The gambling giant, Entain, acquired Unikrn in October 2021 to bolster its presence in the esports industry. In December 2022, Entain relaunched the brand and announced plans to expand into regulated markets worldwide. However, within a year of the relaunch, Entain has decided to scale back its direct-to-consumer operations within Unikrn. The company stated that this restructuring is aimed at maximizing their business efficiency and executing their growth strategy effectively. Entain acknowledged Unikrn’s strong offering in esports betting and intends to leverage its capabilities through its existing global brands. Further details about the future of Unikrn and its division were not disclosed by Entain.
In line with its ongoing M&A strategy, Entain recently completed the acquisition of Angstrom Sports, a specialist in sports modelling, forecasting, and analytics. The deal had a total value of up to £203.0m (€234.7m/$247.2m), with an initial payment of £81.0m. Entain has also made other notable acquisitions, including SuperSport in Croatia and Polish sportsbook operator STS Holding. Additionally, Entain has signed several M&A bolt-on deals, such as the recent acquisition of Tiidal Gaming NZ, the owner of esports betting developer Sportsflare for CA$13.2m.
Adam Greenblatt, the driving force behind the BetMGM venture since its establishment in 2018, stressed the significance of technology and product-focused deals in the industry during an interview with InnovateChange earlier this year.
