The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) today submits its opinion on the government’s initiative to close the last physical casino in Sweden, state-owned Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm.

BOS supports the proposal, agreeing with the government’s argument that governments should not operate casinos. At the same time, BOS believes that the government should allow private land-based casinos in Sweden. This is currently prohibited and is proposed by the government to be prohibited in the future as well. As a consequence, Sweden will therefore not have a single legal land-based casino in the near future.

“Land-based casinos play a very small role in terms of their turnover, but they still have a function in the overall ecosystem of the gambling market. In addition, they fulfill a function for Sweden as a tourist country and to deter illegal gambling clubs. We propose that the government, at the same time as they close their own government casino, open up for private companies to offer land-based casinos in Sweden”, says Gustaf Hoffstedt, Secretary General, BOS.

The government’s memorandum can be read in Swedish here

The BOS opinion statement can be read here