Winner takes all, if it’s under CHF1,000

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – A happy winner of the Loterie Romande has an extra CHF2.8 million in his pocket after winning with 2, 3, 7, 18, 33 and 45 (the “complémentaire” number: 16). The announcement Wednesday 17 August came just as the Swiss Federal Council announced its support for legal revisions recommended by parliament that allow lottery winners to keep their first CHF1,000 without paying tax.

Ninety-five percent of Swiss lottery winnings are under CHF1,000, for a total of CHF40 million. The change to the law will not mean of loss of revenues for the government.

Loterie Romande applauded the change to the law, saying it will cut administrative costs, since withholding tax currently must be collected on any gambling wins over CHF50, an amount that has not changed since 1945.

It also makes it easier for the non-profit organization, whose earnings are distributed to charity and community projects, to compete with casinos, where winnings are tax-free, and illegal Internet gambling, where withholding tax is clearly not collected. And of course, it points out, it’s good news for small winners, who keep what they win, as long as it’s uner CHF1,000.

Casinos will deduct a lump sum federal income tax of 5 percent for each lottery win, with a ceiling of CHF5,000. The money goes to the federally-backed programme to prevent addiction to gambling.

Illegal gambling network dismantled - Photo Vaud police

Prilly, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Vaud cantonal police seized CHF10,000 and questioned 27 people in connection with an illegal gambling operation at the “La Rapille” restaurant in Prilly, west of Lausanne.

According to police, “17 of the 27 detained for questioning were betting illegally on rummy games.”

The Vaud cantonal police in cooperation with the cantonal business investigation unit and the West Lausanne police, stormed the restaurant at around midnight on Friday 1 October.

Of the 17 people cited for illegal gambling, one was a Swiss national; the rest of the group, police said, were Kosovars, Serbians and Macedonians, ranging from 20, to over 50 years of age. Authorities say two computers also found on the premises allowed patrons to bet illegally on-line.

Over 25 law-enforcement personnel participated in the operation.

Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A referee who suspended in a football betting investigation has been cleared, reports the Canadian Press. Referee Anton Genov of Bulgaria was suspended by the Nyon-based Uefa (European football federation) after it spotted irregular betting patterns in a 14 November match between Macedonia and Canada,  But Fifa, the Zurich-based international football body which has been working for the past six months with an early warning system, says it has found no evidence of suspicious bets.