A night at the trotting is one of the most Swedish outings there is, and one of the cheapest. Here is what V75 was, what replaced it, how to spend a race day at Solvalla, Åby or Jägersro, and why you will probably watch rather than bet.
When you need this
You’ve seen “V75” in a Swedish film, newspaper or shop window and want to know what it means. You’re in Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö and want a cheap local evening out, or you’re traveling with kids and looking for animals and fresh air. Maybe you’re planning a trip around Elitloppet at the end of May, or you’d like to place a bet at the track and wonder whether you can.
What trotting is, and why Swedes love it
Trotting (travsport, or just travet, “the trotting”) is harness racing: each horse pulls its driver (kusk) in a light two-wheeled cart (sulky) and races at a trot. It is a genuine popular sport. A 2023 question in parliament counted over 30 trotting tracks from Malmö in the south to Boden in the north, a little over a million visitors a year and some 875 race days.
The tracks are run by local trotting associations, and the money behind them comes largely from ATG, the horse-betting company owned by the sport’s two national bodies, Svensk Travsport and Svensk Galopp. ATG had a monopoly on horse betting until 1 January 2019, when a new Gambling Act opened the market to any company with a Swedish licence from Spelinspektionen, the gambling authority. In 2025 the government also gave up nominating members to ATG’s board.
V75 is gone: meet V85
For 32 years, V75 was the Saturday ritual: pick the winners of seven races. That era is over.
ATG ran the last V75 on 18 October 2025 and launched V85 at Jägersro in Malmö, where V75 had premiered in 1993, on 25 October 2025. Any guide, podcast or film that sends you to “V75 Saturday” is out of date.
| V75 (1993–2025) | V85 (since 25 October 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| Day | Saturday | Saturday |
| Races to pick | 7 | 8 |
| Prize tiers | — | 8, 7, 6 and 5 right |
| Status | Ended 18 October 2025 | Running |
Other pool games run alongside it. V86 is the Wednesday-evening game, and smaller games like V65, V64, V5, V4, V3 and Dagens Dubbel (“the daily double”) run on other race days. Within a single race you can bet on the winner (vinnare) or on a horse finishing in the top three (plats). The odds are set by how much everyone bets on each horse.
Going to the races
V85 moves around the country: Solvalla hosts it about ten times a year, and other tracks take the remaining Saturdays. Check the track’s own calendar for the day you want.
| City | Track | Getting there |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | Solvalla, the national arena and home of Elitloppet | In Bromma, near Bromma airport; usually free parking, with a fee on big event days |
| Gothenburg | Åbytravet | In Mölndal, about ten minutes outside the city, twenty minutes from Landvetter airport |
| Malmö | Jägersro | Skånetrafiken regional and city buses |
What to expect on the day:
- Entry is often free on ordinary weekday race days and charged on V85 Saturdays and big days. In October 2026 Jägersro let people in free on a Tuesday evening and charged on a V85 Saturday.
- Restaurants overlooking the finish line are the classic way to spend a race night. Packages include entry, so don’t buy a separate ticket. Solvalla has eight restaurants and cafés, but not all open every race day, and some need booking ahead.
- Solvalla is cashless: entry, food and the service center take cards and phone wallets only (see cash in Sweden).
- No alcohol from outside. Bringing drinks into Solvalla is forbidden and bags may be searched. The bars and restaurants serve; see Swedish alcohol age limits.
- Stay off the track. Walking onto the racetrack is forbidden.
- Dogs are welcome at Solvalla on a lead, outdoors only.
Wednesday evening at Solvalla (V86, outside summer) is the classic Stockholm after-work outing. Saturday V85 is the big day, with larger crowds and betting closing around 16:10. Solvalla runs a free 15-minute betting school on V86 Wednesdays and V85 Saturdays, and you can book a betting host. It’s worth doing just to understand the board, even if you never place a bet.
Elitloppet
The year’s biggest trotting day is Elitloppet at Solvalla, held on the last Sunday in May every year since 1952. Sixteen of the world’s fastest trotters race two heats of eight over 1,609 meters, and the best go on to a final the same afternoon. About 30,000 people come over the three-day meeting.
In 2027 the Elitloppet weekend is 28–30 May, with the heats and the final on Sunday 30 May. Restaurant tables are usually fully booked a few days after they are released, so book months ahead. Parking may cost extra that weekend, and the no-alcohol rule still applies.
Trotting with kids
Trotting is a good family outing. At Solvalla, children under 18 get in free with a parent or guardian; that covers entry, not restaurant or grandstand seats. Jägersro also lets children in free. The horses pass close to the stands, races are short, and there’s time for food in between.
Look out for pony trotting days (ponnytrav), where young drivers race ponies; Jägersro held one with free entry in October 2026. Stable tours and backstage visits are offered on some days. Children can pick a favorite from the program, but only adults can bet: gambling is 18+. For more ideas, see Sweden with kids.
Can you bet as a visitor?
Probably not, and it helps to know why before you arrive.
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Gambling is 18+ (18-årsgräns) | Teenagers can watch, not bet |
| Every player must be registered, with name, address and personal identity number “or equivalent” | No anonymous betting, at the track or online |
| Only people living or staying long-term in Sweden may register for online gambling | A tourist can’t legally open an online account |
| At Solvalla all betting runs through the ATG app or atg.se; the tote windows (totoluckor) don’t open | No cash window to fall back on |
| Since April 2026 ATG login works only with Swedish BankID or Freja eID | Visitors usually have neither (see BankID for tourists) |
The registration rule applies at the track too: a 2019 motion to exempt small tracks was rejected. Whether a foreign passport counts as “equivalent” at a track that still has open windows is up to the operator, so don’t count on it.
Don’t switch to a foreign betting site instead. Only operators licensed in Sweden may offer gambling here, and Spelinspektionen keeps a public licence register. Treat a race day as a show: pick your horse, cheer and keep your money.
Responsible gambling: Spelpaus and Stödlinjen
Spelpaus is Sweden’s national self-exclusion register. Signing up blocks you from all gambling that requires registration with licensed operators, online, in shops and at the track. 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.
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 V75 in the program. It ended on 18 October 2025; Saturday’s game is V85.
- Bringing cash for the tote window. Solvalla’s windows are closed and the arena is cashless.
- Assuming a foreign betting account works in Sweden. Swedish law requires a Swedish licence and registration.
- Buying a restaurant package and an entry ticket. The package already includes entry.
- Bringing a bottle of wine for the picnic blanket. Alcohol can’t be brought into Solvalla.
- Letting the kids place your bet. Gambling is 18+ for every licensed game.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Saturday pool bet | V85 (since 25 October 2025); V75 ended 18 October 2025 |
| Wednesday pool bet | V86 (Solvalla pauses in summer) |
| Saturday betting cut-off | Around 16:10 |
| Entry | Often free on weekdays; a fee on V85 Saturdays and big days; set per track |
| Children | Under 18 free with a guardian at Solvalla and Jägersro (not restaurant seats) |
| Payment at Solvalla | Cashless; betting via the ATG app or atg.se only |
| Betting school at Solvalla | Free; Wednesdays 17:45, Saturdays 14:15, about 15 minutes |
| Elitloppet 2027 | 28–30 May; heats and final Sunday 30 May |
| Gambling age | 18 |
| 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
What is V75 in Sweden?
V75 was ATG’s Saturday pool bet on trotting: pick the winners of seven races. It ran for 32 years and ended on 18 October 2025. Since 25 October 2025 the Saturday game is V85, with eight races and prizes for 8, 7, 6 and 5 right. Older guides, films and shop signs still say V75, but today’s program won’t.
Can tourists bet on horses in Sweden?
Usually not in practice. Swedish law requires every player to be registered and identity-checked, and only people living or staying long-term in Sweden may register for online gambling. At Solvalla all bets go through the ATG app, which needs Swedish BankID or Freja eID. You can still watch, enjoy the races and pick favorites for fun.
How old do you have to be to bet in Sweden?
- The Gambling Act forbids licensed gambling for anyone under 18, and operators must display the age limit where they offer games. That covers trotting bets at the track, in shops and online. Children are welcome at the races, and at Solvalla under-18s get in free with a parent or guardian.
Is it free to go to the trotting in Sweden?
Often, on weekdays. Many ordinary race days have free entry, while V85 Saturdays and big days charge a fee set by the track. Children under 18 get in free with an adult at Solvalla and Jägersro. Restaurant packages include entry, so you never pay twice. Check the track’s own calendar for the day you want.
When is Elitloppet?
Elitloppet is held at Solvalla in Stockholm on the last Sunday in May every year, as it has been since 1952. In 2027 the Elitloppet weekend runs 28–30 May, with both heats and the final on Sunday 30 May. About 30,000 people attend the three days. Book restaurant tables early; they sell out fast.
Is trotting a good outing with kids?
Yes. Children under 18 enter free with an adult at Solvalla and Jägersro, the horses race close to the stands, and some tracks run pony trotting days and stable tours. Races are short, with breaks in between for food. Children may not bet; gambling is 18+. Dogs on a lead are also welcome outdoors at Solvalla.
What is Spelpaus?
Spelpaus is Sweden’s national self-exclusion register. Signing up blocks you from all gambling that requires registration with licensed operators, online, in shops and at racetracks, for 10 days, 1, 3 or 6 months, or indefinitely for at least 12 months. An exclusion cannot be cancelled early. Licensed operators must check the register before you play.
Related guides
- Watching sports in Sweden — hockey, football and bandy for the rest of your sports calendar
- Horse riding in Sweden — get on a horse yourself, from Icelandic treks to riding schools
- Stockholm travel guide — the city around Solvalla
- Gothenburg travel guide — where Åbytravet sits
- Malmö — home of Jägersro
Facts verified 2026-10-05. Sources: Riksdagen (the Gambling Act and Gambling Ordinance, parliamentary documents), Spelinspektionen and Spelpaus, Regeringen, ATG, Solvalla, Elitloppet, Jägersro, Åbytravet and Stödlinjen — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.