Switzerland’s internet service providers want Swiss land-based casinos to bear the costs of blocking the domains of international online gambling operators.

The Swiss government is mulling changes to its gambling legislation, including allowing Swiss casinos to offer online versions of their slots and table games. But the proposed regime won’t take effect until 2019, and money-losing Swiss casinos have pressed for international sites to be blocked from accessing the Swiss market in the interim.

Last month, the umbrella group ICT (Information & Communication Technology) Switzerland went public with its concerns over the IP-blocking plans, pointing out that similar IP-blocking schemes have been employed in other countries but have proven “practically useless” in achieving their stated aims.

Jean-Marc Hensch, managing director of ICT trade group Swico, warned that “if Switzerland is to remain innovative and competitive, we cannot cut ourselves off from international competition and let the digitization of the economy pass us by.”