Svenska Spel has announced that its Casino Cosmopol venues in Gothenburg and Malmö will be closing later this month.
Following the conclusion of union negotiations, the Swedish operator has stated that the casinos will be open until February 24, after which they will remain closed. These closures will affect around 100 employees in Gothenburg and 80 in Malmö.
Svenska Spel noted that profitability has been a struggle for Casino Cosmopol for several years as more people have chosen to play online, resulting in visitor numbers dropping.
A series of measures have been taken to try and improve revenue and reduce costs, but the operator has ultimately decided to close and dismantle the casinos in Gothenburg and Malmö.
Casino Cosmopol was commissioned by the Swedish government in 1999 to offer land-based casino gaming and establish international casinos in the country.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Svenska Spel, the first Casino Cosmopol opened in Sundsvall in 2001 (closed in 2020), followed by Malmö that same year, Gothenburg in 2002 and Stockholm in 2003.
“For over 20 years, Casino Cosmopol has offered the citizens of Gothenburg and Malmö an international casino experience, which is now unfortunately coming to an end,” commented Ola Enquist, CEO of Casino Cosmopol.
“Until we close, my colleagues and I hope that our guests will want to visit us one last time so that together we can have a nice ending for the casino.”
Later this year, Svenska Spel will undergo a leadership change as Anna Johnson will replace Patrik Hofbauer as CEO in June 2024.
