ADM · Italy
Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli
The customs and monopolies agency, which awards Italian online gaming concessions by public tender rather than open licensing.
Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority
The Swiss authority for lotteries and betting, in a market where online casino is limited to land-based concession holders.
What this authority does
Switzerland regulates gambling through two bodies: the Federal Gaming Board for casinos and Gespa, the intercantonal authority, for large-scale games such as lotteries, sports betting and skill games. The Money Gaming Act, in force since 2019, allowed online casino for the first time, but only as an extension of an existing land-based casino concession.
That restriction is the defining feature of the Swiss market. The number of online casino brands is limited to the holders of Swiss casino concessions, foreign operators cannot obtain a licence, and access to unlicensed foreign sites is blocked at network level under a list maintained by the authorities.
The Swiss model is often raised as the strictest version of the land-based linkage approach, stricter than Belgium's, because there is no mechanism by which an operator without a Swiss casino can enter at all.
Licences it issues
- Large-scale games licence (lottery, sports betting, skill games)
- Online casino extension for concession holders
What supervision concentrates on
- Licensing of large-scale games
- Supervision alongside the Federal Gaming Board for casinos
- Blocking of foreign sites
Markets on file under this authority
| Market | Online casino | Sports betting | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Tied to land-based | State monopoly | Online casino limited to land-based concession holders |
Questions about the Gespa
Other authorities in Europe
AGCC · Alderney
Alderney Gambling Control Commission
A Channel Island regulator whose two-category licence separates the customer relationship from the platform.
ANJ · France
Autorité nationale des jeux
The French regulator, which licenses online betting and poker but not online casino games.
DGOJ · Spain
Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego
The Spanish regulator, which operates a two-tier licence and some of Europe's strictest advertising limits.
UKGC · Great Britain
Gambling Commission
The licensing body for all gambling offered to customers in Great Britain, whether the operator is based there or not.
GRAI · Ireland
Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland
The authority created in 2024 to license Irish gambling for the first time under a single framework.