Melon Farmers Original Version

Internet Censorship in Switzerland


Starting with blocking foreign gambling sites


 

Offsite Article: Swiss Copyright Law: Downloading Stays Legal, No Site Blocking...


Link Here23rd September 2019
Full story: Internet Censorship in Switzerland...Starting with blocking foreign gambling sites
Switzerland's parliament passes new copyright laws

See article from torrentfreak.com

 

 

All bets are off...

Switzerland issues its first blocking list of banned foreign gambling websites


Link Here 4th September 2019
Full story: Internet Censorship in Switzerland...Starting with blocking foreign gambling sites
The Swiss Lottery and Betting Board has published its first censorship list of foreign gambling websites to be blocked by the country's ISPs.

The censorship follows a change to the law on online gambling intended to preserve a monopoly for Swiss gambling providers.

Over 60 foreign websites external link have been blocked to Swiss gamblers. Last June, 73% of voters approved the censorship law. The law came into effect in January but blocking of foreign gambling websites only started in August.

Swiss gamblers can bet online only with Swiss casinos and lotteries that pay tax in the country.

Foreign service providers that voluntarily withdraw from the Swiss market with appropriate measures will not be blocked.

 

 

Gambling on internet blocking...

Switzerland preserves gambling monopoly by blocking foreign competition


Link Here 25th June 2019
Full story: Internet Censorship in Switzerland...Starting with blocking foreign gambling sites
Swiss gamblers will be able to bet online only with an approved monopoly of casinos and lotteries.

The provision of the new Swiss gambling law which restricts online gambling to a few authorised Swiss-based casinos comes into effect on July 1.

Last June 73% of voters approved the overhaul of the country's gambling law despite claims by opponents of government censorship.

A list of unauthorised gambling providers will be published on the websites of the Federal Gaming Commission external link and the Lotteries and Betting Commission external link . Those on the blacklist will be automatically blocked by Swiss ISPs by means of DNS blocks.

Swiss gamblers signed up with foreign casinos will have to contact them directly for any money due as Swiss regulators have no jurisdiction over them. Or perhaps they will continue to use foreign websites using VPNs or encrypted DNS courtesy of Firefoox

 

 

Updated: The latest betting in the Swiss online gambling referendum...

State Monopoly is 4/6, Total Censorship is 5/4, and Online Freedom is a non-runner


Link Here12th June 2018
Full story: Internet Censorship in Switzerland...Starting with blocking foreign gambling sites
Swiss voters will decide on Sunday whether to back a new gambling law designed to restrict online gambling to a state monopoly or reject what opponents say amounts to internet censorship.

Recent polls indicate a clear majority plan support the new law, which has already been passed by both houses of parliament, and now is being put to a referendum.

The Swiss government says the Gambling Act updates legislation for the digital age. If approved by voters, the law would be among the strictest in Europe and would only allow casinos and gaming companies certified in Switzerland to operate, including on the internet. This would enable Swiss companies for the first time to offer online gambling, but would basically block foreign-based companies from the market.

Bern also wants all of the companies' proceeds to be taxed in Switzerland, with revenues helping fund anti-addiction measures, as well as social security and sports and culture programmes.

The new law represents a windfall for Switzerland's casinos, which had put huge amounts of money into campaigning.

Opponents have slammed Bern for employing methods worthy of an authoritarian state, with a measure that they claim is censorship of the internet.

Update: State Monopoly wins by a distance

12th June 2018. See  article from globaltimes.cn

Swiss voters have overwhelmingly approved blocking foreign-based betting sites in a referendum on a new gambling law designed to create a local monopoly.

72.9% of voters came out in favor of the new gambling law.

The law, which is set to take effect next year, will be among the strictest in Europe, allowing only casinos and gaming companies certified in Switzerland to operate in the country, including on the internet.

It will enable Swiss companies for the first time to offer online gambling, but will basically block foreign-based companies from the market.

 

 

The Swiss people are set to call their government's bluff...

Swiss campaigners seek a people's referendum to overturn a law blocking foreign competitors to Swiss gambling websites, justifiably fearing that this is a Trojan Horse for wider internet censorship


Link Here10th January 2018
Full story: Internet Censorship in Switzerland...Starting with blocking foreign gambling sites
Last September, Swiss legislators approved changes to its gambling laws will introduce website blocking for foreign competitors to Switzerland's own gambling industry.

This domain-blocking plan, set to take effect in 2019, met with pushback from Swiss ISPs and civil libertarians, who decided Swiss voters should have a say in this flirtation with authoritarian censorship. Swiss law allows voters a referendum on contentious legislation provided 50k citizens sign the necessary petition within 100 days of the law's passage.

On Tuesday, Swiss media outlet Blick reported that a coalition of three political parties and the Internet Society Switzerland Chapter  had so far collected around 65k signatures, of which 25k have been certified by the state. The group has until January 18 to certify the additional 25k signatures needed for the referendum to be approved.

Andri Silberschmidt, president of the youth organization of Switzerland's Free Democratic Party, told Blick that his group was intent on combatting digital isolation, mindful that once a government starts banning what its citizens can do online, even tighter restrictions are usually not far behind. Freedom for the economy and the internet, has great support in Switzerland.

The local casino industry, which has long complained that its falling revenue was due to competition from international gambling sites. But the most recent data from the Swiss Federation of Casinos showed the nation's 21 licensed brick-and-mortar casinos posted a modest year-on-year revenue gain in 2016. Lottery and sports betting revenue enjoyed even larger gains in 2016, rising 8.3% year-on-year. So it appears that there are bluffs to call.




 

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