Unlike Italy, the history of gambling houses in Switzerland is very recent. While the four Italian casinos – Campione d'Italia, Sanremo,Venice, and Saint Vincent – now boast a long tradition in the history of legalized gambling, Switzerland cannot say the same.
Gambling houses were banned in 1874 under the new FederalConstitution (the first dating back to 1848). Existing ones, which hademerged with the advent of tourism in the 19th century in terminal stations or holiday resorts, had to close by the end of 1877. Saxon, inCanton Valais, which operated a casino similar to Monte Carlo's, thus lost its role as a fashionable location.
It wasn't until the 1990s that the Confederation revised its position. To boost federal coffers, the Swiss people were invited by theFederal Government in March 1993 to repeal the ban on gambling houses. The appeal was followed by 72.5% of the electorate. Based on the new constitutional provision and the Federal Law onGambling and Casinos, which came into force on April 1, 2000, the Federal Council granted concessions to 21 casinos that began operations between July 2002 and November 2003.
For this reason, in Switzerland, you can find one or more casinos in every city: from Zurich to Bellinzona, from Lugano to Mendrisio, passing through Davos, Interlaken, and St. Moritz, and try your luck!
