For many years, the Swedish gambling market was characterized by a large demand and many restrictions that limited the supply. Many Swedes nowadays enjoy playing various casino games in their spare time. Since the late 1990s, there have been four land-based casinos in Sweden.
However, one casino hall closed a few years ago and two others currently face closure. This would potentially leave the Swedish market with only one single land-based casino – Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm’s capital.
Why are Swedish land-based casinos facing closure when gambling has become such a popular activity in Sweden?
Find out below as we take a closer look at the iconic Casino Cosmopol and its challenges in the Swedish gambling market.
Introducing Casino Cosmopol
The state authority Svenska Spel (Swedish Games) decided in 1999 to open 4 Casino Cosmopol gambling venues in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Sundsvall, and Malmö. Casino Cosmopol quickly established itself as a popular venue that effortlessly combined Swedish elegance and style.
The visually stunning casino venues were complemented by the inclusion of trendy restaurants and pubs as extra components of entertainment.
However, only four land-based casinos are a remarkably low number of gambling venues given the popularity of gambling among Swedes and the comparatively large geographic distances in Sweden, which extends more than 1000 miles from south to north.
However, Casino Cosmopol in Sundsvall closed in 2020 due to low profitability. In January 2024, Svenska Spel announced that it also intends to close the casino venues in Gothenburg and Malmö due to sluggish profitability.
Swedish Land-Based Casinos: Mainly a Weekend Activity
The Casino Cosmopol venues were originally meant to be open throughout the week. However, the casino management increasingly discovered that the revenue from visiting clients was mainly concentrated to the weekends.
Due to local cultural and social factors, visiting gambling venues in Sweden is mainly viewed as an activity on the weekend. This gradually forced the iconic casino to limit its weekend opening hours. This further reinforced the trend of limited accessibility.
Online Casinos Dominate the Swedish Market
Even at its peak, Casino Cosmopol only had four physical venues, even though Sweden is geographically larger than the UK and Germany. The large geographic distances meant that many Swedish gambling fans could not visit the few available land-based venues.
The decline of Swedish land-based gambling venues is mainly attributed to the rise of high-quality online casinos that became available in the past two decades. The number of online gambling sites has exploded in recent years. Researching and comparing differences between various sites can be a quite time-consuming endeavor. A far easier way for casino fans is to choose from a list of online casinos recommended by experts. This is a time-efficient way to quickly find a quality gambling site.
Online Gambling Sites are Accessible 24/7
Land-based casinos in Sweden and elsewhere often have limited opening hours. By contrast, online gambling sites offer almost limitless accessibility 24/7 to any player above the legal age of 18. While Casino Cosmopol Stockholm mainly serves clients in the Swedish capital metropolis area, online casinos are available for virtually all Swedish gambling fans with an Internet connection.
Mobile Casinos Offer Convenient Smartphone Entertainment
Mobile casinos have emerged in tandem with the explosion of the smartphone market. The Swedish tech-savvy market was early to embrace this technological trend.
Mobile casinos have greatly democratized the gambling market and made casino games available 24/7. Furthermore, mobile casinos enable Swedes to enjoy casino entertainment regardless of whether they happen to be home or during travels.
Large and Varied Online Entertainment
The online casino market offers a far larger and more varied entertainment range than even the largest land-based casinos cannot match. There are today literally thousands of casino games available online, such as slots, poker, jackpots and blackjack.
This is particularly true for slot games that are easy to play and come with so many themes that are compatible with the preferences of most players.
Online Casinos Offer Various Bonus Promotions
Many online casinos have resulted in stiff competition in the digital gambling market. Consequently, many online casinos have devoted considerable resources and effort to offering various bonus promotions not available in land-based gambling venues such as Casino Cosmopol.
These online bonuses are usually offered to clients who make a deposit.
The most common bonus types are:
- Welcome bonus – designed to attract new clients
- Reload bonus – similar to welcome bonus and offered to existing customers
- VIP offers – exclusive bonus only offered to VIP players
- Free spin bonus – offers extra spins while laying slot games
- No Deposit bonus – bonus that is offered without any deposit requirement
Free Online Casino Entertainment
Most serious gambling sites offer free-play game options. This enables beginners to try out different casino games for free before making any deposit. This is an advantage compared to land-based casinos, which do not offer any free entertainment.
The free-play gaming option is also attractive for individuals who mainly view casino games as entertainment without expecting to win real money.
Swedish Online Casinos Offer Safe Entertainment
In January 2019, Sweden passed a new casino legislation that focuses on safe and responsible gaming. Swedish casino licenses are only awarded to gambling sites that live up to high-quality requirements. This includes a strong focus on responsible gaming.
Swedish online casinos are therefore legally required to offer deposit and loss limit tools that reduce the risk of unhealthy gambling habits. In addition, online casinos offer secure and user-friendly payment options such as credit cards and electronic wallets.
As an extra bonus, all profits from Swedish online casinos are 100% tax-free for Swedish players.
In sum, Swedish online casinos offer a safe and seamless entertainment experience around the clock. Established online casinos also offer qualified customer support that is usually available 24/7 via convenient live chat functions.
Gambling Sites Emulate Land-Based Casinos
Online casinos have become more sophisticated and increasingly emulate land-based casino experiences. For example, live casinos online with real dealers offer a Las Vegas experience to anyone with an Internet connection.
The growing inclusion of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies has further closed the gambling experience gap between online casinos and land-based casinos.
Could Casino Cosmopol be the Last Land-Based Casino in Sweden?
Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm could soon become the only land-based casino in Sweden. Decreasing profitability and the rise of online casinos have led to the decline of traditional casino halls in Sweden. Online casinos offer unparalleled access 24/7 and flexibility through mobile devices.
Furthermore, online casinos offer various bonus promotions, vast entertainment, including free-play options and a safe gambling environment.
