No misappropriation of lottery funds
According to the draft of the Federal Gambling Act, it will be possible in future for cantons to regularly subsidize the operating costs of non-profit cultural institutions from the lottery fund. According to Suisseculture, the umbrella organization of cultural professionals, this is not a good idea.
Suisseculture believes that operating contributions should continue to be financed from the regular public budget, as these are constitutional and statutory tasks of the cantons. According to Suisseculture, it is unacceptable for state tasks to be financed from gambling revenues.
According to the Federal Constitution and most cantonal constitutions, the arts and culture in Switzerland are supported by the public sector. Without this support, very few professional artists in Switzerland would have an economic livelihood and the diversity of cultural offerings would be thinned out.
In most cantons, individual artistic projects in particular have so far been supported from the proceeds of the big lotteries, while permanent art institutions are subsidized with annual budgets from the ordinary budgets of the cantons and municipalities. From the point of view of cultural professionals, this is correct and should remain so.
However, Suisseculture generally welcomes the fact that the profits from large lotteries will continue to be used in full for charitable purposes. Suisseculture also welcomes the criteria set out in the draft law and the planned greater transparency of the award processes.
