The Swiss Casinos got four new licenses issued by the Federal Council. The licenses are issued for the casinos in Zurich, St. Gallen, Pfäffikon, where the online license is also included, and Winterthur.
The casinos will be able to operate under these licenses from 2025 to 2044.
Tough choices:
However, the operator didn’t get the license for the Oftringen, and it didn’t apply for the Casino Schaffhausen. The casino will close its operations by the end of next year. The employees will have a chance to join other casinos within the Swiss Casinos Group or the casino in Winterthur.
The company is very satisfied with the licenses they received, as well as with the trust they gained, which led to the federal government issuing the licenses. The decision is positive for the operator despite the failure in Oftringen. The company’s officials are aware that it was a very challenging process.
The Swiss Federal Gaming Commission (SFBC) wanted the country to be divided into 23 gaming zones, as stated in the report that was submitted to the Federal Council. The Council agreed to that, but they required the right to make the decisions, such as issuing the licenses in particular cases, in case they comply with the Gambling Act and the action is justified.
That Court’s decision made the company apply for the Oftringen license. The municipality is located in the Basel area, and one casino already operates there. The company thought the new casino would be welcomed, especially while keeping Mittelland and Oftringen in mind, but the government disagreed. However, the company stated that even though they regret this, they completely understand the decision.
On the other hand, the Winterthur casino is a great addition to its traditional industrial history. It will be situated in the hall in the Lokstadt. The casino will be a perfect mix of the industrial traditional and modern casino culture, so it will be a gem in this thriving region.
When it comes to the St. Gallen zone, the Council made a tough choice. It had to be decided between the casino that is operated by Swiss Casinos and already exists in the area and ACE Holding’s casino. However, the Swiss operator won.
Great prospects for the Swiss Casinos:
According to the source, they commented: “We are relieved that the Federal Council has acknowledged our experience, our integration in the region, and our careful management and has given preference to our application, it explained. In Pfäffikon SZ, we will open the casino at the new location halten and offer an attractive nightlife offer for the region. Casino Pfäffikon also includes the online casino (swisscasinos.ch), which has established itself as a very successful online casino. And last but not least, we can further anchor our flagship, the Casino in Zurich, in the city and region of Zurich. Casino Zurich offers a large and regularly changing range of games and is an important player in the city’s nightlife offerings.”
The concessions are issued for twenty years, starting from January 1st, 2025.