Unikrn Returns to Esports Betting with Launch in Brazil, Canada
Esports betting platform Unikrn vanished from the market in fall of 2021. The company was purchased by Eurobet and PartyPoker owner, Entain, and is now re-launching by going live in Brazil and most of Canada on December 1, 2022.
Entain is a betting giant, primarily in the UK and Europe. Its purchase of US-based Unikrn was announced in August 2021, and the company revealed plans to invest $50 million in developing this esports acquisition. The purchase was finalised in October 2021.
Unikrn emerged eight years ago and grew to dominate the esports betting market, winning awards such as Best Esports Operator for 2019 and 2020 at the EGR Operator Awards. The company also won innovation awards and has long prided itself on its cutting-edge platform. It was an early adopter of cryptocurrencies, raising $31 million via its own initial coin offering (ICO) in 2017. However, it later came under fire from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and had to shelve its crypto-token and pay a $6.1 million fine.
A new interface for a new generation of esports bettors
As per the press release, Unikrn is now available again in Brazil and Canadian provinces except for Ontario. 2023 will see the esports betting site enter further regulated markets. Entain and esports fan bases are both well-established in the two markets.
The re-launch sees a new interface where players can “bet on their own, bet with friends or even bet on themselves.” The esports betting platform targets a “new generation” and has 24-hour game streaming of the most popular titles and “more ways to bet.” Justin Dellario, CEO of Unikrn and Managing Director of Esports at Entain, who moved from Twitch to Entain, says:
“Over the past year, the passionate team at Entain has worked closely with us to create a safe, accessible, secure and compliant product that players can trust – even if they’ve never placed a bet before.”
As well as esports betting, the revived platform will offer betting on traditional sports and casino games. Its initial product offerings are set to include UMode, where players can bet on their own skills, unikrn Virtual for live esports action on major game titles, and unikrn Esportsbook for premier esports events. Via unikrn Sportsbook, bettors will have access to global sporting events with a purported three million unique markets. There’s also unikrn Moneymatch, unikrn Casino, and a unikrn Rewards program for whenever users place bets.
Entain expands to new market
The Unikrn launch is not Entain’s only big development in recent weeks. On November 24, 2022, its purchase of Croatian betting operator Sportsbook was completed. This move forms part of Entain’s plans to expand into Balkan markets it estimates are worth €5.0bn per annum in gaming and betting revenues. Entain is also partnering with EMMA Capital, an investment partner with a significant presence in Central and Eastern Europe. Entain has also secured new online gambling licences in Germany.
