When it comes to protecting young people against gambling, Switzerland can clearly do better. According to a recent survey by the Federal Statistical Office, 6.1% of young people aged 15 to 24 showed “risky” or “pathological” gambling behavior. According to Addiction Suisse, which also conducted a study, these worrying figures are easily explained: “Young people are particularly vulnerable to advertising for these games, which normalizes them and makes them attractive while obscuring the associated risks, including debt and addiction.”
In addition, the marketing techniques used by the gambling industry particularly target young people, through social networks, influencers and sponsorship of sporting events. “One of these approaches consists of presenting the probability of winning money in certain games, such as sports betting, as being based on the skills and knowledge of the players, which in reality is an illusion,” continues Addiction Suisse, which deplores that “Switzerland remains one of the least restrictive countries in terms of advertising for games of chance and money”.
To stem the phenomenon, the foundation “calls for stricter regulation”, drawing inspiration from measures adopted by other countries, for example, prohibiting the use of logos or names of sponsors in the context of event sponsorships. , following the example of Italy; prohibit by default all advertising for games of chance and money, with rare exceptions, following the example of Belgium; or even force gambling providers to ensure that their online advertising does not reach young people, as in the Netherlands.
