How a country closed its casinos
Casino Cosmopol was Sweden's entire land-based casino industry: a state-owned operator with four venues, in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Sundsvall. The estate shrank over several years — Sundsvall closed in 2020, Gothenburg and Malmö in 2024 — and the Stockholm room dealt its last hand in April 2025. Parliament then voted to remove land-based casinos from the licensing system entirely, effective 1 January 2026.
The cause was not scandal. It was arithmetic: Swedish players moved online in numbers that left the physical rooms losing money, and a state monopoly running at a loss is a political question rather than a commercial one. No operator, public or private, may now run a casino on Swedish soil.
What a visitor can actually do
Licensed online gambling remains, regulated by Spelinspektionen under the licensing system introduced in 2019, and winnings from a licensed operator are not taxed in the player's hands. Restaurant casinos — small table-game operations attached to hospitality venues — and state lottery products exist in their own categories, and are not casinos in the sense a visitor means.
For a casino trip from Sweden, the nearest options are across a border: Denmark licenses casinos in Copenhagen and other cities, and Germany operates a large state-by-state casino estate.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are there any casinos in Sweden?
- No. Land-based casino gambling was abolished with effect from 1 January 2026, and the last venue, Casino Cosmopol Stockholm, closed in April 2025.
- Can I still gamble legally in Sweden?
- Yes, online, through operators licensed by Spelinspektionen. Winnings from a licensed operator are tax-free for the player.
- Why did Sweden close its casinos?
- Players moved online, the state-owned venues stopped making money, and parliament voted to remove land-based casinos from the licensing system rather than subsidise them.
Legal age, regulator and the tax treatment of player winnings on this page were checked against the regulator's own material or a reputable legal summary in August 2026. Gambling law moves; confirm anything consequential with the regulator before relying on it. Where sources disagreed, this site leaves the figure out rather than guessing.