The Swiss Parliament debated a new draft of its gaming law last month.

Switzerland will now only grant online gambling licences to operators with land-based casinos. This will effectively block any foreign operators from supplying online gambling services in the country.

However, gambling service suppliers will not require licences for the foreseeable future. In order for the Swiss authorities to approve this kind of collaboration, the Swiss operator will need to provide evidence that its foreign supplier has “a good reputation.”

It is as yet unclear what test the Swiss authorities will apply with regard to these criteria and to what extent past business activities will be taken into consideration in this assessment.

The new regulations are unlikely to enter into force prior to 2019 or 2020.