Hippos ATG secures Finnish online gambling licence
Hippos ATG has become the second gambling operator to publicly announce receiving a Finnish licence ahead of the country’s transition to a competitive online gambling market in July 2027.
The company, a joint venture between Swedish betting operator ATG and Finnish racing organisation Suomen Hippos, announced that it had received approval on October 19.
Its authorisation covers horse racing, sports betting and online casino games, allowing the business to compete against other licensed operators when Finland’s new gambling framework takes effect on July 1, 2027.
Hippos ATG CEO Mikael Bäcke said the approval represented an important milestone after extensive preparations to satisfy Finland’s new regulatory requirements.
“We have always been confident that we will meet the conditions for the licence,” Bäcke said.
The company has developed compliance procedures covering responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, information security, technical standards and internal risk management.
Hippos ATG is owned equally by ATG and Suomen Hippos, although its profit-sharing agreement allocates 60% to the Finnish racing organisation.
The announcement follows Wildz Group’s confirmation on October 15 that it had received approval to enter Finland’s newly regulated market.
Finland’s National Police Board is handling applications during the transition, although it has not yet published an official list of approved operators.
The licence does not permit Hippos ATG to begin offering gambling immediately, with Commercial operations needing to wait until the new market opens in July 2027.
