Entain Completes Unikrn Takeover With Relaunch Expected In 2022

One of the largest sports betting and gaming companies in the world, Entain has now formally completed the acquisition of esports specialist betting form Unikrn.

The news comes just a few weeks after Entain itself was purportedly the subject of a $22 billion takeover by the Fantasy Sports, Casino and Sportsbetting company DraftKings.

The deal, which saw the original Unikrn website closed down in September 2021 for all customers, will herald a fresh start for the specialist esports betting brand, with a relaunch of a new and improved Unikrn service mooted for some time in 2022.

entain-acquire-unikrn-new
Image Credits | Entain

“Innovative New Esports Products”

News of the completion of the takeover was included on an Entain press release on the 19th October, which revealed that Justin Dellario, who joined Entain from Twitch as the Managing Director of Esports, is going to lead “the push into this new market as part of a greater drive into interactive management.”

The statement also said that Entain plans to launch “innovative new esports products for customers in 2022”.

And it appears that the in development new Unikrn site may well be central to those plans.

What Is Happening With Unikrn?

You may recall from our Unikrn review, that the company was one of the most forward thinking of all esports betting specialists, so it was something of a surprise when, with little prior warning, the company ceased offering esports betting and advised customers to withdraw funds from their accounts in September.

It soon transpired that this was because the company had been sold to Entain and that as a result of what Unikrn called “restructuring of our staff, technology and operations” as well as “transitioning to new ownership”, the website was no longer operational.

However, there is now some good news on the horizon for prospective customers. Unikrn is set to return in 2022, with no exact date yet confirmed, with interested parties advised to opt in to communications from Entain to ensure they get the latest information about the planned launch of the new site.

Entain acquires Unikrn esports betting platform
Image Credits | Entain

There are going to be plenty of changes on the site in addition to a brand-new website design. It is expected that Unikrn will be looking to expand the number of regions in which the website can operate, by obtaining regulatory access through its links with Entain.

However, Entain have confirmed that the company will be returning its Isle of Man license and that the company will not operate under that license in the future. It will be interesting to see what impact that has on the site’s availability, with Entain admitting that “it’s possible that some currently available regions may not return.”

That is a worrying prospect for people that may have held a Unikrn account in the past, but who may not be able to access the new site if they live in a region that the new site won’t be available in.

What seems certain is that Unikrn will have changed markedly following the Entain takeover, whether or not that is for the better still remains to be seen.

And you are going to have to wait until some time in 2022 to find out for yourself.

Ian John
Ian John

Since: August 10, 2015

Ian is a regular contributor to EsportsBets. Ian is well-versed in the world of esports betting and casino gaming and has written extensively on the online gambling industry. Ian brings fresh insight into all facets of gaming.

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