Kambi enters Georgia in first post-Unibet deal

Kambi Sports Solutions is to take its sportsbook into Eastern Europe for the first time after agreeing a deal with Casino Iveria, one of the largest land-based casinos in Georgia.

The deal, Kambi’s first since its spin-off from former parent company Unibet, will see the sportsbook provider launch an online sports betting platform called Iveriabet in regulated Georgia next week with the operator eager for the product to be live ahead of this summer’s football World Cup.

The deal also includes provisional plans to roll the product out into other countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at a later date, while Kambi will also provide Casino Iveria with a retail betting outlet in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

“This agreement is strategically important as it provides an entry point into a newly regulated geographic market,” Kristian Nylén, CEO of Kambi Sports Solutions, said.

“This further demonstrates Kambi’s ambition and focus on international markets,” he added.

Georgian law permits those with land-based licenses to offer betting via the internet and Casino Iveria, which operates a casino in both Tbilisi and Batumi, has been keen to establish an online presence for some time.

In 2012 the operator struck a deal with sportsbook provider SBTech aimed at extending its retail presence into the online environment.

The Georgian gambling market came under threat last year when a cluster of MPs tabled a draft bill aimed at prohibiting gambling related adverts with a long-term intention of banning gambling altogether, however, the bill failed to gain sufficient support.

Kambi’s separation from Unibet was confirmed by the operator’s shareholders at a vote held at this month’s AGM with the supplier due to float on the NASDAQ OMX First North exchange in Stockholm on 2 June.

It is hoped the independence brought by the spin-off will enable Kambi to further expand a client base which also includes the likes of 888, Paf and NagaWorld casino.