Switzerland has taken another significant step in its ongoing crackdown on unlicensed online gambling, adding 376 new domains to its official gambling blacklist one of the largest single expansions since the country’s regulatory framework came into force in 2019. The move, carried out by the two key Swiss regulatory bodies, the Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa) and the Federal Gaming Board (ESBK), signals a clear escalation in enforcement as the total number of blocked domains continues to climb past the 3,250 mark.
To understand the significance of this update, it is important to grasp the mechanics behind Switzerland’s domain blocking regime. Under the Federal Act on Gambling (Geldspielgesetz), which came into effect on January 1, 2019, offering online gambling from abroad to Swiss residents without a local licence is explicitly prohibited and constitutes a criminal offence. Two regulatory bodies share enforcement responsibility: the ESBK oversees casino-related games, while Gespa formerly known as Comlot — handles lotteries, sports betting, and skill gaming.
Both authorities are legally mandated to publish and maintain separate blacklists of domain names operating illegally in Switzerland. Once a domain is added, all Swiss internet service providers (ISPs) are legally obliged to implement DNS blocking, effectively preventing Swiss residents from accessing the listed platforms. The blacklists are updated regularly and published as general rulings in the Federal Gazette, the country’s official legal publication. ISPs can subscribe to an automated alert service to receive immediate notifications whenever the lists are modified.
The legal basis for this framework was further reinforced by a ruling of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in May 2022, which confirmed that the DNS-blocking measures implemented by ISPs were constitutionally sound and compliant with the Federal Gaming Act. A subsequent ruling in January 2023 went further, determining that mere IP blocking is insufficient for operators seeking removal from the blacklist operators must actively demonstrate that no player residing in Switzerland can register on their platform.
The scale of Switzerland’s blacklist expansion tells a compelling story about the persistence of unlicensed gambling activity in the country. When regulators published the first blacklists in September 2019, the initial Comlot list contained just 65 domains. High-profile names such as Bet365, Unibet, and Pinnacle were among the earliest additions. By 2021, the list had grown to encompass dozens of additional operators, including Matchbook, Bahigo, Stake, and Wild Tornado. By 2023, the combined blacklist had approached 2,000 domains, and according to data published by Chambers and Partners in 2025, the list currently holds approximately 3,250 domain names before accounting for the latest 376-domain addition.
The addition of 376 domains in a single update represents one of the most aggressive enforcement actions yet and reflects the growing sophistication and volume of offshore operators attempting to access the Swiss market. In 2024 alone, the Swiss Federal Gaming Board opened 132 new criminal proceedings for illegal gaming and conducted 38 house searches underscoring that enforcement extends beyond domain blocking into active criminal investigation.
Switzerland’s hard-line stance on unlicensed gambling is rooted in both its regulatory philosophy and a democratic mandate from its citizens. In a 2018 referendum, 73% of Swiss voters backed stricter rules for the gambling industry, providing regulators with clear public support for a closed, tightly controlled model. The country permits online casino games only through licensed land-based casinos that have been granted online extensions, while lotteries and sports betting are the exclusive domain of the two state-sanctioned operators — Swisslos and Loterie Romande.
This protectionist model is designed to serve several overlapping goals: consumer protection, combating money laundering and fraud, ensuring that gambling revenues are directed toward public interest causes, and preventing problem gambling. Gespa’s mandate explicitly includes an annual evaluation of the effectiveness of its player protection measures, reinforcing that consumer welfare not just revenue protection drives enforcement decisions.
Foreign operators are not permanently locked out of Switzerland. Under the “five-year cool-down” provision introduced by the 2019 Gaming Act, foreign online operators that ceased targeting Swiss residents were required to do so for five years before becoming eligible to apply for cooperation agreements with licensed Swiss operators. That five-year period is now elapsing for many operators who withdrew in 2019, opening the door to potential re-entry through legitimate licensing channels making compliance more attractive than ever.
Despite the scale of the blacklist, regulators have acknowledged that domain blocking has limitations. Swiss ISPs are obligated to implement DNS-level blocking, but this measure can be circumvented relatively easily by players using virtual private networks (VPNs). Crucially, players themselves face no criminal prosecution for accessing blocked sites only operators face penalties. Switzerland’s parliament also declined to introduce payment blocking measures during the legislative process, leaving a gap in enforcement that crypto-based transactions have further complicated.
Gespa and the ESBK have responded by increasingly coordinating with financial intermediaries to disrupt payment flows for unlicensed operators — particularly where cryptocurrency or alternative payment methods are involved. Cross-border cooperation with foreign regulators and law enforcement agencies has also been expanded to target operators who are headquartered abroad but actively targeting Swiss players.
For operators active in the Swiss market, the message from regulators is unambiguous: enforcement is intensifying, and the cost of non-compliance is rising. The 376-domain expansion demonstrates that Gespa and the ESBK are actively monitoring the market, identifying new offshore entrants, and moving decisively to block access. Operators that find themselves on the blacklist face serious consequences — not only loss of access to Swiss players, but also reputational damage and the complex requirement of demonstrating genuine geo-blocking to secure removal.
For the broader iGaming industry, Switzerland’s model is being watched with interest. The country’s approach — a closed licensing system with strict DNS blocking, annual consumer protection reporting, and active criminal enforcement has delivered measurable results in reducing unlicensed activity, even if gaps remain. Sigma World noted in its October 2025 analysis that Switzerland’s closed but controlled model is one that “some observers believe could be replicated by other countries facing the challenge of regulating iGaming.”
Switzerland’s expanding blacklist is a reflection of a regulatory environment that shows no signs of easing up. With over 3,600 domains now potentially blocked following this latest update, and with ESBK and Gespa signalling continued vigilance — including fresh gambling behaviour research expected to yield results by autumn 2027 — unlicensed operators targeting Swiss players face an increasingly hostile regulatory climate.
For players in Switzerland, the takeaway is straightforward: the range of legal gambling options is deliberately limited but well-regulated, with Swisslos, Loterie Romande, and licensed online casino platforms offering protected, compliant alternatives. For the iGaming industry at large, Switzerland’s blacklist serves as both a warning and a benchmark — a demonstration of how determined regulators with democratic backing can systematically shrink the unlicensed market, one domain at a time.
