Hippos ATG secures Finnish licence ahead of July 2027 market launch

Share of profit to be returned to equestrian sports and horse breeding

60%

Hippos ATG Oy has confirmed that it has secured a gaming licence in Finland, becoming the second company to announce such a licence. The licence permits the company to take wagers over the internet on sports and horse racing, and to offer iGaming, from the moment the market opens.

The company is a joint venture formed by the Swedish gambling operator ATG together with Suomen Hippos, Finland's national central organisation for trotting and horse breeding. Finland's liberalised gaming market is set to launch on 1 July 2027. The venture said it plans to return about 60% of its profit to equestrian sports and horse breeding.

Mikael Bäcke, chief executive officer of Hippos ATG, said he never doubted that his team would meet the requirements needed to obtain a licence, and that he is very pleased with the outcome. He said the company had put a large amount of work into building a new company in Finland, with working methods designed from the outset to comply with the new legislation, and that it can now focus more on products and on completing the business. Bäcke also said the company is committed to generating enduring financial benefit for Finnish horse racing and to improving the circumstances for equestrian sports and the wider sports industry.

Hippos ATG was among the first companies to express interest in the Finnish market and among the first operators to apply for a licence. Its announcement follows Wildz, which was the first operator to confirm it had received a licence from the Finnish National Police Board (NPB).