Switzerland: international brands work through partnerships with local casinos

The Swiss gambling market is one of the most closed to direct entry of foreign operators. Online activity here is allowed only to those companies that have a ground license and undergo strict federal supervision. This automatically forms a special "entry architecture" for international brands: instead of direct licensing, they enter through partnerships with local casinos. Below is a systematic analysis of how it works, which models work stably and what risks need to be taken into account.

1) Why partnerships, not direct licenses

Legal admission. The right to operate online casinos is reserved for licensed Swiss land-based casinos. A foreign brand cannot obtain an independent online license - it needs a local partner.

Player protection and financial control. The regulator requires strict verification, monitoring of transactions and responsible play tools. The local casino is fully legally responsible and therefore carefully selects partners.

Lock policy. Unlicensed foreign sites are blocked. This stimulates legal models of B2B cooperation instead of a "gray" presence.

2) Basic models of cooperation

2. 1. Platform + Content Partnership (PAM + Games)

Gist. The international supplier gives the local casino an account management platform (PAM), cash register, anti-fraud, reporting and connection to game aggregators; The casino is responsible for the license, brand, KYC/AML and customer service.

Who fits. Land casinos that quickly go online and are not ready to build their own stack.

Arrangements. Revenue Share/fix + SLA by uptime, payout speed, security updates.

2. 2. Content partnerships (aggregation and direct integrations)

Gist. Foreign studios supply certified slots, live tables and RNG games through aggregators or direct integrations.

Focus. Localization (DE/FR/IT/EN), limits, responsible design (clear rules, RTP ranges, risk warnings).

Pros. The line of games scales quickly without overloading the casino team.

2. 3. Managed Services (operational "add-on")

Gist. The supplier additionally takes on CRM campaigns, segmentation, anti-fraud analytics, BI dashboards, catalog A/B tests.

What for. Local teams retain control and compliance, and the international partner introduces an operational "turbo mode."

2. 4. Co-brand within local rules

Gist. Showcase, domain, tonality and loyalty programs are tied to the Swiss casino, but with the recognizable participation of an international partner (UX patterns, gaming hubs, special events).

Limitations. The priority is local responsibility and transparency of the brand origin for the player.

3) How roles and responsibilities are divided

Area	Local casino	International partner
License and compliance	Full legal responsibility, audit, reporting	Supports compliance through certified solutions
KYC/AML and RG tools	Policies, limits, self-exclusion, risk triggers	Scoring technologies, anomaly monitoring, base integration
Payments and financial control	PSP selection, limits, verification of funding source	Anti-fraud engines, risk rules, 3-D Secure, orchestration
Technologies	Hosting in a valid jurisdiction, DPO/ISO processes	PAM, games, live content, DevOps, CI/CD, WAF, DDoS protection
Marketing/CRM	Brand tone, offline synergies, local promotions	Segmentation, RFM models, personalization, A/B tests
Player support	Multilingual service (DE/FR/IT/EN), response times	Help-desk tools, knowledge bases, agent scripts

4) Legal and technical "mandatory elements"

Content and RNG certification. Games are independently evaluated; Specify rules and RTP ranges.

Responsible default game. Deposit/loss/time limits, timeouts, self-exclusion, session reminders.

Privacy and data storage. Strict requirements for personal data protection, event logging and incident management.

Localization of interface and support. Multilingualism and clear risk communication are mandatory.

Transparency of bonuses. Understandable conditions, irreducible standard of honesty and rejection of "dark" UX patterns.

5) Partnership economics

5. 1. Revenue model

RevShare. The most common format: a percentage of GGR/Net Gaming Revenue with marketing spending ceilings.

Hybrid. Small fixed fee + RevShare depending on SLA and service depth.

Multi-provider basket. To diversify risk and optimize margins.

5. 2. Costs and investments

Integration and certification. Technical onboarding, test environments, security audit.

Operating expenses. Hosting, monitoring, SOC, updates, incident dispatching.

Marketing and retention. Loyalty programs, tournaments, missions, VIP support.

6) Risks and how to reduce them

Dependence on one vendor. Solution: multi-platform architecture, standard APIs, step-in right.

Non-compliance with local regulations. Decision: joint compliance committee, regular audits, "early warning" RG metrics.

UX overload. Solution: content curation, release limit per week, "quiet" rollouts with a focus on stability.

Legal disputes over data. Solution: Detailed DPAs, data ownership matrix, retention policies and portability rights.

7) Best practices for Switzerland (implementation roadmap)

1. Due Diligence 360°. Verification of technical debt, certifications, RG cases, DevSecOps maturity, partner financial stability.

2. RACI model. Clearly fix who is responsible for KYC escalation, fraud alerts, downtime, PR risks.

3. Data by Design. Logs, audit trails, RG metrics and incidents - from day one in BI dashboards.

4. The content strategy is "smaller but better." High-quality live tables, slots with transparent rules, thematic events related to local culture.

5. Omnichannel. Uniform statuses, cross-channel bonuses offline/online, accurate personalization without pressure on vulnerable groups.

6. Payment hygiene. Hard limits, sources of funds, "clean" withdrawal routes, transparent deadlines.

7. Regular "health-checks." Pen tests, BCP/DR exercises, WAF/anti-DDoS updates, traffic seasonality.

8) Trends 2026-2030

Deep personalization under RG control. AI scoring and dynamic limits with "humane" boundaries.

Local live studios. Growth of live formats with "Swiss aesthetics" and high production standards.

Transparent dashboards for players. Session history, limits, RTP ranges and expenses in one screen.

Service as a competitive advantage. Multi-channel support, fast verification, fair payment terms.

Even stricter attribution of marketing. Less hype is more provable retention value.

Switzerland encourages international brands not with a "direct license," but with quality partnerships with local casinos. This is a market where those who respect local rules, are responsible for player responsibility and build technically flawless integration win. For foreign companies, this is not a "workaround," but a mature, sustainable model of presence that increases confidence and creates long-term value for players and the regulator.