Svenska Spel temporarily closes Casino Cosmopol sites

Sweden-facing operator Svenska Spel has announced that all four of its Casino Cosmopol land-based facilities have temporarily closed, in line with new government-ordered measures to combat the spread of novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

The Swedish government last week introduced a ban on all gatherings of more than 50 people with effect from 29 March.

In response, Svenska Spel has shut its Casino Cosmopol sites in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Sundsvall. The operator did not indicate when the facilities would re-open.

“We follow the authorities’ recommendations closely and have seen it as part of our responsibility to keep the community going by keeping our casinos open,” Svenska Spel president and chief executive Patrik Hofbauer said.

“We have followed the limit of a maximum of 500 people and other restrictions that currently apply to restaurant operations. With the new restrictions, it is now necessary to temporarily close all our casinos.

“We hope to welcome our guests back as soon as the situation changes.”

Svenska Spel is the latest operator to be hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with gambling facilities in markets around the world having been forced to close in response to the outbreak.

All commercial casinos in the US have temporarily closed, while in the UK, all casinos, betting shops and bingo halls have also shut for the foreseeable future in line with a nationwide lockdown.

The temporary suspension of casino operations in the Chinese autonomous region of Macau led to gross gaming revenue plummeting in February, while Finnish gambling monopoly Veikkaus last week extended the shut-down of its arcades and slot machines hosted in retail outlets.