Entain has taken another crucial step to cement its status in the global gaming and sports betting arena. 

The gaming giant announced Tuesday, October 19, it completed the acquisition of esports betting and skill-based wagering company, Unikrn.

Entain buys out Unikrn

The Deal 

Earlier this year, Entain expressed its interest in purchasing Unikrn to consolidate its position as the global leader in sports betting, gaming, and interactive entertainment. 

Several months later, the company finally bought out Unikrn’s assets encompassing its technology, products, platform, brand, and workforce. 

The Product 

Entain said Unikrn’s personnel will be working closely with its 50-strong international team over the next several months to prepare for launching the brand on the global stage.

Unikrn offers products and services specially intended for gaming and eSports. These offerings, such as U-Mode and Streamer Bet, allow gamers to bet on their ranked matches in several competitive video game titles or wager on games streamed on Twitch, which uses A.I to update odds in real-time.

Strong Trading

According to the latest report detailing its performance over the last three months, Entain recorded substantial growth in Q3 of 2021, augmented by its 23rd straight month of double-digit quarterly growth.

From July 1 to September 30, the company tallied a net gaming revenue growth of 4 percent. Within that time frame, online transactions grew 7 percent, and retail slid 1 percent. 

Entain expects to sustain its growth as the UK gaming industry shows signs of recovery, with betting volumes approaching pre-COVID-19 levels. This promising development in the UK is reflected in most countries throughout Europe, where robust betting activities are steadily re-energizing the region.

Entain’s sports and gaming divisions also performed well during the quarter, tallying 12 percent and one percent growth, respectively.

Quotes from the Press Release

In a press release detailing the acquisition of Unikrn, Entain’s managing director of esports Justin Dellario explained how the purchase will revolutionize gaming and esports.   

“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.

“Esports is now established as a mainstream sport, with over 450 million gamers aged 18-35.”