A long-running legal dispute over the transparency of Loterie Romande's lottery terminal locations is set to continue after the Federal Supreme Court rejected the operator's appeal.
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 the area.
The case, which has been ongoing for nearly seven years, centres on a request from Swiss Radio and Television for a full list of video lottery terminals and their exact locations. These machines are installed in venues such as cafés, restaurants, petrol stations, and kiosks with food-service areas.
Loterie Romande has consistently opposed the disclosure of this information, citing operational and regulatory concerns.
Meanwhile, scrutiny of the operator is not new. In recent years, Loterie Romande has faced repeated questions over transparency and player protection.
Last month, a report emerged suggesting 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 designed to assess the accessibility of betting to underage individuals.
The reported delay has raised questions. Neither of the two lottery operators nor Gespa, the Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority that commissioned the investigation, has commented on the matter.
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.
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
