Sportsbet.io added to Swiss blacklist in latest online clampdown

Coingaming Group’s flagship sports betting brand, Sportsbet.io, has become the latest international operator to be added to the Swiss Federal Casino Commission’s (ESBK) blacklist of international online gambling websites.

ESBK regulators blacklisted 36 new gambling domains this week, including CampoBet and Lucky Bird Casino, in a targeted investigation of sites illegally serving Swiss players.

Other blacklisted brands include BuranCasino, Bob Casino, Cbet and Universal Slots.

Local internet service providers are required by law to deny access to these websites, placing so-called do-not-serve (DNS) notices on each listed web page, or face sanctions by regulators under the Swiss Money Gaming Act.

Swiss telecommunications regulator Comlot operates its own blacklisting policy in conjunction with the ESBK.

Regulators in Switzerland have pursued a no-nonsense policy against international operators targeting Swiss citizens by blacklisting operators including bet365, bet-at-home and Interwetten over the last 12 months.

A total of 285 web domains are currently blacklisted and blocked to Swiss players.

The Swiss Money Gaming Act confers a six-year exclusivity window for local casino operators to expand into online gambling while international firms are barred from the market.

This has paved the way for online gambling suppliers to partner with local casinos, including Evolution with Grand Casino Baden Baden and Playtech with Swiss Casinos.