Hippos ATG Secures Finnish License as Market Launch Approaches

Hippos ATG Oy has confirmed that it has secured a gaming license in Finland, becoming the second company to make such an announcement. This comes as the country prepares to end its gambling monopoly and launch regulated gaming. Company Leaders Vow to Support Finnish Racing For reference, Hippos ATG is a joint venture between the Swedish gambling operator ATG and Suomen Hippos, Finland’s national central organization for trotting and horse breeding. The gaming license will allow the company to operate online betting on sports and horse races, as well as iGaming once the market launches. Finland’s liberalized gaming market is set to launch on July 1, 2027, opening a new chapter in the history of Finnish gambling. As a joint venture between a Swedish operator and a Finnish horse racing organization, Hippos ATG reaffirmed its plans to use its license to support horse racing in Finland. The venture vowed to return some 60% of its profit to equestrian sports and horse breeding, Officials commented on the new license, expressing excitement about the upcoming launch of gaming in the country. Mikael Bäcke, Hippos ATG’s chief executive officer, noted that he never doubted that his team would be able to meet the requirements necessary to procure a license. Despite that, he said that he is very pleased with the fact. We’ve put a huge amount of work into building a completely new company in Finland, with working methods designed from the ground up to comply with the new legislation. We can now focus even more on the products and on completing the business. Mikael Bäcke, CEO, Hippos ATG Bäcke underscored Hippos ATG’s unwavering commitment to creating “lasting economic value” for the Finnish horse racing sector and strengthening the conditions for equestrian sports and the sports industry as a whole. Hippos ATG Was Among the First Companies Interested in Finnish Gaming It should be noted that Hippos ATG was among the first companies to express a strong interest in the Finnish market and was among the first operators to apply for a license. Hippos ATG’s announcement concerning its Finnish license comes shortly after another operator announced having secured a local license. The company in question was Wildz, which was technically the first operator to confirm having received a license from the Finnish National Police Board (NPB). In other news, Finland just reiterated its strict stance on the illegal promotion of gambling, with the National Police Board emphasizing that prohibition orders and conditional fines remain among the legal measures at its disposal. Speaking of such orders, the NPB just issued an order to MagicPoro, which is said to have targeted Finns with its marketing content.