Unibet

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Unibet
TypePublic
Nasdaq Stockholm: UNIB SDB
IndustryOnline gambling
Founded1997
FounderAnders Ström
HeadquartersMalta
Number of locations
Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Gibraltar, Italy, Malta, UK, US
Key people
Henrik Tjärnström (CEO)
ProductsSportsbook, Casino & Games, Poker, Bingo
Revenue£751 million (2017)[1]
Number of employees
1425[1]
Websitewww.unibet.com

Unibet provides a platform for sports betting, online casino, bingo and online poker to over 11 million customers in over 100 countries. Unibet is a part of Kindred Group–an online gambling operator which consists of 11 brands along with Maria Casino, Stan James, 32Red, and iGame. Today, Unibet has over 1,500 employees and offices in Malta, London, New York, and Gibraltar among others. Unibet launched its first online website in 1999, launched live betting service in 2003 and introduced mobile site in 2004.[2]

Overview[]

The Kindred Group, and by extension Unibet, is headquartered in Malta.

This arrangement allows Unibet to be licensed, through Platinum Gaming Limited, by the Government of Gibraltar (under Licence numbers RGL 091 & RGL 092)[3] and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner for the purposes of serving customers around Europe. In order to legally offer online gambling services to UK based customers Platinum Gaming Limited – and therefore Unibet – also hold a Combined Continuation Remote Operating Licence (number 000-045322-R-324275-001)[4] from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

History[]

Unibet was originally founded in 1997 by Anders Ström, with the company initially operating out of Ström's home in Earl's Court, London. It secured a licence to operate a betting business and from 1998, Unibet began taking bets over the phone. The following year, Unibet launched their first ever online betting website. It later became Unibet Group PLC, Pontus Lesse was appointed as the new CEO and the company were granted their first international gambling licence in Malta.

Over the next few years, Unibet Group PLC expanded quickly. Its Unibet website diversified to support 12 different languages and by 2004, the company had over 300,000 registered customers in more than 100 countries. It was also in that year that the company was first listed on the Swedish Stock Exchange.[1]

The following years saw a number of other acquisitions by the company, including most notably those of Betchoice in Australia and of Stan James Online.[5] In order to better support their new multi-brand strategy, Unibet Group Plc became the Kindred Group in 2016.[2] Since that time, the company have passed one million registered customers and launched a range of further betting and gambling brands around the world. In the middle of November 2019 the Kindred Group went live with Unibet in Pennsylvania (PA).[6]

Sponsorship[]

Unibet sponsors a wide range of major sports teams and events.

Unibet has recently partnered with New Jersey Devils,[7] and Philadelphia Eagles.[8] The brand is the official betting partner of French football club Paris Saint-Germain as well as three different English football league teams, in the shape of Aston Villa,[9] Preston North End,[10] and Middlesbrough.[11] Since season 19/20, they are main sponsor of Belgian football club Club Brugge.From the 20/21 season they will also be the sponsor on all of Rangers FC training kits. Unibet also has the same relationship with Warwickshire County Cricket Club.[12][13]

Unibet also sponsors an esports team known as Astralis, who play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.[14]

By 30.1.2020 Unibet started a partnership with Magnus Carlsen.[15]

Awards[]

Unibet has been repeatedly awarded by PCM magazine “eGaming Overview” as the best sports betting operator in 2006, 2008 and 2009, as well as a live betting operator in 2009[16]

Sportsbook Operator of the Year - IGA Awards 2014. Followed by a few months later Unibet conquers Best Poker Marketing Campaign - EGR Awards 2014.[17]

Regulatory Sanctions and Fines[]

On February 16th 2022, the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) ordered Unibet (Denmark) Limited to update its risk assessment policies. According to the regulator, until 25 January 2022, Unibet did not have “sufficient written business procedures for ongoing monitoring of existing customer relations.”[18] A number of breaches were found when inspecting Unibet’s AML policies, including breaking the rules relating to business procedures, know your customer (KYC) measures, as well as rules regarding its obligation to investigate and report on players.

At the same time, norwegean regulator Lottstift warned Trannel International Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kindred Group, that it will sanction the operator with financial penalties of NOK 1.2 million (€120,000) daily if it does not stop its illegal gambling activity in Norway. Trennel had received simmilar warnings back in April 2019 and Kindred have already made a number of legal appeals in Norway in response which have all been rejected by Norway's supreme court. Despite the threats of heavy fines Kindred refuses to stop operations in Norway. [19]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Kindred Company Fact Sheet NASDAQ".
  2. ^ a b "Unibet Timeline" (History of Unibet from 1997 to present day.).
  3. ^ "HM Government of Gibraltar" (PDF).
  4. ^ "UKGC License Details".
  5. ^ "Unibet Acquire Stan James". iGaming Business. 1 October 2015.
  6. ^ Fletcher, Rob. "Kindred goes online with Unibet in Pennsylvania". IGB North America. 18 November 2019.
  7. ^ "European sportsbook signs partnership with Devils; Brodeur to serve as ambassador". 16 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles sign first casino partnership deal". 1 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Aston Villa announce Unibet deal". 7 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Unibet become official partner of PNE".
  11. ^ "Unibet sponsor Middlesbrough FC". 13 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Warwickshire CC partner with Unibet".
  13. ^ "Unibet Open Dublin: 12 Left in Main Event, €64K on Top". Poker News. March 1, 2020.
  14. ^ "Unibet Partners With Astralis in Two-Year Sponsorship Deal". 13 November 2018.
  15. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Press Conference Stockholm 30th January 2020". YouTube.
  16. ^ Valencia, Ronnie (19 March 2020). "Unibet, breve reseña". revizorro.org (in Spanish).
  17. ^ "Unibet Awards in 2014". 27 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Order and reprimands for Unibet (Denmark) Limited". spillemyndigheden.dk. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Kindred Group to Continue Norway Operations despite Fines". casinoreviews.net. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

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