What about online games?
What about online games?
"Thank you for your response last week regarding the restrictions on private poker games. My friends reminded me that Swiss citizens recently voted to relax gambling rules - what impact will this have on our favourite pastime?"
Philippe
In addition to the federal law on games of chance and gaming houses, which we reported on in these columns last Monday, there is also a law on lotteries and professional betting, which is enforced and supervised by an inter-cantonal administration. Following the adoption by the Swiss people of the new article 106 of the Federal Constitution on gambling, a bill is currently before Parliament for consultation, which aims to improve coordination between the cantons (responsible for lotteries) and the Confederation (responsible for casinos) in the regulation and supervision of the gambling market in Switzerland. The aim is also to adapt to changing lifestyles and to open up the online gambling market.
With regard more specifically to the area that interests you, as part of this legislative revision, Parliament accepted the motion to adapt the rules to allow poker tournaments to be organised outside gambling houses, under clearly defined conditions.
The new Gambling Bill brings together in a single text the two laws currently in force: the Gambling and Casinos Act and the Lotteries and Betting Act. Its stated aim is to adapt to the increase in supply, protect young people from the dangers inherent in gambling and regulate advertising so that it is not misleading, particularly in the online gaming market, in order to protect players and levy a tax on a sector that has until now been illegal in Switzerland. Swiss casinos should thus be able to develop an online gaming offer, as is already practised by lottery companies. As you no doubt know, as the law stands at present, online poker is banned on Swiss sites (.ch), while the private use of international online poker sites (.com) is not normally punishable. This somewhat confusing situation should soon be harmonised so that you can line up your fulls, squares and flushes on the table or on your screen in complete legality.
