Farewell to Casino Cosmopol: A Manager’s Memories as Sweden Moves Online

_{The glitz and glamour of the Cosmopol Casino will be remembered fondly. (Image: Archive PL/Alamy)}

As Sweden shuts down its final land-based casino, it paves a path for the future of gambling in the country, which is firmly online. Casinos.com spoke to one of the key figures at the Cosmopol in Stockholm, who saw it all during a 37-year career. Erik Sober knows that story better than most. From the slot floors to the roulette tables, Erik has seen it all: the glitz, the glamour, the challenges, and the changes.

In a conversation with Casinos.com, Erik reflects on his career, shares his memories of Casino Cosmopol at its peak, and gives us a candid view of what the closure means, not just for him, but for Sweden’s gambling landscape moving forward.
 

A Career Shaped by the Casino Floor

In April 2025, Casino Cosmopol Stockholm closed permanently, marking the end of legal land-based casino gaming in Sweden. For veteran employee Erik Söber, the closure was more than a business story. It was the conclusion of a 37-year career that had defined his professional life. Speaking to Casinos.com on our podcast, Sober said:

“It was 1988, so a long time ago. And I just stumbled upon a friend … he worked extra as a dealer on the ferries between Finland and Sweden. I found it quite interesting and … I think I was already hooked on this type of job.”

In those early days, before Sweden’s first international casino opened in 2000, casino-style games were mostly offered in restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs. According to Sober, these games were less about high-stakes gambling and more about entertainment.

From Nightlife to Government Casinos

When Casino Cosmopol launched in 2000, it marked a turning point. The government-owned operator opened casinos in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, and Sundsvall, modelled in part on Dutch gaming company Holland Casino.

“The business really, really changed to serious work and a serious international casino,” Sober said.

But despite the “James Bond” image many associate with casinos, reality was more down-to-earth. According to Sober, “A lot of people really thought that it should be all this glamour … and the champagne and the high rollers and everything. It was in the beginning … but a lot of people were just having ordinary jeans and were playing on the slot machines or on the table games.”

Listen to the full interview on our Podcast:

Technology and Responsibility

Over the decades, Sober witnessed major changes in gaming technology. Slot machines evolved with larger, curved screens and new game formats, while table games remained largely unchanged.

He told Casinos.com: “The roulette and the blackjack tables are the most popular tables still.”

Another significant shift came with responsible gaming measures. Swedish casinos introduced strict controls on player spending and behaviour, a policy that intensified in the years before closure.

“We wanted them for a long time and we were very, very concerned about their time on the casino,” Sober said. 

“They really wanted them to have a good time and feel comfortable and safe.”

Online Competition and the Pandemic Blow

Casino Cosmopol thrived in its early years, but two factors ultimately weakened it: online gambling and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sweden re-regulated its gambling market in 2019, introducing licenses for online operators. This opened the door for international platforms to target Swedish players more aggressively.

“The pandemic killed us quite badly … together with the strengthened gaming responsibility work … that took a lot of the players from live casinos to the online industry,” Sober admitted.

Casino Cosmopol closed its Malmö and Gothenburg branches in 2020, followed by Stockholm in April 2025.

End of an Era

The Stockholm venue, housed in a 1920s cinema, was renowned for its historic interior. Its sudden closure, ordered by the government, left no chance for staff or customers to mark the occasion.

“When the government took the decision on the 24th of April this year, that was also the last day we were open,” Sober said. 

“So we didn’t have any chance … to have a last day or last weekend, both for staff and for our players. That felt really, really bad.”

Despite the disappointment, he remains proud of the work done. “I was absolutely proud of working there. I think we did a really, really good job.”

What Comes Next for Sweden’s Gamblers?

With no land-based casinos left, Swedes now turn almost entirely to online casino platforms or small-scale restaurant table games, many of which operate in loosely regulated environments.

Sober fears this shift could drive players into unsafe spaces. “We’re pushing them back … to illegal markets and the restaurant casinos again. And that’s sad because they will be on their own there. No one taking care of them there.”

He believes Sweden should rethink its strategy: His message to the Swedish authorities? 

“Rethink your decisions and rethink the gambling law … make it possible to play in smaller venues.”

Life After the Casino

_{Erik Sober centre of festivities at Casino Cosmopol. (Image: Erik Sober)}

For Sober, the closure also meant personal uncertainty. “I don’t know what I should do. I hope to get a job in the industry somewhere … maybe on the manufacturer side or system side.”

As a keepsake, he purchased a painting from the casino walls. “Because of me, her paintings were hanging there on the walls in the casino. So I bought one of them, as I remember from the casino time.”

Sober paints a colourful picture of the casino itself, and despite the closures, he still has hopes that the Cosmopol will rise from the ashes, perhaps as a hotel or a shared office space. He now looks to places like the Hippodrome Casino in London for the colour and flair and he was certain that the Swedish Government had got it wrong. 

“It really should become a casino once more,” he said.