Entain moves closer to proprietary esports betting as Unikrn acquisition completes

Entain has completed the acquisition of esports betting platform Unikrn in a deal which will see the operator launch new skill-based esports wagering products in 2022.

Entain will leverage all Unikrn assets, including technology, products and platform, along with a 50-strong international team, to launch its own esports venture in the coming months.

The new esports venture will be overseen by Justin Dellario who joined Entain as MD of esports after arriving from Twitch where he spent more than five years as VP of global esports.

He will report into chief strategy officer and president of new ventures Sameer Deen.

Entain noted the growing popularity of the vertical and the propensity of video game fans to bet as core reasons for flexing its M&A muscles.

Entain said: “Esports is now established as a mainstream sport with over 450 million gamers aged 18-35.

“Entain believes that many of these have strong potential to become new customers in other areas of its business, recently noting that video gamers are more than four times more likely to participate in sports betting and igaming than others in the same demographic.”

Speaking on the completion of the acquisition, Dellario said: “Entain is all about creating exciting and innovative products for our customers.

“With Unikrn, we’ll now be able to offer competitive gamers and esports fans alike rewarding experiences surrounding the games and events they love.”