If you planned a night at Casino Cosmopol, cancel it. Here is what happened to Sweden’s casinos, what you can still play, why the age limit is now 18 for everything, and why online accounts are mostly closed to visitors.
When you need this
You found Casino Cosmopol in an old guidebook and want to go. You spotted a roulette table in a bar or on a ferry and wonder whether you can play. Maybe you’re 18 or 19 and remember that Swedish casinos used to be 20+, you want to bet on a match from your hotel room, or you won something and wonder about tax. Or you, or someone with you, wants to stop gambling.
The casinos are gone
Sweden only ever allowed full casinos run by the state, through Svenska Spel’s Casino Cosmopol. All of them have now closed.
| City | Casino Cosmopol closed |
|---|---|
| Sundsvall | 2020 |
| Gothenburg | February 2024 |
| Malmö | February 2024 |
| Stockholm | 25 April 2025 (the last one) |
Svenska Spel says visitor numbers and profits had fallen for years as more people played online. After parliament decided to wind down state casinos, the government changed Svenska Spel’s owner instructions on 24 April 2025 and the Stockholm casino shut the next day.
The law followed. Since 1 January 2026, casino games are no longer part of the state licence, and no licence may cover casino games in premises set aside for them. In other words, casino halls are now banned, not just closed. If you still hold old chips or tickets, contact Svenska Spel’s customer service by email; there is no cash desk to go to.
How Swedish gambling works: the licence system
Sweden has run a licensed gambling market since 1 January 2019, when a new Gambling Act (spellagen) replaced the old monopoly system and the gambling authority took the name Spelinspektionen. Anyone offering gambling to people in Sweden needs a Swedish licence. Providing or promoting gambling without one is a crime that can bring up to two years in prison, or six if it’s gross.
| Licence type | What it covers today |
|---|---|
| State (Svenska Spel) | Lotteries and Vegas slot machines (värdeautomater) in some bars and bingo halls; no longer casinos |
| Commercial online and betting | Online casino, online bingo, sports and horse betting |
| Land-based commercial | Restaurant casino tables, prize machines at fairs, card tournaments |
| Ships in international traffic | Slot machines and casino games on board, not in a casino room |
| Public-benefit | Lotteries run by public-benefit associations |
Licensed online operators must show three responsible-gambling logos in a fixed bar at the top of their sites and apps, linking to Spelpaus, spending limits and a self-test. That bar is the quickest sign you’re on a licensed site. To be certain, check Spelinspektionen’s licence register, which lists every licensed company, its websites and its venues.
Age limits: 18 for everything
Licensed gambling may not be offered to anyone under 18, and the operator must display the limit and be able to check your age. That covers lotteries, sports and horse betting, online casino, restaurant tables and slot machines.
Older guides say you had to be 20 to enter a casino. That rule existed, but it went with the casinos: from 1 January 2026 the Act simply says 18. Alcohol and club doors follow their own age rules (see Swedish alcohol age limits and nightlife and club ages).
What you can still play as a visitor
Every licensed game requires the operator to register you with name, address and personal identity number “or equivalent”, and to check your identity reliably before you play. On top of that, only people who live or stay long-term in Sweden may be registered for online gambling.
| Where | Can a short-term visitor play? |
|---|---|
| Casino | No: there are none |
| Online casino or betting with a Swedish licence | Usually not: online registration is for residents, and identity checks normally use a Swedish e-ID (see BankID for tourists) |
| Restaurant casino table (restaurangkasino) | Possibly: 18+, roulette, card or dice games only, at a restaurant with an alcohol licence; bring a passport and expect the operator to decide what ID it accepts |
| Vegas machine in a bar | 18+ and registration required; a loss limit must be set |
| Ferry in international traffic | Slot machines and casino tables may be found on board; Swedish-licensed games are 18+ |
| Trotting track | Watching is easy, betting usually isn’t; see trotting and horse betting in Sweden |
Online games that are not aimed at the Swedish market are not considered provided in Sweden, so the Swedish Act does not cover them. Spelinspektionen can also exempt some games from registration by regulation; we couldn’t confirm which, so don’t count on an exemption.
Unlicensed sites and tax on winnings
Spelinspektionen warns that playing with a company without a Swedish licence is risky: you may never get your winnings, the terms can be unclear, and Swedish authorities can rarely help if something goes wrong.
Tax is the other trap. For people taxed in Sweden, the rule in the Income Tax Act is:
| Where you won | Tax |
|---|---|
| A game licensed in Sweden | Tax-free |
| A game in another EEA country that is not aimed at Sweden | Tax-free |
| An unlicensed game aimed at Sweden | Taxable as capital income when net winnings per operator and year exceed 100 SEK; other gambling costs can’t be deducted |
Spelinspektionen notes that not declaring taxable winnings can be a tax offence. Swedish-licensed operators may also offer a bonus only the first time you play with them.
Responsible gambling: Spelpaus and Stödlinjen
Spelpaus is Sweden’s national self-exclusion register, run by Spelinspektionen. Signing up blocks you from all gambling that requires registration: online, in shops, at racetracks and on Vegas machines. You can choose 10 days, 1, 3 or 6 months, or indefinitely for at least 12 months, and an exclusion cannot be cancelled early. Operators must check the register before anyone plays, and online players must set a deposit limit. Gambling on credit is banned.
Stödlinjen, the national gambling helpline, answers on 020-81 91 00. It’s free, you don’t need to give your name, and advice is available in Swedish, English and Arabic, with interpreters for over 100 languages.
Mistakes to avoid
- Looking for Casino Cosmopol on a map. All four closed between 2020 and 2025.
- Thinking you must be 20. The casino-only limit was abolished; every licensed game is 18+.
- Assuming your home betting account counts as licensed in Sweden. Only operators in Spelinspektionen’s register do.
- Expecting to open a Swedish online account as a tourist. The law limits online registration to residents.
- Assuming every win is tax-free. That applies to Swedish-licensed and EEA games, not to unlicensed sites aimed at Sweden.
- Chasing bonus offers. Licensed operators may offer a bonus only once.
For other rules that catch visitors out, see laws tourists break in Sweden.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Land-based casinos | None; Stockholm closed 25 April 2025, casino halls banned since 1 January 2026 |
| Gambling age | 18 for every licensed game |
| Registration | Required, with identity number “or equivalent” and identity check |
| Online gambling | Registration only for people living or staying long-term in Sweden |
| Restaurant casino | Roulette, card and dice games at licensed restaurants; stakes set per operator |
| Check an operator | Spelinspektionen’s licence register |
| Winnings tax | Tax-free if Swedish-licensed or EEA; unlicensed games aimed at Sweden taxable |
| Self-exclusion | Spelpaus.se: 10 days to indefinite (at least 12 months), can’t be cancelled early |
| Gambling helpline | Stödlinjen 020-81 91 00, free and anonymous |
FAQ
Are there casinos in Sweden?
No. Sweden’s only full casinos were the state-owned Casino Cosmopol venues. Sundsvall closed in 2020, Gothenburg and Malmö in February 2024, and Stockholm, the last one, on 25 April 2025. Since 1 January 2026 the law bans casino games in premises set aside for them. You may still find a roulette or blackjack table in some bars and on ferries.
What is the gambling age in Sweden?
18 for every licensed game: lotteries, sports and horse betting, online casino, restaurant casino tables and slot machines. Casino Cosmopol used to require guests to be 20, but that rule was removed together with the casinos on 1 January 2026. Operators must display the age limit and be able to check your age.
Can tourists gamble online in Sweden?
Usually not with a Swedish account. The Gambling Act lets licensed operators register only people who live or stay long-term in Sweden for online gambling, and players must be identity-checked. Unlicensed sites aimed at Sweden are illegal to run, may not pay out, and their winnings can be taxable. Check Spelinspektionen’s licence register before you play anywhere.
Do I need ID to gamble in Sweden?
Yes. Every licensed operator must register players with name, address and a personal identity number or equivalent, and check their identity reliably before they play. A Swedish e-ID is the normal method online. At a restaurant table or slot machine, bring your passport and expect the operator to decide what it accepts.
Are gambling winnings taxed in Sweden?
Not if the game is Swedish-licensed, or offered in an EEA country without being aimed at Sweden. Winnings from unlicensed games aimed at Sweden are taxable capital income for people taxed in Sweden, counted as net winnings per operator and year above 100 SEK, and stakes cannot be deducted. Spelinspektionen warns that not declaring them can be a tax offence.
What is Spelpaus?
Spelpaus is Sweden’s national self-exclusion register, run by Spelinspektionen. Signing up blocks you from all gambling that requires registration, online, in shops, at racetracks and on Vegas machines, for 10 days, 1, 3 or 6 months, or indefinitely for at least 12 months. An exclusion cannot be cancelled early, and operators must check the register.
Related guides
- Trotting and horse betting in Sweden — the big gambling culture you can still watch, and why betting there is hard for visitors
- Laws tourists break in Sweden — other rules that surprise visitors
- BankID for tourists — why Swedish online accounts stay closed to you
- Nightlife and club ages — door ages and ID at Swedish clubs
- Ferry from Finland to Sweden — where many visitors meet slot machines on board
Facts verified 2026-10-06. Sources: Riksdagen (the Gambling Act, its 2025 amendment and bill, the Gambling Ordinance and the Income Tax Act), Spelinspektionen and Spelpaus, Svenska Spel and Stödlinjen — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.