April 24, 2009 (CAP Newswire) — The Swiss government is planning to “ease” its rules for online gambling, it was reported this week. The plans involve granting a limited number of licenses to certain (presumably vetted) operators, while at the same time reinforcing a ban on any gambling taking place over the “telephone and interactive television”.
Though it hasn’t yet been approved by the Swiss parliament, the news is being heralded by many in the European online gambling industry as a good sign that the stigma against online gambling is fading away in Europe.
Presently, lotteries and bets are the only forms of online gambling allowed under Swiss law. The new liberalization of online gambling laws comes as a response to the growth in illegal (and therefore untaxed) online gambling efforts in the country.
The news, which follows a similar announcement by Denmark, marks a big week for iGaming affiliate marketers focused on the European market.