Swedish gambling regulator says it would need more resources if Casino Cosmopol closes 

Spelinspektionen says the closure of Sweden’s last land-based casino could lead to more illegal gambling.

Sweden.- The Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen, has called for the government to carefully consider the potential impact of a proposal to close Svenska’s Spel’s Casino Cosmopol brand. It says the closure of Sweden’s last land-based casino could harm efforts to tackle unlicensed gambling.

State-controlled Svenska Spel closed two of its three land-based casinos in February after determining them to be unprofitable amid a rise in online gambling. For now, it continues to operate the flagship land-based Casino Cosmopol venue in Stockholm as well as online casino gambling under the brand.

However, a state memorandum supported by the Tidö Coalition government proposes that Svenska Spel should close Casino Cosmopol completely because the state should “no longer be involved in hard gambling”. Under the proposal, the Stockholm casino would close by January 1 2026.

In a response submitted by deputy director general Patrik Gustavsson and legal counsel Charlotte Nothnagel, Spelinspektionen says it has no objection to the proposal to close Casino Cosmopol. However, it highlighted police concerns that some land-based casino players could move to illegal gambling. As a result, it says it would need more resources to tackle illegal gambling and to warn players of the changes.

The response states: “Spelinspektionen has acted as an expert in several cases in recent years in which prosecutions have been brought. Although the number of such cases is relatively low today, the authority believes that law enforcement authorities are increasingly paying attention to illegal gambling.”

The regulator also commented on other aspects of the state memorandum, which proposes lifting the current limits on jackpots and prizes offered by state lotteries. Swedish regulations currently limit prize values to 50 per cent of the value of the stakes in a period. Spelinspektionen suggested that if the change is implemented, the Gambling Ordinance should be updated to ensure fair competition with lotteries for public benefit.

It said: “If the limitation for state lotteries is removed, the provision should apply to all lotteries so as not to change the current competitive conditions for lotteries intended for public benefit purposes.”

As for proposed new measures on money laundering, Spelinspektionen supported a proposal to increase its role and emphasised a need for regular data collection in line with upcoming European Union reporting requirements.