Gambling Regulation in Switzerland: Legislative and Institutional Dynamics

Villeneuve, Jean-Patrick; Meyer, Léa

doi:10.1089/glre.2010.141007

Cited by 3 publications

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“…This distinction between casino-and lottery-based games has led to complex debates regarding gambling devices such as electronic gambling machines [45]. One important detail of the Swiss experience is the mandatory social measures imposed on casinos resulting in their active involvement in the prevention of problem gambling.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gambling and problem gambling in Switzerland

et al. 2016

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Aims To provide an overview of gambling and problem gambling in Switzerland, including historical aspects, past and current legislation and policies, treatment options and the research base. Methods A literature search was conducted on two databases (PubMed and PsycINFO), and official government and statistical reports selected from the official websites of four sources (Federal Office of Justice; Federal Gambling Board; Federal Office of Statistics; Swiss Lottery and Betting Board). Results After a history of banning or partial banning, Swiss gambling became regulated at the beginning of the 20th century through successive laws. The current system is characterized by important differences in the law and policies for casinos and lotteries, and contradictions in the regulation of these two areas are still under debate in order to develop new legislation. Gambling is widespread in Switzerland, and the prevalence of problem gambling in this country was comparable to that in other European countries in 2014. Most gambling treatment facilities are integrated into mental health treatment services that have out-patient programmes, and treatment for problem gambling is covered by a universal compulsory Swiss health insurance system. The availability of public funding for gambling research is still limited. Conclusions Switzerland needs to develop a more coherent regulatory and prevention policy approach to gambling, overcoming conflicts in the current dual system of federal and cantonal regulation. Recent efforts to enhance funding for gambling research are promising, and could lead to a more systematic analysis of the efficacy of prevention and treatment programmes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gambling and problem gambling in Switzerland

et al. 2016

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“…Some claim that RG policies should be enforced through a tripartite model which is not limited to the gambling operators and the individual but also the government (Blaszczynski et al, 2011 ). Gambling regulation is usually centered around the possible risks associated with gambling and with the main role being consumer protection (Villeneuve & Meyer, 2010 ). Despite this, in some jurisdictions such as Malta, online gambling may be more viewed as an economic issue rather than around its potentiality of being a health problem (Marinaci et al, 2019 ).…”

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Analyzing Consumer Protection for Gamblers Across Different Online Gambling Operators: A Replication Study

Catania

Griffiths

2021

Int J Ment Health Addiction

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Online gambling is a growing business with many stakeholders. Due to the fact that a small proportion of gamblers develop problems, responsible gambling (RG), player protection, and harm minimization have become core areas for gambling regulators. The present study replicated a previous one carried out by Bonello and Griffiths in 2017 to determine whether there had been any significant changes by leading gambling operators due to increased regulatory pressures over the past few years. Fifty leading online gambling operators were audited in relation to their RG practices as well as engaging with their customer services by posing as a problem gambler. Results indicated that overall RG practices appeared to have improved in the past 3 years based on the information in dedicated RG webpages, the increase in RG tool availability, and the communication with customer services. Despite the fact that RG practices appear to have improved, there were still areas for improvement.

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Réduction des risques et jeux d’argent. Questions ouvertes par la révision du dispositif suisse

Simon

Blaser

Müller

et al. 2014

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Initialement associé à l’approche de santé publique des drogues illégales, le concept de réduction des risques et dommages (RDR) a été défini par des programmes et des pratiques visant à réduire les conséquences négatives des conduites addictives sur les plans sanitaire, social et économique, et ce, sur la base d’indicateurs scientifiquement pertinents. En matière de jeu excessif, l’approche de santé publique demeure le parent pauvre et le concept de RDR n’a été implanté que de manière marginale, subordonnée à des politiques soucieuses de maximiser les recettes de l’État. En Suisse, la révision de la législation sur les jeux d’argent réactualise la question de la RDR appliquée au jeu excessif. En érigeant la protection des joueurs au rang d’objectif premier du dispositif projeté, le gouvernement suisse a contraint ses réseaux de prévention à revenir sur les fondements de la RDR, à considérer l’efficience des différentes mesures de prévention du jeu excessif et à faire un bilan critique du dispositif de régulation préexistant. Si l’addiction aux jeux d’argent est aujourd’hui reconnue comme une maladie, il y a lieu d’interroger la responsabilité de l’État sous l’angle du droit à la santé. Cependant, il existe un conflit structurel entre la perception de la santé publique et la perception des opérateurs de jeu, qui ont des impératifs économiques de rentabilité. Pour la santé publique, la liberté économique des opérateurs est, par définition, restreinte par l’intervention de l’État, car les opérateurs remplissent la fonction d’auxiliaires chargés d’offrir un jeu à moindre risque par des monopoles d’État ou des régimes d’octroi de licences. Pour les opérateurs, il s’agit d’abord de préserver la liberté économique. Un débat sur les nouveaux cadres de régulation et une redéfinition des objectifs des politiques publiques concernant les jeux d’argent apparaissent inévitables.The concept of Harm Reduction (HR) was initially associated with the public health approach towards illegal drugs. This concept has been defined as programmes and practices to reduce the negative consequences of addictive drives upon health, social and economic functioning. Such reductions are based upon observations of scientifically relevant indicators. Regarding excessive gambling, the public health approach remains largely overlooked. The concept of RR has only been implemented in a marginal way, subordinate to policies concerned with maximizing the State’s income. In Switzerland, the revision of gambling legislation once again raises the question of applying HR to excessive gambling. By placing the protection of players as a projected primary objective, the Swiss government forces its prevention networks to return to HR foundation, to draw attention on the effectiveness of different prevention measures for excessive gambling, and to make a critical evaluation of pre-existing regulation practices. Today gambling addiction is recognized as an illness, and in doing so, an obligation for the State as a right to health issue. However, there is an exis...

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Gambling Regulation in Switzerland: Legislative and Institutional Dynamics

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Gambling and problem gambling in Switzerland

Gambling and problem gambling in Switzerland

Analyzing Consumer Protection for Gamblers Across Different Online Gambling Operators: A Replication Study

Réduction des risques et jeux d’argent. Questions ouvertes par la révision du dispositif suisse

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