age check was carried out. The results also differed by sales method: 66.7 per cent of attempts at self-service terminals resulted in a bet, compared with 44.5 per cent of attempts involving staff.

Gespa said the exercise used a targeted approach and a limited sample. It is not representative of every retail outlet in Switzerland and should not be interpreted as a nationwide estimate. The findings nevertheless give the regulator and operators a basis for reviewing the practical application of youth-protection requirements at the locations tested.

Possible improvements include more consistent staff training, additional test purchases and technical age-checking tools. Identity-scanning technology for self-service terminals is among the options under consideration. The regulator has also indicated that further checks will be carried out.

Online safeguards provide more scope for monitoring

Article 84 of Switzerland’s Federal Act on Gambling requires organisers of large-scale games to report annually on the effectiveness of measures designed to protect players from excessive gambling. Gespa reviews the information supplied by the two lottery operators.

The assessment found that online systems give operators more scope to monitor deposits, losses and playing patterns. Retail transactions are more fragmented, making individual monitoring at the point of sale more difficult. Online gambling accounted for 24 per cent of the operators’ combined gross gaming revenue in 2025, while land-based activity generated the remaining 76 per cent.

Sports betting remains a higher-risk product

Gespa identified sports betting as the product category associated with the greatest player-protection concerns. At Swisslos, sports betting is offered under the Sporttip brand. The regulator’s evaluation found that the category generated the highest average player losses and the largest proportion of online customers with monthly net losses above CHF2,000.

Gespa also noted that sports bettors tend to be younger and predominantly male. These are broad customer patterns rather than conclusions about individuals and they help explain the continued attention given to safeguards for younger adults.

Both operators apply mandatory monthly loss limits to selected products, with reported thresholds including CHF2,000 and CHF900. Swisslos recorded 82 customers reaching the CHF2,000 limit at least once in 2025, representing 0.23 per cent of those subject to it. Loterie Romande reported 160 such cases or 1 per cent of the relevant group.

The operators also reported more formal gambling exclusions. Swisslos imposed 76 bans in 2025, compared with 39 in 2024, while Loterie Romande recorded 65, up from 56. Gespa noted that a substantial share followed voluntary requests from players.

Operators update tools and limits

Loterie Romande replaced its previous Playscan monitoring tool with a system supplied by Sustainable Interaction. The system combines recent playing activity with self-assessment results to produce a seven-level risk rating, which is made visible to customers.

Swisslos introduced an additional warning for customers attempting to make a fifth deposit within seven days. It also expanded the information and blocking tools available to players, including guidance on third-party software that can restrict access to gambling websites.

In March 2026, Swisslos reduced the maximum monthly loss limit for Sporttip customers aged under 21 to CHF1,000. Swisslos’ published player-protection information confirms the lower maximum loss limit for younger customers.

Profits and further research

The two operators generated combined net profit of CHF814 million in 2025, a 4.7 per cent decrease from CHF854 million in 2024. Swisslos reported net profit of CHF562 million, down 5.7 per cent, while Loterie Romande recorded CHF252 million, a decline of 2.3 per cent.

Under Switzerland’s system, the profits are distributed through cantonal bodies to support public-interest activities, including sport, culture and social services. The lottery operators therefore play a role beyond the provision of gambling products, although their public-benefit function does not remove the need for effective player-protection controls.

Gespa is also looking ahead to further research. Swisslos plans to participate in a project during 2026 and 2027 with cantonal and industry partners to examine the behaviour of excluded players and assess how effectively gambling bans operate. Separately, the Federal Statistical Office is carrying out a nationwide study of gambling behaviour in 2026. The findings are expected to be published in 2027.

A continuing test for player protection

Gespa’s findings distinguish between the monitoring opportunities available online and the practical challenges of enforcing age restrictions at physical betting locations. The test purchases indicate that further work is needed to ensure core protections are applied consistently across both environments.

The sample covered selected locations in two cantons and cannot establish the rate of underage betting across Switzerland. It nevertheless gives the regulator and operators a reason to review age verification, particularly at self-service terminals. Progress will depend on the impact of technical improvements, staff guidance and repeat testing.

For the lottery sector, the challenge is to maintain accessible and regulated services while ensuring that player-protection standards work in practice. Gespa’s findings identify areas for continued scrutiny and provide a basis for assessing progress in future reviews.

Conclusion

Gespa’s evaluation highlights an important challenge for Switzerland’s regulated gambling industry, effective player protection must extend beyond digital platforms and function consistently wherever gambling products are available. Although Swisslos and Loterie Romande have established monitoring systems, deposit controls and self-exclusion measures, the retail test-purchase findings demonstrate why age verification deserves continued attention. The higher success rate recorded at self-service betting terminals also underlines the importance of assessing whether existing safeguards remain effective as retail technology evolves.

The operators have introduced several measures to address player-protection risks, including improved monitoring tools, additional customer warnings and lower loss limits for younger Sporttip customers. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives will ultimately depend on their practical implementation and the results of further independent assessments. Gespa's planned scrutiny and the upcoming research into gambling exclusions could provide valuable information about where additional improvements are needed.

The financial contribution made by Switzerland's lottery operators to public-interest activities remains an important part of the country's gambling framework. Nevertheless, financial performance and the distribution of lottery profits should be considered alongside the responsibility to maintain effective safeguards for customers, particularly younger people and individuals showing signs of potentially harmful gambling behaviour.

Looking ahead, Switzerland's regulatory approach will be tested by its ability to combine accessible gambling services with reliable age checks, proportionate risk monitoring and meaningful intervention measures. The 2025 findings provide a useful reference point for this process. Continued cooperation between Gespa, the lottery operators and other relevant organisations will be important in ensuring that player protection is not simply established through formal policies but consistently reflected in everyday gambling operations.

FAQs

What did Gespa's 2025 evaluation examine?
The evaluation examined the effectiveness of player-protection measures implemented by Swisslos and Loterie Romande during 2025.

Which lottery operators are covered by the report?
The report covers Swisslos, which serves German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino and Loterie Romande, which operates in French-speaking Switzerland.

How many retail test purchases were conducted in Switzerland?
Gespa commissioned 200 test purchases during 2025, with 100 conducted at each lottery operator's retail locations.

What percentage of underage testers managed to place a sports bet?
According to the published findings, 47.5 per cent of underage test participants successfully placed a sports bet.

Were the retail age-verification results representative of all Switzerland?
No. The exercise used a targeted sample in the cantons of Zurich and Vaud. Gespa cautioned that the findings should not be treated as representative of the entire Swiss retail network.

Which sales method recorded more successful underage betting attempts?
Self-service terminals recorded a higher success rate, with 66.7 per cent of attempts resulting in a bet, compared with 44.5 per cent for attempts involving staff.

Which gambling category did Gespa identify as the highest risk?
Sports betting remained the highest-risk product category in the regulator's evaluation, with higher average player losses and a greater proportion of customers exceeding CHF2,000 in monthly net losses.

What changes did Swisslos introduce for younger Sporttip customers?
In March 2026, Swisslos reduced the maximum monthly loss limit for Sporttip customers aged under 21 to CHF1,000.

How much combined net profit did Swisslos and Loterie Romande generate in 2025?
The two operators reported combined net profit of CHF814 million, representing a 4.7 per cent decline from CHF854 million in 2024.

What further gambling research is planned in Switzerland?
Research planned for 2026 and 2027 will examine the behaviour of excluded players and the effectiveness of gambling bans. A separate nationwide gambling-behaviour study is also expected to produce findings in 2027.