Last updated: 29 April 2026.
Casino Cosmopol — The End of Sweden's Land-Based Casinos
On 25 April 2025, Svenska Spel announced that Casino Cosmopol Stockholm was closed to guests and would not reopen, following changed ownership instructions received on 24 April. It was the final venue in a state-owned chain that had operated for twenty-six years, and its closure marked the end of full-service land-based casino gambling in Sweden. From 1 January 2026, no operator — public or private — can hold a Swedish license to provide casino games in physical premises.
This page is the English-language reference on Casino Cosmopol's history and closure, written for international journalists, analysts, and gambling-industry observers covering Sweden. The Swedish version, with additional editorial detail, is at casino-cosmopol-stangning.html.
Key facts
- Operator: Casino Cosmopol AB, a wholly-owned subsidiary of state-owned Svenska Spel
- First venue opened: Sundsvall, 30 June 2001
- Last venue closed: Stockholm, announced closed to guests on 25 April 2025
- Total venues operated: four (Sundsvall, Malmö, Gothenburg, Stockholm)
- Stockholm address: Kungsgatan 65, central Stockholm
- Staff at Stockholm closure: approximately 240
- Legal effect: Sweden's Gambling Act amended to remove land-based casino licensing from 1 January 2026
Origins (1999)
The framework that enabled Casino Cosmopol was the Casino Act (Kasinolagen, SFS 1999:355), passed by the Riksdag in 1999. Until then, Sweden had no legal full-scale casinos — gambling tradition was confined to state lotteries, betting through the state-owned ATG (horse racing), and Svenska Spel's earlier products. The Casino Act allowed the establishment of a small number of "international casinos" in a defined number of cities, operated by a state-owned company.
The model was deliberately conservative. Casinos would be state-owned to keep gambling revenue in the public purse and to enforce strict consumer protection. Player registration was mandatory at every visit, with photo ID and individual visit logging — a level of identity-tracking unusual for European casinos at the time. The number of permitted venues was capped by law at six; only four were ever opened.
The four venues
| Venue | Opened | Closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundsvall | 30 June 2001 | 2020 | First Casino Cosmopol venue. Closed during pandemic-era restrictions and never reopened. |
| Malmö | December 2001 | February 2024 | Located in central Malmö. Closed alongside Gothenburg as part of consolidation. |
| Gothenburg | August 2002 | February 2024 | Located on Packhusplatsen. |
| Stockholm | March 2003 | 25 April 2025 | Kungsgatan 65, central Stockholm. The chain's flagship and final venue. |
At their peak in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the four venues collectively employed several hundred staff and attracted roughly one million annual visitor entries. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, and poker — including televised tournaments — were the core offering.
The decline (2010–2025)
The decline of Sweden's land-based casinos paralleled the rise of online gambling. Between 2010 and 2019, before Sweden re-regulated online gambling, a substantial Swedish online casino market existed offshore, primarily through Malta-licensed operators. The 2019 Gambling Act formalized this market under Swedish licensing — but it also accelerated the migration of casino activity from physical to digital.
Casino Cosmopol's internal financial position deteriorated throughout the 2010s. By 2018, the chain was making a meaningful loss; by 2022, the loss exceeded 200 million SEK annually. Svenska Spel, the parent company, repeatedly proposed closure or consolidation. The pandemic of 2020–2021 accelerated the trajectory: Sundsvall closed in 2020 and never reopened. Malmö and Gothenburg followed in February 2024.
By that point, only the Stockholm venue remained, and its days were numbered. Svenska Spel announced in late 2024 that the Stockholm casino would close in spring 2025. On 25 April 2025 it announced that the Stockholm venue had closed to guests and would not reopen.
The legal change (2025–2026)
The closure of the last Casino Cosmopol venue was followed by formal legislative change. In 2025, the Riksdag passed amendments to the Gambling Act removing land-based casino licensing as a category. The amendment took effect on 1 January 2026.
The legal effect is that no operator — including a hypothetical successor to Casino Cosmopol or a new private entrant — can apply for or hold a Swedish license to operate casino games in physical premises. This is distinct from restaurant casinos, a separate license category covering limited table-game offerings (typically blackjack and roulette) in restaurants, hotels, and conference venues. Restaurant casinos remain legal under their own regulations and are not affected by the 2026 change.
The decision to abolish the category, rather than re-license to a private operator, reflected several considerations. The market for land-based casino had clearly contracted; a private operator entering on commercial terms would face the same demand decline that had unprofitable Casino Cosmopol. Public attitudes had shifted, with land-based casino seen as outmoded. And the regulatory infrastructure for online gambling was now well-developed, removing the original 1999 rationale that land-based venues offered better consumer protection than offshore alternatives.
What about poker tournaments?
Casino Cosmopol Stockholm hosted regular major poker tournaments throughout its history, including the Swedish Open and qualifiers for international series. With the venue's closure, Sweden has no remaining venue for full-scale tournament poker. Online poker continues to be available through Sweden's licensed online operators, including Svenska Spel Casino and licensed private operators.
Concerns about illegal gambling
Swedish police raised concerns during 2024 and 2025 about a possible increase in illegal gambling clubs (illegala spelklubbar) following Casino Cosmopol's closure. The concern was that demand for in-person casino gambling, no longer met by a legal venue, would migrate to unregulated underground operations. There has been some evidence of this — police have conducted raids on suspected illegal clubs in Stockholm and Gothenburg during 2025 — but the scale remains contested. Spelinspektionen and the police monitor the situation as part of regular enforcement.
What happened to the Stockholm building?
The Casino Cosmopol Stockholm venue at Kungsgatan 65 occupies a historic property in central Stockholm, originally built as the Norma cinema in the 1920s and converted to casino use in 2003. After closure, the building reverted to its property owners. As of early 2026, redevelopment plans for the property are under discussion but no public announcement has been made.
FAQ
When did Casino Cosmopol Stockholm close?
Svenska Spel announced on 25 April 2025 that Casino Cosmopol Stockholm was closed to guests and would not reopen. It was the last full-service land-based casino in Sweden.
Are there any land-based casinos left in Sweden?
No full-service casinos. From 1 January 2026, no operator can hold a Swedish license for casino games in physical premises. Restaurant casinos with a limited table-game offering remain legal under a separate license category, but they are not casinos in the conventional sense.
Why did Casino Cosmopol close?
Two parallel forces. The first was structural: Swedish gambling activity migrated steadily online from 2010 onwards, and the four Casino Cosmopol venues had been loss-making for years. The second was political: Parliament decided to remove land-based casino licensing from the Gambling Act, with effect from 1 January 2026.
How many staff lost their jobs?
Approximately 240 staff worked at Casino Cosmopol Stockholm at the time of its closure in April 2025. Earlier closures of the Sundsvall, Malmö, and Gothenburg venues affected several hundred additional staff between 2020 and 2024.
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Read more: Swedish Gambling Market 2026 · Sweden's gambling laws explained · Casino Cosmopol — full Swedish version