Giropay Casinos: Status and Alternatives for Bern
Giropay was discontinued at the end of 2024 - what this means for players in Bern and which payment methods really matter now. Factual, up to date and without false promises.
Key Takeaways
- Giropay was discontinued on 31 December 2024. There are no Giropay payments and therefore no more «Giropay casinos» - neither in Switzerland nor anywhere else.
- Giropay was a German online banking service and was never available in Switzerland anyway. Swiss ESBK casinos never offered Giropay.
- Legal and current in Bern: you play in francs (CHF) at ESBK-licensed casinos - with TWINT, PostFinance, cards and bank transfer.
What happened to Giropay?
Giropay no longer exists. The service was shut down at the end of 2024 - which also ends any discussion about «Giropay casinos». Anyone searching online today for a casino with Giropay is looking for a payment method that simply no longer exists.
The process took place in two stages: from 1 July 2024 onwards, no more payments could be initiated via Giropay - the payment function was therefore already discontinued in the summer of 2024. The service was then completely shut down on 31 December 2024, so that it has been permanently unavailable since 1 January 2025. Online merchants and platforms that had previously offered Giropay had to remove the method.
The background is a consolidation in European payment traffic. Behind Giropay stood German banks, which have since pooled their efforts in a joint, Europe-wide project. Giropay is therefore being replaced by Wero, a new payment method from the European Payments Initiative (EPI), which is supported by numerous European banks. More on this further down in a dedicated section.
In practice, the matter is clear: Giropay is history. Any site that still promises you a «best Giropay casino» in 2026 is not up to date. It makes more sense to look at which payment methods are actually legal and available in Switzerland - and that is precisely the focus of this page.
Was Giropay ever even available in Switzerland?
No. Even in its active years, Giropay was a purely German online banking transfer method. It was tailored to the German banking system and required a German bank account with online banking. A payment via Giropay worked by logging in to the familiar online banking of your German bank and confirming the transfer there.
For players in Switzerland, Giropay was therefore never a practical option from the outset. Anyone who did not have a German account could not use the service at all. Accordingly, the ESBK casinos licensed in Switzerland never offered Giropay - not because it was prohibited, but because it was simply not intended for the Swiss market.
The Swiss standard looks quite different anyway. Here, our own solutions have become established, above all TWINT, which is supported by practically all Swiss banks, as well as PostFinance. These methods are designed for Swiss accounts and are processed in francs. «Giropay casino for Bern» was therefore a term without any real basis even before the service was discontinued.
Legal alternatives for players in Bern
When Giropay falls away, the truly decisive question arises: how do you play online legally and safely in Bern? The answer does not begin with the payment method, but with the provider's licence. Since the Gambling Act (BGS) came into force on 1 January 2019, online casinos in Switzerland may only be operated with a Swiss concession and an additional online permit from the Federal Gaming Board (ESBK). Around a dozen providers meet these requirements.
For Bern, this means in concrete terms: you play legally in CHF at ESBK-licensed casinos. These include, among others, 7melons.ch, operated by the Grand Casino Kursaal Bern, as well as other licensed providers such as Swiss Casinos, Jackpots.ch, mycasino.ch or Casino777.ch (Casino Davos). These houses are subject to the supervision of the ESBK and offer national player protection. You will find a detailed overview of playing in francs on our page about casinos with Swiss francs.
With these providers, the truly relevant Swiss payment methods are available - those that Giropay never had to replace, because they are the standard anyway:
- TWINT: The Swiss payment app par excellence, supported by almost all banks. Deposits are made in seconds directly from your smartphone - the first choice for many.
- PostFinance: Firmly anchored in everyday Swiss life with the PostFinance Card and E-Finance, and broadly integrated at the licensed casinos.
- Maestro, Visa and Mastercard: Debit and credit cards from Swiss banks are a proven, widely used option for deposits and withdrawals.
- Bank transfer: The classic transfer from a Swiss account - somewhat slower, but reliable and suitable for larger amounts.
The great advantage of these methods lies not only in their availability, but in the overall package: at ESBK casinos, your winnings of up to around CHF 1'071'000 are tax-free (as of 2026), you can protect yourself via the national gaming exclusion, and in the event of a dispute the Swiss legal process is open to you. Anyone who wants to play legally and safely in Bern therefore does not need Giropay - the local solutions are the better choice in every respect.
Wero - the successor to Giropay
Giropay is being replaced by Wero, a new payment method from the European Payments Initiative (EPI). Behind the project stand numerous European banks that are jointly building a unified wallet and transfer system for the European payment area. Wero enables direct account-to-account payments, initially above all in Germany, France, Belgium and other EU countries.
For players in Switzerland, however, Wero is currently not relevant. The method is being rolled out in the initial markets and is currently neither integrated nor available at the Swiss ESBK casinos. Wero is therefore not a replacement with which you could pay at a legal casino in Bern today. The Swiss standard remains unchanged: TWINT, PostFinance, cards and bank transfer.
Foreign casinos: a legal grey area
Switzerland is a free country. The Gambling Act is directed against unlicensed providers, not against individual players. Playing at foreign casinos is therefore a legal grey area - not expressly prohibited, but expressly at your own risk. Naming this freedom of choice honestly is part of the truth. But it is just as honest to show the flip side.
Anyone who switches to a foreign provider leaves Swiss player protection behind. In concrete terms, this means:
- No Swiss player protection: Foreign providers do not have an ESBK licence and are not subject to the Swiss protection requirements.
- Network blocks: Access to unlicensed offers is technically blocked in Switzerland.
- Gaming exclusion does not apply: The ESBK's national gaming exclusion does not protect you at foreign providers.
- Winnings fully taxable: No tax exemption applies - in contrast to ESBK casinos.
- Banks can block: Swiss banks and payment services can block payments to unlicensed providers.
And above all: with Giropay you can no longer pay there anyway. The method has not existed since the end of 2024 - so the original reason for this page has become doubly obsolete. Anyone who wants to play at a foreign provider despite the risks must resort to other payment methods and does so in any case at their own risk.
Responsible Gaming
Gambling can be addictive. Games of chance are only permitted from the age of 18 and should always remain entertainment, never a source of income. Set yourself firm deposit and time limits before playing and stick to them.
In Switzerland, you can have yourself excluded via the ESBK's federal gaming exclusion. Important to know: this gaming exclusion only protects you at Swiss licensed casinos - it does not apply at foreign providers.
If you have the feeling that you are losing control, get help. The following organisations offer free and confidential advice:
- SOS-Spielsucht: 0800 040 080 (24 hours, anonymous, free)
- Sucht Schweiz: suchtschweiz.ch
- SafeZone.ch: safezone.ch - anonymous online counselling
- ESBK: esbk.admin.ch - Federal Gaming Board and gaming exclusion
As of: June 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about Giropay, the discontinuation of the service and the legal alternatives in Switzerland.