Betsson signs five-and-a-half-year partnership with HJK Helsinki starting July 2027

Betsson AB has agreed a five-and-a-half-year commercial partnership with Finnish club HJK Helsinki, the organisations announced on 22 October 2026. The deal is scheduled to commence on 1 July 2027 and run until 31 December 2032, but both parties say implementation is conditional on Betsson obtaining the required licence under Finnish gambling legislation.

Deal scope and duration

The agreement covers HJK Helsinki's men's and women's senior teams and is described by HJK as the largest club partnership in Finnish football history. The contract's published schedule runs from 1 July 2027 through 31 December 2032, giving the arrangement a planned five-and-a-half-year term. HJK has framed the length and scale as an opportunity to support longer-term commercial planning and to invest in sporting success, but the club has not disclosed any monetary value for the contract.

"We would like to thank Betsson for this historic agreement. The extensive cooperation shows HJK's unique position in Finnish sports," said Aki Riihilahti, chief executive of HJK's operating company. "After a careful process, we wanted an international and responsible operator like Betsson to build the future of the Club together. The financially and operationally significant and long-term agreement gives us the opportunity to invest even more in sporting success."

HJK has not published a breakdown of how partnership funds will be allocated between the men's and women's teams or detailed sporting projects that the revenue would support.

Regulatory condition and Finnish market timing

The planned start date is tightly linked to the timetable for Finland's new Gambling Act. Most provisions of the reformed Gambling Act are due to take effect on 1 July 2027, at which point appropriately licensed operators may compete in sectors that were previously state-controlled. Companies were able to submit licence applications from 1 March 2026, with licences scheduled to become effective from 1 July 2027. The Finnish National Police Board received applications during the transition period.

Reporting in late September 2026 indicated that 75 applications had been submitted to the licensing process. The HJK–Betsson announcement explicitly makes the partnership conditional on Betsson securing the necessary Finnish licence; the statement does not confirm that Betsson has obtained that authorisation. Signing a commercial agreement, the announcement notes, does not itself authorise a gambling operator to provide or market regulated services in Finland. The interplay between the partnership start date and the licensing timeline is a central operational constraint for both parties. For background on the regulatory changes, see the regulation section.

Betsson's strategic position and financial context

For Betsson, the HJK agreement adds a prominent Finnish club to its international football partnership network. The company framed the relationship as complementary to existing international football ties but did not disclose additional commercial rights, payment schedules or performance-related obligations in the announcement.

Betsson published third-quarter financial results on 22 October 2026, the same day as the partnership announcement. Group revenue for July to September reached €326.5 million, up from €295.8 million in the third quarter of 2025 — an increase of approximately 10.4% year on year. Profitability measures declined: net income fell to €28.2 million from €50.1 million (about a 44% decrease), operating income decreased by 31% to €46.1 million, and EBITDA dropped to €63.4 million from €82.5 million.

The company has not linked the HJK agreement to a quantified impact on future revenue or costs, and no contract value has been disclosed that would allow an independent assessment of the deal's contribution to Betsson's financial performance.

"We are really proud and excited to have the flagship of Finnish football in our international football family alongside other teams," said Jussi Metsiö, Betsson's Country Manager for Finland. "HJK's strong history, ambition and passionate community of supporters make this a special partnership for us. We want to be involved in building the Club's next big moments."

Commercial and sporting implications

HJK positions the arrangement as a long-term commercial platform to support both senior teams' development and the club's broader ambitions in domestic and international competitions. The inclusion of both men's and women's senior squads broadens the partnership's sporting scope compared with single-team deals.

For Betsson, practical value will depend on two variables: whether the company secures the necessary Finnish licence and how the relationship is operationalised over the five-and-a-half-year term. The announcement leaves open several specifics commonly scrutinised by partners and regulators — contract value, activation rights, marketing restrictions in Finland under the new regulatory framework, and the internal allocation of funds between teams.

Next steps and what to watch

Key near-term milestones to follow are the outcome of Betsson's Finnish licence application process and the Finnish National Police Board's handling of outstanding applications ahead of the 1 July 2027 effective date for licences. Industry observers will also watch whether other operators convert commercial agreements into partnerships timed to the Gambling Act's implementation, and how sporting organisations disclose contract terms when regulatory approvals are pending. The commercial rollout and any public disclosures of the partnership's financial terms will determine the arrangement's measurable impact on both HJK and Betsson as the law comes into force.