Kindred Group Deal With Caesars Entertainment Will Put Unibet Mobile Sports Betting Application in Indiana, Iowa

Posted on: February 11, 2020, 10:13h. 

Last updated on: February 12, 2020, 08:20h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Kindred Group announced on Tuesday that it has an agreement signed with Caesars Entertainment that gives the European gaming company access to the mobile sports betting markets in Indiana and Iowa.

Kindred Group’s deal with Caesars Entertainment will allow Kindred to offer its Unibet sports betting application in Indiana and Iowa. (Image:HawkeyeSports.com)

The company plans to unveil its Unibet brand in the two US markets, with skins tied to the Horseshoe Hammond Casino in Indiana and Harrah Council Bluffs Casino in Iowa. The agreement with Caesars allows Kindred to operate a skin in those states for 10 years.

The agreement is contingent on the necessary regulatory approvals.

“Caesars’ geographical spread in the US gives us a unique opportunity to build our footprint, with Indiana and Iowa next in line and potential other states lined up,” said Manuel Stan, Kindred’s senior vice president of US operations, in a release.

Indiana and Iowa will be the third and fourth states for Kindred’s Unibet.

Indiana Likely First, Iowa in 2021

Stan told Casino.org on Tuesday that Kindred plans to launch Unibet in Indiana by the beginning of the football season, which will start in the late summer. Iowa’s online application likely will not start until January 2021, when an in-person registration requirement for mobile sports betting ends in that state.

Regarding other states, we have not announced any other agreements. But we are, of course, evaluating other potential entries in other states,” Stan added.

Of course, that expansion could take place through its relationship with Caesars, which owns or manages casino properties in a dozen states. The company is also scheduled to close a deal where Eldorado Resorts will own 51 percent of the merged Eldorado-Caesars company.

That company will carry the Caesars name.

“As Caesars Entertainment continues to gain state approvals for legalized sports betting in the US, we look forward to adding Kindred to our list of sports betting partners in certain states,” Christian Stuart, Caesars executive vice president, said in the release. “Caesars can continue to operate its own sports betting offering under the Caesars Sports brand in these states.”

Recently Started in Pennsylvania

In New Jersey, Unibet operates as one of three mobile skins tied to the Hard Rock Atlantic City Casino. New Jersey figures do not break down revenue figures by each application.

In Pennsylvania, Unibet operates the sportsbook for the Mohegan Sun Pocono racino. Retail operations began in September 2019, with the mobile application coming online in November. Through December, according to figures from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, Unibet has taken more than $15.4 million in bets. Of that, $7.9 million have been processed online.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania rank as the second- and third-largest sports betting markets. In Pennsylvania, the state’s handle for December was $342.6 million, and $297.4 million was bet online.

Indiana, though sports betting only started in September, has quickly established itself as the fourth-largest state in terms of monthly handle. In January, the state recorded a handle of $170.8 million, with $123.3 million wagered online.

Caesars currently does not have any mobile apps running in the Hoosier State.

Iowa had a sports betting handle of $58 million in January, with $33.8 million wagered online.

Likewise, none of Caesars properties in Iowa have started up any mobile sports betting applications either.