The Swedish gambling regulatory authority, Spelinspektionen, calls on the government to seriously consider the implications of the proposal to close the Casino Cosmopol brand under Svenska Spel. It states that the closure of Sweden's last physical casino could undermine efforts to combat unlicensed gambling.
In February, state-owned Svenska Spel, due to the rise of online gambling, deemed two of its three physical casinos unprofitable and closed them. Currently, the company continues to operate its flagship physical casino, Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm, as well as the brand's online casino.
However, a national memorandum supported by the Tidö coalition government proposes that the Swedish gambling company should completely close the Cosmopol casinos, as the state "should no longer be involved in gambling." According to the proposal, the Stockholm casino will close on January 1, 2026.
In a response submitted by Deputy Director Patrik Gustavsson and legal advisor Charlotte Nothnagel, Spelinspektionen states that it does not oppose the proposal to close the Cosmopol casinos. However, it emphasizes the police's concern that some physical casino players might turn to illegal gambling. Therefore, it states that more resources are needed to combat illegal gambling and to warn players about these changes.
The response states: "Spelinspektionen has served as an expert in several prosecuted cases in recent years. Although the number of such cases is relatively low today, the agency believes that law enforcement's focus on illegal gambling is increasing."
The regulatory body also commented on other aspects of the national memorandum, which proposes to remove the current restrictions on the top prizes and bonuses offered by the national lottery. Swedish regulations currently limit the value of prizes to 50% of the stake value over a certain period. Spelinspektionen suggests that if this change is implemented, the Gambling Ordinance should be updated to ensure fair competition with public benefit lotteries.
The statement says: "If the restrictions on the national lottery are lifted, this provision should apply to all lotteries to avoid altering the competitive conditions of lotteries currently used for public benefit purposes."
As for the new measures proposed against money laundering, Spelinspektionen supports the proposal to expand its duties and emphasizes the need to regularly collect data according to the upcoming EU report requirements.
