Sweden casinos are now a thing of the past: the last land-based casino in the country, Casino Cosmopol Stockholm, closed in April 2025, and a law change that took effect on January 1, 2026 means no new casino can open. Gambling itself is still legal and popular. Swedes play online with sites licensed by the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen), buy state lottery tickets, bet on horse racing, and can play low-stakes table games at restaurant casinos.
This guide covers what happened to Sweden’s casinos, how gambling is regulated today, and what visitors can still play.
Sweden Gambling at a Glance
| Topic | Status |
|---|---|
| Land-based casinos | None. The last one closed in April 2025. |
| Regulator | Spelinspektionen (Swedish Gambling Authority) |
| Main law | Gambling Act (2018:1138), in force since January 1, 2019 |
| Online casinos and betting | Legal with a Swedish licence |
| Main domestic operators | Svenska Spel (state-owned: lotteries and state games), ATG (horse racing betting) |
| Restaurant casinos | Allowed, with very low stakes |
| Self-exclusion | Spelpaus, the national register all licensed operators must use |
| Last checked | November 2026 |
What Happened to Casino Cosmopol
For about two decades, Sweden’s only full casinos were run by Casino Cosmopol, a brand of the state-owned operator Svenska Spel. Under the old rules, only a state-owned company could hold a licence to run a casino, so Casino Cosmopol had the market to itself.
- Sundsvall opened in July 2001 as Sweden’s first international casino, in the town’s former central railway station. It closed in 2020 because it was no longer profitable.
- Malmö opened in December 2001 in Kungsparken and closed on February 24, 2024.
- Göteborg opened in August 2002 in the old Customs House at Packhusplatsen and closed on February 24, 2024.
- Stockholm opened in March 2003 near Kungsbron and was the last to close, in April 2025.
Falling visitor numbers and profits drove the decision. Casino Cosmopol’s revenue fell 65% in 2024 to SEK 165 million after the Göteborg and Malmö closures. The government then proposed winding down state casinos (bill 2024/25:73), and the Riksdag agreed. From January 1, 2026, casino games were removed from the state gambling licence, which was the only licence that allowed a dedicated casino. In practice, Sweden no longer has a legal route to open a land-based casino.
Both the regulator and the police warned that closing the legal casinos could push some players toward illegal gambling.
How Gambling Is Regulated in Sweden Today
Sweden ended its old state monopoly on January 1, 2019, when the Gambling Act (2018:1138) introduced a licensing system. Private companies can now apply to Spelinspektionen for a licence to offer online casino games and sports betting to Swedish players. The state still runs some products directly through Svenska Spel, which handles the national lotteries and other state games. ATG, set up in 1974 to fund Swedish trotting and galloping, is the main horse racing betting company; it lost its exclusive right to horse betting in 2019, and since 2025 the state no longer appoints a majority of its board.
Key rules for licensed operators:
- Spelpaus. Every licensed operator must connect to Spelpaus, the national self-exclusion register. A player who signs up is blocked from all licensed gambling for the chosen period.
- Bonuses. Operators may offer a bonus only on a player’s first deposit.
- Tax. Licensed operators pay 22% of gross gaming revenue under the Gambling Tax Act (2018:1139).
- Marketing. Gambling marketing must not target minors.
Licensed operators reported net turnover of SEK 28.2 billion in 2025, with online casino and online betting making up SEK 18.7 billion of that. Spelinspektionen puts the share of online gambling that stays with licensed sites (the channelisation rate) at 84% for 2025, down from 86% in 2023. Online casino is the weak spot: the regulator’s traffic-based estimate puts it at 68%, against 95% for sports betting. It counted 2,186 active unlicensed gambling sites in April 2025, and the government has proposed tougher enforcement against the illegal market.
A site falls under Swedish law if it is aimed at Swedish players, for example by using Swedish kronor or the Swedish language. Playing only with licensed sites keeps you inside Spelpaus and Swedish consumer protections.
Where You Can Still Gamble in Sweden
Restaurant casinos
Hotels, restaurants and similar venues can still offer casino games such as roulette and blackjack, as long as they hold a serving licence or the games can be run without disturbance. These restaurant casinos were not affected by the state casino closures. Stakes are tiny compared with a real casino: the parliamentary report on the closures put the maximum roulette stake at about SEK 28, against about SEK 115,000 at Casino Cosmopol.
Ships
Casino games on ships in international traffic are also outside the casino phase-out.
Lotteries and horse racing
Svenska Spel sells the national lottery games through its Tur division, and ATG is the main company for betting on Swedish horse racing.
Online
Licensed sites offer online slots and gaming machines, table games, live dealer games, poker and sports betting. Check that a site holds a Swedish licence before you play.
Learn the Games Before You Play
If you plan to play table games at a restaurant casino, on a ferry or on a trip abroad, our guides explain the rules and odds:
Browse every game in our table games section. For another Nordic country, see our Iceland guide. If you are in the United States, see our guide to online casinos for US players.
Sweden Casinos FAQ
Are there any casinos in Sweden?
No full land-based casinos. Casino Cosmopol Stockholm, the last one, closed in April 2025, and since January 1, 2026 there is no licence that allows a new one. Restaurant casinos with low stakes and casino games on international ships are still allowed.
Is online gambling legal in Sweden?
Yes, with operators licensed by Spelinspektionen. The licensing system has been in place since January 1, 2019.
Why did Sweden close its casinos?
Visitor numbers and profits at Casino Cosmopol fell for years. Svenska Spel closed Sundsvall in 2020 and Malmö and Göteborg in 2024, and the government and Riksdag then decided to wind down state casinos altogether.
What is Spelpaus?
Spelpaus is Sweden’s national self-exclusion register. Signing up blocks you from gambling with every Swedish-licensed operator for the period you choose.
Please gamble responsibly. In Sweden you can use Spelpaus to take a break from all licensed gambling. In the US, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (call or text).