Sweden’s Last Casino to Close, Proliferation of Online Gaming Blamed

Posted on: April 4, 2025, 10:07h. 

Last updated on: April 4, 2025, 10:14h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • In 2026, Sweden will be free of brick-and-mortar casinos
  • The lone remaining casino, Casino Cosmopol Stockholm, will close at the year’s end
  • Online gaming and responsible gaming safeguards have been blamed for in-person revenue declines

Sweden is closing its final remaining brick-and-mortar casino.

Sweden Casino Cosmopol Stockholm online gaming
Casino Cosmopol Stockholm, the only remaining in-person casino in Sweden, will close at the end of the year. The government-owned Svenska Spel company once operated four Casino Cosmopol locations on the government’s behalf. (Image: Shutterstock)

Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdag, this week voted in favor of ending the Nordic country’s land-based gaming industry. The state-run in-person gaming industry was authorized in 1999, with Svenska Spel, the state-owned gambling enterprise running four casinos at the height of the market.

Today, just one physical casino remains in Sweden. At the government’s order, Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm will shutter at the close of the year at midnight, Jan. 1, 2026.

The Swedish Parliament has decided to phase out state-owned casinos starting Jan. 1, 2026. This does not affect our opening hours at the moment — we remain open as usual! More information will be available after Svenska Spel’s Annual General Meeting on April 24,” a message on the Casino Cosmopol Stockholm website informed.

The Stockholm casino houses about 300 slot machines and 30 live dealer table games. A poker room and restaurant are also available in the casino located next to Stockholm’s World Trade Center.

Online Gaming Blamed

Casino Cosmopol, the operating subsidiary of Svenska Spel, has seen its brick-and-mortar operations decline in recent years after the Swedish Parliament authorized online casino games and mobile sports betting in 2019.

As a result, Svenska Spel’s brick-and-mortar casinos continually experienced revenue declines. An internal review determined that the company’s three Casino Cosmopol locations in Sundsvall, Malmo, and Gothenburg had stopped being profitable. The government closed Sundsvall in 2020 and Malmo and Gothenburg last year.

Parliament voted to require Svenska Spel to close Casino Cosmopol Stockholm and permanently bar the Swedish Gambling Authority from issuing new brick-and-mortar casino licenses.

We share the government’s assessment and have been prepared for the Riksdag’s decision. Nevertheless, it is of course emotionally tough because it means that an era will end when the casino in Stockholm eventually closes,” said Casino Cosmopol CEO Ola Enquist.

The Stockholm casino employs about 240 people. Enquist said the company’s focus later this year will transition to assist those workers with finding new employment. 

More Responsible Programming 

Svenska Spel said in its 2024 annual report that its emphasis on responsible play and implementation of consumer safeguards like income checks on high-stakes players and welfare calls also caused in-person revenue declines at Casino Cosmopol Stockholm.

“We continue to strengthen responsible gaming. We do this because caring for our customers is one of our highest priorities. This negatively affects our revenues and profitability, but it is a conscious choice as we want all our customers to play healthily with us,” Svenska Spel CEO Anna Johnson said in February.

Johnson added that eliminating problem gambling from the company’s business produces “healthy” revenue that is sustainable and easier to forecast. The responsible gaming safeguards have also been applied to Svenska Spel’s many iGaming and online sports betting platforms.

Svenska Spel operates 14 unique online casino, sports betting, and poker brands and 12 online lottery platforms on the government’s behalf.

In 2024, net gaming revenue, inclusive of online and Casino Cosmopol Stockholm, totaled SEK7.7 billion (US$770 million). Svenska Spel reported an operating profit of SEK2.11 billion.