The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland upheld a fine of CHF 570,850 ($713,000) imposed on the Neuchâtel Casino for failing to meet its player protection obligations.
Nine customers displaying signs of excessive gambling were allowed to continue playing at the venue. The investigation conducted in 2022found that several players were wagering amounts that exceeded their apparent financial means, and that the casino failed to carry out the required checks and interventions.
Furthermore, three of the players had requested self-exclusion, but the casino did not act on their requests.
Authorities subsequently determined that the casino had breached its legal duty to protect vulnerable players and imposed a financial penalty. The Federal Supreme Court has now confirmed the decision, making the fine final and enforceable.
Swiss gambling legislation requires licensed operators to monitor player behaviour, identify signs of excessive gambling and implement exclusion measures when necessary to prevent gambling-related harm.
In April, Casino Davos was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 970,000 after technical failures allowed self-excluded players to access its online gambling platform. The Swiss Federal Administrative Court rejected the operator’s appeal.
Casino operators are not the only ones facing regulatory scrutiny in Switzerland. A separate long-running dispute involving Loterie Romande over the transparency of lottery terminal locations is set to continue after the Federal Supreme Court dismissed its appeal.
In another development, reports in March suggested that Loterie Romande and Swisslos may have delayed the publication of last year's test purchase results. The tests involved minors attempting to place sports bets to assess how easily underage users could access betting services.
The Swiss Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority has reported that turnover from lotteries and sports betting fell 2.4% year on year to CHF 3.87bn for 2025, with GGR declining 3.7% to CHF 1.2bn
