Final Showdown: Sweden’s Long-Running Krukan Club Raided

During the late hours of Friday, 28 November, 2025, a substantial police deployment instantly terminated the veteran Krukan poker club in Stockholm, Sweden. Armed officers surrounded the location whilst attendees claimed a €100 entry fee poker competition was underway, violating the legislation on poker in Sweden.

According to a local news portal, approximately 100 participants were playing inside the Södermalm location when police units in tactical gear gained entry. The Swedish press confirmed the authorities’ intervention involved the use of aerial support (drones and a helicopter) and Europol assistance. The Swedish Gaming Authority and the Enforcement Agency also participated in the undertaking.

This big bust was actually just one part of a larger effort to crack down on suspected illegal gambling and organized financial mischief. Three individuals – one in his 30s and two in their 40s – were picked up at different homes after police searches. All three are now facing serious charges, including major illegal gambling and heavy-duty money laundering. The officials did confirm they seized quite a bit of cash and assets, but they’re keeping the exact details under wraps for now.

Social media clips quickly popped up showing gun-wielding police officers entering the Krukan club and making everyone lie down on the floor. The police officially claimed the whole thing was totally calm and under control. However, the story’s twist was delivered by the Swedish Poker Association (SvePof), which says they’ve heard from many players who were there. Their stories paint a picture of the entry being much rougher than the police are admitting.

SvePof is a non-profit group that sticks up for Swedish poker players and wants to see everything legal and regulated. They released a public statement saying they felt it was their duty to share the players’ side of the story, which they feel has been ignored by the mainstream media so far.

The Players’ Side of the Story Emerges

SvePof stated they were contacted by numerous players present during the raid, and their accounts detail the following:

• Officers initially entered forcefully, pushing some visitors to the ground, including elderly players.
• Several players reported having automatic weapons pointed directly at them.
• Some believed a shooting was taking place.
• Others said they were forced to sit for hours with their hands on their heads and felt verbally threatened.
• One well-known figure in the Swedish poker community reportedly sent a photo of his bloodied face to SvePof.
• Most attendees were searched, questioned, identified, and released after being held on-site for two to three hours.

While SvePof admits they haven’t had time to check every single story yet, they stress that since so many accounts match up, it really brings up some serious concerns about whether the police action was overboard and how they treated players who weren’t actually suspects.

Poker in Sweden: Legal to Play, Illegal to Host?

Playing poker in Sweden is perfectly legal. Individual Swedish players have unrestricted access to licensed online poker platforms regulated directly by the Swedish Gambling Authority.

However, the act of hosting poker games or any game of chance is also permissible, provided the organizer first obtains the necessary valid operating license. Without this required governmental approval, hosting such games constitutes illegal gambling under current Swedish legislation.

Consequently, this regulatory distinction explains why unlicensed venues, such as the Krukan club that was recently raided, operate outside the law, even though poker itself remains legal for individual participants.

The Land-Based Casino Era Ends in Sweden

The rules for gambling, including poker in Sweden actually got even stricter in 2025. Back in April, the Riksdag (The Swedish Parliament) made a big decision: they voted to shut down all land-based casino gambling across the country.

Before they pulled the plug, Sweden had only four physical casinos anyway, all government-run. With this new rule, no private company will be allowed to open a physical casino, effectively ending the era of brick-and-mortar casino gaming.

Online poker in Sweden and all the other licensed digital games are sticking around and remain totally legal.