Hippos ATG, a collaboration between Swedish operator ATG and the Finnish racing association Suomen Hippos, has secured a gambling license ahead of the forthcoming market launch in Finland. This development comes as Finland prepares to liberalize its former state-controlled gambling system by opening its online gambling market to private operators on July 1, 2027, as part of a significant regulatory overhaul.
The license granted to Hippos ATG Oy is valid for five years, with a visual of the license appearing on social media platforms. u201cWe have worked hard to build a completely new company in Finland and its operating models from the very beginning to meet the requirements of the new Finnish legislation,u201d said Mikael Bäcke, CEO of Hippos ATG, in a statement.
u201cWe have always been confident that we will meet the conditions for the license. A positive decision is the most important prerequisite for entering the market, so this is a significant moment for us. After this excellent news, we can focus even more strongly on the products themselves and on finalizing the operational entity.u201d
Hippos ATG is the second operator to announce a successful license application, following Malta-based Wildz Group, which revealed its approval on October 15.
While Finland's National Police Board, responsible for overseeing the license application process, has yet to confirm any outcomes officially, iGB has sought clarification on the status of applications.
ATG (AB Trav och Galopp), Sweden's main horse racing operator, formed the joint venture with Suomen Hippos in 2025 and plans to utilize the ATG brand at the market's launch in 2027 due to its established recognition. The company indicated that it would leverage ATG's in-house gaming platform, labeling this approach as a u201ccost-effective solution.u201d
As of now, around 80 companies have submitted applications for Finnish gambling licenses. Some market analysts have voiced concerns about potential oversaturation given the country’s small demographic. Nevertheless, the extensive grey market is expected to be addressed through these reforms.
Antti Koivula, Hippos ATG's Chief Compliance Officer, expressed in a presentation at SBC Lisbon in September that the market's entry phase would present an uneven playing field. Current monopoly operator Veikkaus and other offshore-licensed operators in the market likely possess customer databases that could provide them with a competitive advantage over new entrants who will be u201cstarting from scratch.u201d
