Suomen Hippos, the central organisation for Finnish trotting sports and horse breeding, has launched change negotiations covering all employees due to production, financial and organisational restructuring reasons.
The operating environment of the horseracing industry has changed in recent years, affecting the organisation’s operations and finances. In addition, the organisation’s services are becoming increasingly digital with a growing shift to online operations.
The change negotiations will begin on 20 April. During the process, employee representatives will discuss the employer’s proposed restructuring and cost-saving measures. Potential measures include combining roles and reorganising job descriptions.
Suomen Hippos Chair Antti Lehtisalo stated: “The transformation of the horseracing sector will continue in the coming years, and therefore Suomen Hippos must also review its operations. In line with its operational plan, a key objective for 2026 is to prepare the organisation and sector for the new gambling market and the changes it brings.
“Our aim is to ensure long-term operational capacity and financial stability. We are also committed to supporting our staff as well as possible during these difficult announcements.”
The negotiations will take place between the employer and employee representatives. No further public updates will be provided until the process has concluded.
Meanwhile, Finland is working towards the potential future listing of state-owned gambling operator Veikkaus, although government officials have stated that several milestones must be reached before an initial public offering (IPO) can be considered.
The Nordic nation is set to transition to a licensing system for betting services in July 2027, a move that will end Veikkaus’ monopoly over online sports betting and digital slot machines. However, the operator will retain exclusive control over lottery-style games, scratch cards, physical slot machines and casino games under the new framework.
Veikkaus reported €447.2m ($523m) in profit for 2025 ahead of Finland’s planned gambling market liberalisation
