Best Swiss Online Casinos – Legit Casino Sites in Switzerland

If you want chocolate, yogurt, a very expensive watch or a bank that asks no questions Switzerland is the place to go. If you are looking for an online casino regulated or based in Switzerland you will be out of luck. It is illegal to operate an online gambling establishment in Switzerland. We’ll look at the law closer a bit further on, but don’t worry if you are Swiss and want a game of roulette in the comfort of your own home there are many online casinos that accept the Swiss. Hundreds of sites have German, French and Italian language options and readily let the Swiss play. So whichever canton you hail from you will be able to find an online casino to suit you. At least 1/5th of the Swiss population gamble regularly and a staggering 50% play the lottery. Despite the image of the stoic Swiss they love a gamble.

What Are The Specifics of Switzerland Casinos Online?

The Swiss like to sit on the fence. The grass is green on both sides, let’s make money from everyone. Long known as one of the wealthiest countries in the world the Swiss economy runs like one of its timepieces. The country is recession proof without being belligerent or biased to any other country. Switzerland looks after itself very well indeed. Although running an online casino is illegal in Switzerland it’s not illegal to gamble online. The Swiss authorities also consider that the mere fact that accessibility to offshore gambling sites does not mean they are taking place in Swiss territory. Ergo the Swiss gambling laws don’t apply. This all means that any operator can accept Swiss players without fear of prosecution. It is also illegal to process financial transactions with online casinos but there is no system in place to regulate or prosecute. Banks simply go ahead and deal with the transactions.

Banking Methods Available for Players in Switzerland

When looking into the best Swiss online casinos the choice of banking options has to be a high priority. Banking is part of the Swiss culture and as such most have a very good knowledge of finance. When you want to sit at the virtual tables you don’t want any extra cost. Your bankroll should be there to play with. Choose a site that will allow you to play in Swiss Francs. The conversion fees can be high if a site only uses dollars or euro. There are many to choose from and some of the biggest names in the business happily deal in CHF. It is after all one of the most stable currencies in the world. Because Swiss banks ignore legislation all of the standard deposit methods are available. You can deposit and withdraw with credit or debit cards. Wire transfer, e-Wallets, pre-paid cards and pretty much every available electronic payment method there is.

Protect Yourself With Research

The Swiss don’t rush into anything. When it comes to gambling with an online casino the same applies. Because there are no actual Swiss online casinos your due diligence has to take into the fact that your own government will not help in the event of fraud. Just because a casino is licensed does not mean it is a fair and safe place to gamble. It matters a lot where the license is issued. Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney and Malta are currently the strongest authority outside of the UK. These regulatory bodies have strict criteria when issuing certification. They also audit regularly and investigate complaints. Licenses do get revoked. Then there is Curacao. Any casino that has a license issued by this nation needs to be viewed with extreme caution. Curacao issues business licenses to anyone who applies. There is no regulatory body. No audits are performed, there’s no way to even contact them to make a complaint. Many rogue online casinos have had their licenses revoked by one body just to get a new one from Curacao.

Safety and Security in Online Casino Switzerland

The Swiss may be a neutral country but that doesn’t mean they take security lightly. The Catholic Church understands this the Vatican is kept safe by the Swiss Guard. This translates to personal information too. The Swiss value privacy as highly as anyone, try getting any details from a Swiss bank and you will understand. When you sign up with an online casino you will have to give out personal details. The registration form must be a secure page. If it doesn’t have the https prefix and a green padlock icon in the address bar don’t sign up. All reputable online casinos take great measures to protect an individual’s privacy. Banking standard encryption is the norm with multi-layered firewalls and independent security testing at the best. Look for a logo from one of the online security specialists like Thawte it will give piece of mind.

The Future Of Swiss Online Casinos

The past has shown that laws in Switzerland don’t change that often. The previous gambling act lasted from the 1920’s right up till 1994. There are proposals to change current legislation and remove the ban on online gambling. However this will be very restrictive limiting licenses to those who already have a terrestrial license. The government has said it will block foreign sites that don’t have the correct license. So this all means it may well be harder to access an online casino in Switzerland once it is legalized! None of these changes are expected any time soon in fact the draft for the changes came out in 2014 and are not expected to be in place before 2019. This is a little worrying for the average punter that likes roulette of an evening. There’s a very good chance that the new laws will reduce competition and choice. In an industry that is kept fresh and healthy by its vigorous competitive nature it could well stagnate if these changes happen. It would be very ironic if legalization sounds the bell on Swiss online casinos.