Industry

Sweden’s ATG wins Finnish gambling licence for 2027

By Sara Holmberg · Published 20 October 2026

ATG, the Swedish company behind horse racing betting and sports betting, has secured a gambling licence in Finland through its joint venture Hippos ATG. The announcement came on 19 October 2026, with the licence taking effect once Finland’s new licensed market opens on 1 July 2027.

What has changed

Hippos ATG is equally owned by ATG and Suomen Hippos, with each holding a 50 per cent stake. ATG has previously only operated in Sweden and Denmark, having operated in Sweden since 1974 and expanded into Denmark in 2019. The joint venture was formed ahead of Finland’s market opening, and ATG, formally AB Trav och Galopp, operates Sweden’s horse racing monopoly and plans to trade under the ATG brand in Finland because of its existing recognition.

The new licence allows the venture to offer horse racing and sports betting to Finnish customers, alongside the same online casino range already available in Sweden and Denmark. The licence is valid for five years, and Hippos ATG is the second operator to confirm a Finnish licence, after Malta-based Wildz Group. Finland’s National Police Board had received 75 licence applications by 22 September, more than expected for a country of 5.6 million people. The market opens on 1 July 2027, which also ends state-owned Veikkaus’s monopoly on online gambling.

What it means for you

If you play with ATG in Sweden, nothing changes right now. The new licence only covers the Finnish market and does not affect ATG’s Swedish licence from Spelinspektionen. Bonus rules, licensing requirements and the option to self-exclude via Spelpaus.se still only apply to the licensed offering aimed at Sweden. If you want to understand the difference between playing with a Swedish-licensed operator and one only licensed elsewhere, read our guide on Swedish licence vs foreign licence. ATG has operated in competition since Sweden’s 2019 reregulation, and the company says it directed around SEK 2.3 billion in surplus to Swedish horse sport in 2024. If gambling ever feels like it’s taking over, support is available via Stödlinjen.se.

The bigger picture

ATG’s chief executive has described the company as the Nordic region’s largest gambling operator and the market leader in horse betting in both Sweden and Denmark. Finland’s market opening follows a similar path to Sweden’s 2019 reregulation, replacing a state monopoly with a multi-licence system. At the same time, industry observers note the playing field isn’t entirely level: affiliates are currently banned from operating in Finland, raising questions about how effectively newcomers can reach players. For anyone trying to understand how Swedish gambling companies are structured, and how ownership and licensing differ between countries, this Finnish move is a clear example. You can read more about how such structures work in our overview of casino networks in Sweden.