Official language: German, French, Italian
Population: 7,700,200
Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)

Current Exchange Rate
1 EUR = 1.5134 CHF
1 GBP = 1.6439 CHF
1 USD = 1.0084 CHF

Poker in Switzerland
In Switzerland, poker is still considered a game of luck. Because of this, the only legal poker games in the country were, for many years, games that take place in a casino. Switzerland only has 20 large casinos, so there were not many places to play poker for real money. This all changed in 2008, when an exception was made to the law that allowed poker tournaments with cash prizes to be held outside casinos. This surprising act made many Swiss poker players happy.

Although there are very strict guidelines that determine how the poker tournaments must be run, players do not mind. Since the change, poker tournaments have been popping up all over the country. While most of the casinos hold daily poker tournaments, with larger events happening a few times a year, big multinational poker tournaments are starting to move through the country. Just last year, the first Swiss Poker Masters tour was held, and it was a huge success.

Online Poker in Switzerland
Online gambling is banned in Switzerland, but the ban is not strictly enforced. Furthermore, only companies that offer internet gambling services can get in trouble, while players cannot. There is even overt sponsorship happening – the 2008 Swiss Poker Masters was funded largely by PokerStars.

In the end, the relaxed enforcement of the online gambling ban means Swiss players can play online poker on a daily basis. There are many big international online poker sites that cater specifically to a Swiss audience, offering their services in German, French, and Italian. The government of Switzerland shows no signs of changing their stance, so the situation could stay like this for a long time.