End of an Era: Sweden Votes to Abolish Casinos

Gambling has long been an activity rooted in two core truths: players enjoy the thrill of the risk, and sharing that experience with other players. When you lose, it's a shared commiseration; when you win, it's the gratification of a round of high-fives, which makes playing casino games like baccarat and roulette so enticing.

Much of this was lost with the invention of online gambling and even more so when it became viable to play on your mobile device.

 Land-based Casinos Bid Farewell

While gambling has always had a strong following in Sweden, the land-based casino sector offers local players fantastic venues like Casino Cosmpol to gather and share their favourite pastime.

However, as of 1 January 2026, that will no longer be possible. The Riksdag, Sweden’s parliamentary body that makes decisions for the country, has voted to abolish the state-operated brick-and-mortar casino industry.

In view of declining profitability, the casino closed its venue in Sundsvall in 2020 and the venues in Gothenburg and Malmö in 2024. The final nail in the casino group's coffin will be the shuttering of its final casino in Stockholm, which has to take place before 2026.

This has impacted 180 staff in total, and when the final casino is closed, 240 more casino staff will need to transition into new career opportunities. Thankfully, Svenksa Spel and industry unions are working together to make these moves as smooth as possible.

Was Regulated Online Gambling To Blame?

Online casinos were licensed to operate in Sweden in 2019 in response to reports that Swedes were gambling en masse at offshore sites. These sites were under no obligation to protect local players and delivered no financial value to the country.

While some news sites and even those impacted by the closure of brick-and-mortar venues are blaming the success of the online casino industry for the decision by the Riksdag, this is not true.

Looking back at past news articles and sector reports by Svenska Spel and Casino Cosmopol, the writing was on the wall for land-based casinos long before the 2019 ratification of online gambling.

At the time, Swedes were spending more and more money at unregulated offshore sites. These players cited the ease of online access, better bonuses, and a wider variety of games and tournaments.

While it is true that tech-savvy and time-starved locals were drawn to the benefits of digital gaming, regulated gambling was not the sector's final straw - convenience and variety were.

Enjoy World-class Gaming and Social Interaction

Thanks to the advancements in stable internet speeds, OLED and other forms of high-quality screens, and live casino streaming, it is possible to enjoy world-class casino games and engage with dealers and fellow players from the comfort of your living room.

Our list of recommended online casinos includes many sites that offer innovative, creative, and award-winning live casino games, such as Monopoly Live, Live Blackjack, Super Sic Bo, Crazy Time, and Dream Catcher.

These games are hosted by professional dealers and entertainers and allow live chat engagement with both the hosts and other players. This brings that shared experience back to the act of gambling, finally reuniting risk and social engagement, bringing us full circle and restoring balance.