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In the northernmost part of Europe, you’ll find Scandinavia. These 5 countries and 2 island groups are comprised of:
To be proper, Scandinavia officially only incorporates Denmark, Sweden and most of Norway. However, in the English speaking world, the terms “Scandinavia” and “Nordic” are almost synonymous, including the areas listed above.
The 1 exception would be Greenland. While Greenland is Nordic and part of Denmark, it isn’t considered part of Scandinavia in either the proper definition or the expanded English speaking world definition of the term.
With the exception of the Faroe Islands and Iceland, all these areas have some form of gambling. Unlike the United States or the United Kingdom, the majority of casinos in Scandinavia are stand-alone casinos with no resort or hotel connected or are on cruise ships, taking advantage of the proximity of the North Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea.
If you’re looking to gamble in Denmark, you’re in luck. Denmark has 7 casinos located in 6 cities. The cities are:
When in Denmark, you’ll find that unlike most of Europe, they’re not part of the Eurozone and use their own currency the Danish krone (DKK). Currently, 1 krone is worth about €0.13.
For those of you looking for a casino to gamble while in Norway, you’re out of luck. Casino games are illegal in Norway. The only forms of gambling in Norway are the Norsk Rikstoto, which handles horse racing and Norsk Tipping, which controls the lottery, keno, and sports betting.
Online gambling is also illegal in Norway and legislation has recently been passed in the country to require banks to block any payment of funds to online gambling operators.
To the east of Norway, you’ll find the Kingdom of Sweden. You’ll also find that Sweden welcomes casino gamblers with open arms.
Sweden has 6 casinos located in 4 cities across the country.
Sweden has casinos in:
You’ll find that, like Denmark, Sweden isn’t part of the Eurozone when it comes to currency. They use the Swedish krona (SEK) and 1 krona is worth about €0.10.
Sandwiched between Sweden and Russia you’ll find the country of Finland. Out of all the Nordic and Scandinavian countries, Finland offers the best opportunities for casino gambling with casinos in 8 cities.
Finland is also one of the few Nordic countries that are part of the Eurozone and use the Euro as their official currency.
People seeking out casinos in Finland can find them in:
Nestled between Sweden and Finland is the Archipelago of the Aland Islands. Aland is an independent state within the Finnish Republic. They share currency (the Euro) and defense forces with Finland, but Aland has self-rule when it comes to most other matters.
Unlike Finland, the official language is Swedish. Gamblers will find that a casino is offered in the capital of Aland, Mariehamn.
As for the last 2 parts of Scandinavia, Iceland and the Faroe Islands don’t have any casinos. Gambling is illegal in Iceland, and while it would appear gambling is allowed in the Faroe Islands under Danish law, the local government has chosen not to allow any casinos to be built.
I’ll also take a moment to mention Greenland. Greenland can be mistakenly grouped with Scandinavia since it is a Nordic region. In actuality Greenland isn’t even a country, it is a part of Denmark.
While they have “home-rule” they’re not an independent country. In either case, Greenland doesn’t have any casinos.
1 – Arkipelag Hotel and Casino
Country: Åland Islands
Contact information:
Located in 50 meters from the marina in Mariehamn, the 86 room Arkipelag Hotel and Casino provide a comfortable setting for any gambler or tourist to the area.
Each room has the following features:
For those of you wanting some extras for a special occasion in the room, the hotel offers the following for additional fees:
The hotel has plenty of amenities for guests who wish to take a break from gambling. These include:
The casino at the Arkipelag Hotel and Casino is known as the Paf Casino. The casino offers over 80 slot machines, 20 table games, and 3 poker tables.
Players can choose from such games as:
The casino is also connected to an online casino offering even more gaming options for visitors.
For those that aren’t familiar with gambling, but would like to learn, the Paf Casino offers a Casino school. The cost is €35 and there’s a €250 minimum fee (so get a group together to enjoy this feature). It allows you to learn in a real money environment (chips are issues as if it was in a tournament) but without the pressure of experienced players around you. They even will include a glass of wine in the cost of the class. Each class lasts about 2 hours.
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2 – Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel and Casino Copenhagen
Country: Denmark
Contact information:
The 544-room Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel offers all the high roller qualities that you would expect in the Radisson Hotel chain.
As for the Radisson Blu itself, the hotel offers guest the following amenities and accommodations:
The Casino Copenhagen at Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel offers over 16,000 square feet of floor space. The casino offers 140 slot machines and 20 touch-bet roulette terminals.
In addition, the Casino Copenhagen has 24 table games and has a poker room. The games offered are:
If you and your group are new to gambling, Casino Copenhagen offers “Trial Games”. The trial games package costs 195 DKK each (about €26) and requires a minimum of 6 people. The package includes:
The offerings for trial games are limited and must be booked in advance. They’re held Friday and Saturday from 9 pm to 10 pm.
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3 – Radisson Blu Limfjord Hotel and Casino Aalborg
Country: Denmark
Contact information:
Located only 6 kilometers from the local airport, The 188 room Radisson Blu Limfjord Hotel is located in the heart of Aalborg. Guest are within walking distance to cultural attractions such as the newly built harbor and the Utzon Center.
Visitors are also within a few blocks of the area’s shopping districts allowing for a lot to do when you need to take a break from gambling.
The rooms at the Radisson are what you’d expect from a top-tier chain. They include:
The hotel services and amenities include:
The Casino Aalborg at the Radisson Blu Limfjord Hotel offers over 50 slot machines, 8 touch bet roulette machines, and 7 table games and poker tables. The games include:
The casino offers deals with local bars and restaurants that are separate from the hotel itself. These are all neighboring the casino. They include:
The above venues can be included in the Casino Package which includes:
The cost of the package is DKK 338 (about €45).
Like its sister location in Copenhagen, the Casino Aalborg offers trail play. The trial play must be pre-ordered and is offered Monday through Thursday at 6:15 pm. On Friday, it is offered at 8:15 pm. The cost is DKK 40 (about €5.50) and offers patrons a 30-minute introduction to roulette and blackjack.
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4 – Casino Cosmopol Stockholm
Country: Sweden
Contact information:
Casino Cosmopol is a stand-alone casino in Stockholm that has the largest selection of games in Sweden, if not Scandinavia.
The Cosmopol Stockholm offers over 400 slot machines and 47 table games and poker tables. The selection of games are among the widest in Scandinavia and include:
Along with gaming, the casino offers many amenities such as:
For SEK 495 (about €50) each, groups of 7 to 30 people can schedule a Game Challenge for groups. Groups have their choice of:
Each participant will have 60 to 90 minutes of play (depending on the package) and receive a 3-course meal as part of the deal.
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5 – Casino Cosmopol Malmo
Country: Sweden
Contact information:
Located in the center of Malmo, Casino Cosmopol Malmo is part of the historic Kungsparken park and entertainment venue.
Visitors can expect more than gambling at Cosmopol Malmo. The venue offers live music, stand=up comedy, a dance club, and other live events.
Like its sister Casino Cosmopol locations, it features a restaurant called the Jackpot Grill and Bar.
As for gambling, the casino offers 240 slot machines and 29 tables for poker and gaming.
Among the games visitors can expect to play include:
Unlike the Stockholm location, no packages for groups or free play are listed on their website.
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6 – Casino Helsinki aka Grand Casino Helsinki
Country: Finland
Contact information:
With over 28,000 square feet of floor space, the Casino Helsinki houses over 300 slot machines, features 20 table games and has 7 poker tables.
Players can expect to be able to play:
The casino has 4 dining facilities with a variety of cuisines. The restaurants and bars are:
They also offer Show and Dinner at the Casino which generally features tribute shows such as:
All profits from the casino are donated to charity, specifically ones that are welfare and health-related.
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7 – Feel Vegas Casino Iso Omena
Country: Finland
Contact information:
Owned by the same company that owns Casino Helsinki, the Feel Vegas casino provides intimate surroundings where players can enjoy their games.
Featuring 50 slot machines, a poker table, and 3 gaming tables, players can look forward to games like roulette, blackjack, dynamic poker, and Texas hold ‘em.
The slot machines feature multiple manufacturers and provide users with everything from classic 3-wheel mechanical slots with levers to modern video slot machines.
Along with the games, Feel Vegas also features a pub called O’Leary’s. O’Leary’s is a Boston Irish themed pub featuring burgers, BBQ, and wings.
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8 – Casino Munkebjerg Vejle
Country: Denmark
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The Casino Munkebjerg Vejle bills itself as “the most comfortable in Denmark” because of the warm and relaxed atmosphere that they have in the casino.
They go on to compare their atmosphere to other casinos stating that while other casinos focus on full silence and concentration, the Casino Munkebjerg Vejle plays music and dealers happily interact and help players as they guide them through their games.
Players can expect over 70 slot machines, 8 gaming tables, and a poker room. Among the games played at Casino Munkebjerg include:
The Casino Munkebjerg has a lot of package deals for players. They include:
Tree Top Luxury Package DKK 1,195 (about €160) includes:
Dinner and Casino Deal DKK 495 (about €67) includes:
The “Small Blind” Poker Deal DKK 335 (about €45) includes:
The “Big Blind” Poker Deal DKK 435 (about €58) includes:
The Intro Deal DKK 195 (about €26) includes:
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9 – Casino Cosmopol Göteborg
Country: Sweden
Contact information:
Sweden’s Casino Cosmopol Göteborg is part of the Casino Cosmopol chain in the country. This casino features over 350 slot machines, 42 table games, and a poker room.
Players can indulge in games like:
Aside from the games, visitors to the casino can dine in the Casino Restaurant, the Jackpot Grill and Bar or enjoy a drink at the Sports Zone Sports Bar and catch their favorite team on the big screen TVs.
The venue also features live music, a dance club, and stand-up comedy.
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Conclusion
Scandinavia provides lots of opportunities to gamble if you go to the right places. For those of you going to Iceland or Norway, you’re out of luck, because neither has casinos.
In addition to what I’ve mentioned in this post, many cities are ports for cruise lines like Norwegian that offer casinos on their ships (ironic that Norwegian Cruises would have gambling while Norway doesn’t).
Some things to remember when using these casinos:
While hotel-casino resorts may be rare in some areas, all the casinos I’ve mentioned are in tourist areas and have plenty of hotels in the area. Check out some of the online sites and find a great deal.
