Svenska Spel to close Casino Cosmopol site in Sundsvall

Swedish operator Svenska Spel has announced that it is to permanently close its Casino Cosmopol land-based venue in Sundsvall due to a decline in profits and footfall at the property.

Casino Cosmopol Sundsvall opened in 2001, with Svenska Spel describing the site as the first international casino in Sweden, but the operator has seen a drop in demand at the facility in recent years.

According to Svenska Spel, the number of players visiting the casino has fallen constantly over the last 10 years, which has in turn had a negative impact on the financial performance of the property.

The operator also said that the transition of players from land-based gambling to online also harmed the casino. 

The closure comes into immediate effect, with the decision to impact all 68 staff employed at the property.

The operator said it will invite former Sundsvall employees to apply for other jobs across its network.

“It is a sad message to have to give to our talented employees, but we must adapt to prevailing market conditions,” Svenska Spel president and chief executive Patrik Hofbauer said

“With a constantly declining customer base, the casino in Sundsvall is no longer profitable and then it is unfortunately not commercially defensible to continue to run the business.”

Svenska Spel said the closure of the Sundsvall site will not impact its properties in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, though all of its locations are currently shut due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The casinos were shuttered on 29 March, with 800 of its 900 land-based staff furloughed, and no reopening date has yet been set.

The operator has since launched a retraining scheme, allowing furloughed employees to retrain as healthcare workers.