Hippos ATG Secures Finnish Licence for Sports Betting and Online Casino
Finland.- 21 October 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Hippos ATG, the joint venture between Swedish gambling operator AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) and Finnish horse racing association Suomen Hippos, has announced that it has secured a licence to operate in Finland’s newly regulated online gambling market.
The authorisation, announced on 19 October 2026, will allow the company to offer horse racing betting, sports betting and online casino games when the market officially opens on 1 July 2027.
Hippos ATG becomes the second company to publicly announce a licence under Finland’s new gambling framework, following Wildz Group.
Finland Prepares for a Competitive Gambling Market
Finland is preparing to end Veikkaus’s state monopoly over selected digital gambling products and introduce a licensing system for private operators.
The new framework will open competition across:
- Sports and horse racing betting.
- Online casinos and digital slot games.
- Online bingo.
Veikkaus will retain exclusive rights to lotteries, scratch cards, physical gaming machines and land-based casino operations.
Although Hippos ATG has announced its approval, the Finnish National Police Board has not yet published individual licensing decisions.
ATG and Suomen Hippos Combine Their Expertise
Helsinki-based Hippos ATG Oy is jointly owned by ATG and Suomen Hippos, with each organisation holding a 50% stake.
However, the company’s profit distribution model allocates 60% to Suomen Hippos and 40% to ATG.
The Finnish organisation’s share will support domestic horse racing and breeding activities.
ATG contributes its experience from operating in Sweden since 1974 and Denmark since 2019.
The partnership combines ATG’s technological infrastructure with Suomen Hippos’s expertise in Finnish horse racing and equestrian activities.
Executive Comments and Regulatory Requirements
Mikael Bäcke, CEO of Hippos ATG, welcomed the licence announcement as an important milestone in the company’s market entry strategy.
He explained that the business had developed its operational procedures specifically to comply with Finland’s new gambling legislation.
Key areas of preparation included:
- Responsible gambling and consumer protection.
- Anti-money laundering procedures.
- Information security and technical compliance.
- Internal controls and risk management.
Hippos ATG submitted its licence application on 2 March 2026.
By 22 September, the regulator had received 75 licence applications, demonstrating significant commercial interest in the forthcoming market opening.
Next Steps and Impact
Despite announcing its licence approval, Hippos ATG cannot begin offering or advertising gambling services before 1 July 2027.
The company must first complete the necessary audits and connect to the regulatory supervision systems.
The market opening will also see the Finnish Supervisory Agency assume responsibility for licensing and supervision from the National Police Board.
Hippos ATG’s announcement represents another milestone in Finland’s transition towards regulated competition, stronger consumer safeguards and new commercial opportunities.
Editó: @fonta
