Swiss gambling turnover remains below CHF4bn in 2025, reports Gespa

Switzerland’s regulated lottery and sports betting sector experienced a modest downturn in 2025, according to the latest annual gross and small-games statistics.

The figures were published by Gespa on Tuesday, the Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority.

The data reveal declines in gross gambling revenue across most product categories, with the online channel representing roughly one-quarter of the industry’s gross player yield (Bruttospielertrag, BSE).

Key market figures

Total operator turnover from cross-state lotteries and sports betting stood at CHF 3.87 billion ($4.86 billion) in 2025, a 2.4% decrease compared to 2024. The gross player yield (BSE) dropped by 3.7% to CHF 1.203 billion from CHF 1.25 billion the previous year.

Additionally, online sales contributed 24% of BSE in 2025, up marginally from 23% in 2024. This increase was primarily driven by a sharper decrease in land-based revenues rather than growth in online gambling.

The average per-capita stakes on large lotteries and sports betting were CHF 424 in 2025, down from CHF 438 in 2024. This meant the theoretical net spend per person fell to CHF 132 from CHF 138 in 2024, based on a Swiss resident population of 9,124,300.

Throughout 2025, Gespa authorised 62 new games for the Swiss lottery firms and approved 59 game modifications. In the latter half of the year, compliance checks were conducted via test purchases at land-based lottery outlets to assess adherence to age restrictions for sports betting. Results from these checks were received just before year-end.

Product line performance

When it came to specific products, lotto products (including EuroMillions and Swiss Lotto, in both land-based and online formats) generated CHF 1.277 billion turnover and CHF 583.1 million BSE. This represented a 3.3% decline. Scratch-cards achieved CHF 810.5 million turnover with CHF 316.7 million BSE, down 2.9%, whilst the sports betting turnover was CHF 1.174 billion with a BSE of CHF 223.2 million, a 4.4% reduction.

PMU (horse-racing pools) saw the steepest drop, with turnover of CHF 103.5 million (down 13.7%) and BSE of CHF 27.3 million (down 11.9%). Terminal-based loterie électronique reported CHF 507.2 million turnover and CHF 52.3 million BSE, falling 4.7%.

Lottos and scratch-cards remained dominant, collectively accounting for approximately 75% of total BSE, a proportion steady year-on-year. Sports betting (excluding PMU) maintained around 19% of BSE.

Operators’ financial performance

The two key cross-state lottery operators, Swisslos and Loterie Romande, reported a combined net profit (Reingewinn) of CHF 814 million in 2025, down 4.7% from CHF 854 million in 2024.

• Swisslos’ net profit decreased by 5.7%, to CHF 562 million.
• Loterie Romande’s net profit fell 2.3% to CHF 252 million.

Under Swiss federal regulations, these net profits are distributed by cantons for public benefit sectors including culture, social services, and sport.

Loterie Romande achieved gross gaming revenue of CHF420.7m back in 2023. 

Channel and skill games

Although online BSE’s share rose slightly to 24%, the absolute online BSE declined by 1.7% nationally. The land-based BSE experienced a sharper 4.3% decrease. Swisslos recorded a 5.1% drop in land-based BSE and a 3.2% drop online whereas Loterie Romande observed a 2.9% decline on land but a 3.4% increase in online BSE.

Regionally, Swisslos territory relied heavily (78%) on lottos and scratch-cards, whereas Loterie Romande showed a more balanced mix, with loterie électronique contributing approximately 12% of its BSE.

The cross-state skill games market saw a modest 2.3% increase in BSE to CHF 19.2 million. This included the number of authorised skill game operators remaining stable at 17, though physical gambling machines decreased to 1,406 units from 1,540. Across operators, ten online skill-game products were reported in 2025.

Regarding small-games (Kleinspiele), authorities granted 1,225 licences for small lotteries in 2025, slightly up from 1,172 in 2024.

For local sports betting, nine licences were approved across five cantons, authorising stakes totalling CHF 2.802 million.

Small poker tournaments saw 77 licences issued to 36 organisers in 19 cantons, a slight reduction compared to 2024.

Crackdown on illegal gambling

In 2025, Gespa reviewed 42 cantonal criminal rulings and supported 25 criminal investigations related to illegal gambling operations. Its role encompassed assisting with searches, conducting computer-forensic analyses, and producing expert reports for use in criminal proceedings. 

Additionally, Gespa published five domain blocklists throughout the year. They maintained a cumulative total of 671 internet domains linked to unlawful foreign gambling operators by the end of 2025.

The reported downturn in turnover and net per capita spend follows a period of expansion in Swiss regulated online gambling after the 2019 revision of the Federal Act on Gambling (BGS).