Switzerland: Competition Commission opened investigations into travel and online casino sectors over alleged search engine advertising coordination

On 30 April 2026, the Competition Commission (COMCO) opened two investigations into possible coordination in search engine advertising through keyword bidding. One investigation concerns companies offering package holidays in Switzerland, and the other concerns online casinos. The investigations examine whether companies agreed to avoid bidding on keywords linked to competitors’ brands on search engines. COMCO is assessing whether such conduct may constitute an unlawful agreement and whether it could have affected competition by influencing the visibility of search results and making comparisons between competing offers more difficult.