History

2005 brought many changes to the regulation of lotteries and betting in Switzerland. On January 7, 2005, the Conference of Cantonal Lottery Directors approved the Intercantonal Agreement on Supervision and Licensing of; as well as Distribution of Profits from Intercantonal or National Lotteries. The agreement harmonises the licensing and supervision of the Swiss lottery and betting market. Until 2005 these activities were monitored by each canton individually. The Agreement between the twenty-six Swiss cantons expresses their wish to modernise the legal and administrative context in which the lottery and betting market operates in Switzerland.

Comlot assumed its work on 1 July, 2006, which is when the Intercantonal Agreement came into force. Since then, Comlot has positioned itself as the cantonal governments' centre of competence in the gambling sector. Comlot has been deeply involved in the drafting of new legislation as well as in the prosecution of lottery and betting crime. Being a central and national agency, Comlot has a global view of the Swiss market, and is therefore the intercantonal counterpart to the Federal Gaming Board (Eidgenössische Spielbankenkommission), which supervises the casino industry.