Veikkaus shuts down ATG claims it is ‘abusing its market position’

Veikkaus has been reported to Finland’s Competition and Consumer Authority (Kilpailu- ja kuluttajavirasto) by Swedish trotting and horseracing operator ATG for “abusing its dominant market position”.

The claim suggests Veikkaus is trying to maintain a competitive advantage in the soon-to-be liberalised Finnish remote gambling market.  

But in a statement to iGB, Veikkaus has denied the claim it is abusing its market position.

In its complaint, ATG has also called out Veikkaus for its plans to stop distributing Swedish trotting races to the Finnish public, a move ATG Director for Finland Mikael Bäcke says has already commenced. 

“ATG and Veikkaus have been partners since 2008 and, during this time, Finns have placed bets on all Swedish horse races. Over the past 10 weeks Veikkaus has limited the number of Swedish races that are available to their customers,” Bäcke tells iGB.  

“From April this year Veikkaus has independently also stopped distributing racing data and video from Finnish tracks to ATG, meaning that Swedish customers cannot place bets on Finnish races,” he adds. 

Bäcke insists these actions are unfair. Speaking to Finnish publication Iltalehti on Tuesday, Bäcke said Veikkaus’ actions would “distort competitive conditions even before the market opens”. 

He has called on the FCCA to provide answers in response to ATG’s complaint.  

There are five main points covered in the Kilpailu- ja kuluttajavirasto filing, including Veikkaus ending its partnership with ATG.  

Bäcke says Veikkaus has publicly stated they will stop offering bets to Swedish horse races altogether.  

Another core concern for ATG is Veikkaus having access to a 2.6 million-strong player database, many of which it will be able to cross-sell to via its licensed iGaming business. 

Market stakeholders have long argued this would provide Veikkaus with a hugely unfair competitive advantage, compared to private operators entering the legal market.  

Veikkaus denies claims it is abusing its position  

In a statement emailed to iGB, Veikkaus says it received a request for clarification from the FCCA last Friday.  

“We will get acquainted with it carefully and respond according to the given schedule,” the statement said.  

But Hanna Kyrki, EVP, general counsel for Veikkaus, said the allegations made by ATG about the abuse of its position are “incomprehensible and completely false. We categorically deny them.”  

Horseracing to be offered in Finland’s open market  

Ahead of the regulation heading to the European Commission last November, a cross-party parliamentary committee in Finland determined betting on trotting and horse racing would be open to private operators, once the market liberalises in January 2027.  

The sport was previously only offered in Finland under the Veikkaus monopoly. Previously, Finnish gambling consultant Jari Vähänen told iGB the racing sector had lobbied hard for the sport to be available via the open market.  

ATG has skin in the Finnish market outside of its trotting agreement with Veikkaus, In April the operator announced it would launch a joint venture in Finland in partnership with Finnish equestrian association Suomen Hippos.  

The product will offer betting on sports and racing and iGaming to players in the competitive Finnish gambling market. 

In June, Mikael Bäcke was appointed as CEO for the JV, which ATG called “Hippos ATG”.