by DANIELE MARIANI
Switzerland has one of the world’s highest densities of casinos. Soon two more will be added to the 19 others that already exist, bringing in even more funds to the public coffers. But society foots the bill for gambling addiction.
As a nation, the Swiss are very partial to a flutter: in 2011, lotteries, betting and gambling earned the gaming industry over SFr1.7 billion ($1.78 billion).
Gaming represents a highly lucrative source of income. Last year, taxes on casinos yielded SFr360 million francs to the federal coffers, while SFr60 million were turned over to the cantons. The gross profit from gaming (the difference between bets and wins) was SFr824 million.
Swisslos and Loterie Romande, the two non-profit associations that run lotteries and some gambling in Switzerland, paid out Sfr557 million to the cantons as well as social, cultural, research and sports projects.
But there is the other side of the coin – when gambling becomes more than a simple pastime. According to the 2007 Swiss Health Survey, 85,000 people have a problem with gambling and 35,000 can be considered compulsive gamblers.
Compulsive gambling can lead to mental and physical problems, stress at home often ending in divorce, absenteeism, indebtedness and suicidal tendencies. According to research published in 2012 by Neuchâtel University’s Institute of Economic Research, the social cost of compulsive gambling is estimated to between SFr545 million and SFr658 million.
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