What began as a regular quiet Friday night at the club soon turned into a scene worthy of a Hollywood script as the heavy-handed tactical unit swooped into position accompanied by a helicopter, drones, and the Swedish Gambling Authority.
The authorities claimed that the popular poker club was no more than an underground hub operating without the necessary licensing.
Officers rushed into the room with weapons pointing at the nervous players who were in the middle of a €100 buy-in tournament.
The authorities gave a public statement which said that three men, a 30-year-old and two in their 40s, were arrested at their homes.
Searches were carried out and police said they seized “significant assets” from the individuals who are suspected of illegal gambling and other “economic crimes.”
SWAT team with #guns drawn, #Europol on site, and drones over Stockholm #sweden🇸🇪.. all for a €100 tournament full of hobby poker players.
This is #livepoker.#svepol #poker #pokerunderattack #sga #spelinspektionen #krukan #svepof pic.twitter.com/4PRrclvTi2
— Pokerwired.com (@pokerwired) November 29, 2025
Statements from the police indicate that the raid was conducted in a professional manner while witness statements from players and club staff claim that the attitude of law enforcement was far from the expected standard.
The Swedish Poker Association (SvePof) reported multiple complaints about the over-the-top entry, detailing how elderly players were shoved to the ground whilst having automatic weapons pointed at them.
Players also reported that they were forced to sit in silence for hours with their hands on their heads, adding to the intensity of what was already a stressful situation.
What Is the Legality of Poker in Sweden?
It is legal to play poker in Sweden in most cases. Online poker is widely available in the country, provided that the platform holds a license issued by the Swedish Gambling Authority.
Live games are also legal if the relevant license is held by the host. But unfortunately for the Kruken Poker Club, the entity has long operated without one.
So how has Kruken managed to fly under the radar for so long in a Western European nation with a competent police force? The answers to that question are many and we don’t have any official answer from the club owners.
The club is members only with some suggesting that the authorities possibly assumed it was a not-for-profit club.
There was also talk of Swedish courts previously ruling similar set-ups as non-“dangerous” gambling, leaving the already stretched police force choosing to use resources elsewhere.
What next? Whatever comes next isn’t likely to be an improvement as earlier this year as the Swedish Parliament voted to end all brick-and-mortar gambling in the country.
The four government-owned properties that operated previously have now shut down with no more licenses being approved under the current regime.
Fortunately, Swedish players can still get their poker fix with various online poker platforms.
