Switzerland targets 376 new gambling domains for site blocking

Playing by Strict Local Rules

Only physically based, regionally licensed businesses are allowed to share in the nation’s digital economy thanks to the Federal Act on Money Games (AMG).

• Online Casinos: Only popular, physical Swiss casinos are eligible to apply for an official license to offer their slot machines and table games online.
• Lotteries and Sportsbooks: Swisslos and Loterie Romande are two public monopolies that firmly control this particular industry.
• Offshore Sites: It is technically forbidden for foreign operators to accept wagers from Swiss citizens.

Because offshore companies consistently try to ignore these laws, the Swiss Federal Gaming Board (ESBK) and the intercantonal supervisory authority (Gespa) spend their time actively hunting down and blocking unauthorized web addresses.

The Tech Behind the Ban

How, therefore, does the government really prevent players from visiting these websites? They compel local ISPs (internet service providers) to construct digital barriers.

The primary tool here is DNS blocking. Once a player in Switzerland types the HTML address of a blacklisted foreign casino into their browser, the local ISP intercepts the request and simply stops the webpage from loading. Instead of seeing a digital poker table, the user hits a government warning page. While tech-savvy gamblers sometimes try to dodge these blocks using VPNs, the Swiss Supreme Court continually backs this DNS blocking strategy as a completely legal and necessary way to protect local consumers.

A Growing Restriction List

This new tier of 376 domains is just the latest wave in a restless ongoing battle. By the summer of 2025, the official government blacklist had already totaled roughly 2,600 restricted sites. With this week’s major additions, the total number of blocked offshore domains is rapidly closing in on 3,000.

Swiss authorities strongly believe that only a “closed but controlled” market can stop money laundering, guarantee that gambling revenues fund local public-interest causes, and enforce strict problem gambling safeguards.

Source: ESBK (Federal Gaming Board)

https://www.igamingtoday.com/switzerland-adds-376-new-domains-to-its-gambling-blacklist/