Reports have emerged indicating that Loterie Romande and Swisslos may have acted to postpone the release of last year’s test purchase results. These tests involved minors attempting to place sports bets and were conducted to evaluate the accessibility of betting for underage individuals.
Loterie Romande is the official lottery operator for the French-speaking region of Switzerland and holds a monopoly on lotteries and certain types of sports betting in that area. Swisslos serves as the equivalent operator for the German-speaking and Italian-speaking regions.
The decision to delay or prevent publication has raised questions. Neither the two lottery operators nor Gespa, the Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority that commissioned the investigation, has commented on the matter.
Luca Notari, Project Manager at Addiction Suisse, criticised the decision to suppress the results, stating that it sends "the wrong message" regarding responsible gambling efforts.
In 2024, an investigation by Swiss Radio and Television revealed that it was relatively easy for teenagers to engage in sports betting. The probe found flaws in the Loterie Romande system, as a 16-year-old was able to place bets at kiosks six times out of ten attempts.
Loterie Romande stated at the time that it offers comprehensive training and monitoring for operators, while recognising that the lapses uncovered by the investigation were unacceptable.
Later on, the operator implemented the Preventor solution developed by Sustainable Interaction to help operators detect and address problematic gambling behaviour early.
Since 7 January 2025, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have enforced an agreement that bans individuals barred from casinos in one country from gambling in the other, strengthening protections against gambling addiction
