Underage betting checks find Swiss operators failing nearly half the time
2026-07-16
Source: Global Gaming Insider
Swiss sports betting regulators found that underage mystery shoppers placed bets in nearly half of 200 checks, with self-service terminals performing worst. The report's publication was delayed by a legal challenge from the operators.
Switzerland’s Inter-Cantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa) has published the results of mystery shopping exercises designed to test whether land-based sports betting outlets operated by Loterie Romande and Swisslos block underage gamblers. The findings reveal what the regulator describes as serious weaknesses in youth protection.
Gespa commissioned the Swiss Blue Cross and its member organisations to carry out the checks in 2023. A total of 200 tests were conducted — 100 at Loterie Romande points of sale in French-speaking Switzerland and 100 at Swisslos outlets in German-speaking Switzerland, spread across urban and rural areas of the cantons of Vaud and Zurich.
In 47.5% of all cases, underage participants were able to successfully place a sports bet. In 44.5% of instances, no age verification was requested at all. The failure rate was notably higher at Swisslos outlets in Zurich, where 56% of tests resulted in a successful bet, compared with 39% of Loterie Romande outlets in Vaud.
Self-service terminals pose higher risk
Checks involving self-service betting terminals proved far more porous. At those machines, 66.7% of underage attempts succeeded, against 44.5% where a staff member was involved in the transaction.
Gespa cautioned that the survey was targeted and non-representative, and that its limited sample size prevents generalisation across the whole market. Even so, the authority stressed the findings show that current implementation of youth protection rules is not satisfactory.
Publication delayed by legal challenge
The release of the report was held up for several weeks after Loterie Romande and Swisslos legally contested Gespa’s right to publish it. The dispute drew scrutiny from federal and regional lawmakers, some of whom questioned whether the timing was linked to major sporting events such as the Ice Hockey World Championship and the FIFA World Cup.
A legally binding decision later confirmed that Gespa was within its rights to make the report public.
Loterie Romande has rejected any connection between its legal action and the sporting calendar. CEO Jean-Luc Moner-Banet said the company’s challenge concerned the legal basis for Gespa’s collection and intended use of the data under its supervisory mandate, not the accuracy of the compliance test results.