The Swiss town of Lugano is home to a casino which has about 80 percent of its gamblers reportedly hailing from Italy - no surprise considering the town is only about an hour from Milan, the nation’s financial hub. A liberalisation of formerly stricter Italian laws has helped gambling gain prominence in Italy as of late, and it is this change, combined with the strength of the Swiss franc, which has made it difficult for casinos in Switzerland’s Italian-speaking region to profit. The nation’s 21 casinos suffered an 8 percent drop in revenue in 2012 to 757 million francs, with not a single establishment able to maintain revenue at the previous year’s level. The decline occurred even as new casinos opened, including one in Zurich. Lugano’s casino suffered a 21 percent decline to 54 million francs - the biggest of any in Switzerland. “Last year, people were spending less,” said Luca Antonini, manager of the Lugano betting house. “Now we’re beginning to see fewer guests too.”