Unibet History

The history of this famous betting company begins in 1997. It was then that the unknown company Unibet appeared in Sweden. It was in 1998. This young betting firm has obtained a United Kingdom gaming license and has opened an office in London, thus starting to take sports bets by phone. 1999 – a landmark year for Unibet, it was then that the company’s first website appeared in just two languages – Swedish and English and Unibet began to accept betting online sports. After just two years, this bookie takes online bets in 50 countries and is called Unibet Group.

In 2003 there were live bets, sections of online casinos and about 300 thousand customers in more than 100 countries of the world and there is a mobile platform. Next year Unibet Group Plc enters the stock exchange, thereby confirming its high reliability in the world of online betting. Since 2006. to 2015. is a stunning growth of this holding, it is infused with many well-known companies from various world markets for betting, poker, casino, launched sections of Bingo and Supertoto.

Unibet Group Plc becomes an honorary member of EGBA, which includes 12 leading betting companies in Europe. Since 2006 Unibet has been recognized as the «best European bookmaker of the year» a large number of times.

In 2016, the company’s management decided to rebrand Unibet Group Plc to Kindred Group, and already in 2017. Kindred Group made its first acquisition in the new status by purchasing 32Red, a fairly well-known betting company, for $219 million. The company is now in the market. Now this world-famous consortium Kindred Group (Unibet Group Plc) has more than 10 million customers worldwide (160 countries). This is a really reliable betting office, which more than once headed the rating of betting offices in the world. Today, Unibet has over 1,500 employees and offices in Malta, London, New York and Gibraltar.

Kindred Group as well as Unibet, headquartered in Malta.

This arrangement allows Unibet to be licensed through Platinum Gaming Limited by the Government of Gibraltar (licensed RGL 091 and RGL 092) and regulated by the Gibraltar Gaming Commissioner to serve customers across Europe. To legally offer online gambling services to UK customers, Platinum Gaming Limited – and therefore Unibet – also has a combined license for further remote control (number 000-045322-R-324275-001) from the UK Gaming Commission (UKGC).

Company history

Unibet was originally founded in 1997 by Anders Ström and originally operated from Strom’s home in Earls Court, London. The company obtained a license to operate a betting business, and since 1998 Unibet began to take bets by phone. The following year, Unibet launched its first online betting site. It later became the Unibet Group PLC, Pontus Lesse was appointed as the new CEO, and the company obtained its first international gambling license in Malta.

Over the next few years, Unibet Group PLC expanded rapidly. Unibet’s website has been diversified to support 12 different languages, and by 2004 the company had more than 300,000 registered customers in over 100 countries. The same year, the company was first listed on the Swedish Stock Exchange.

In the following years, the company made a number of other acquisitions, including primarily Betchoice in Australia and Stan James Online. To better support its new multi brand strategy, Unibet Group Plc was renamed Kindred Group in 2016. Since then, the company has served one million registered customers and launched a number of other brands for betting and gambling worldwide. In mid-November 2019, Kindred Group launched Unibet in the United States in Pennsylvania.

Sponsorship

Unibet sponsors a wide range of major sports teams and events. Unibet is a partner of the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Eagles. The brand is an official partner of the French football club Paris Saint-Germain, as well as three different English football league teams such as Aston Villa, Preston North End and Middlesbrough. From season 20/21 they also sponsor all Rangers FC training sets. Unibet has the same relationship with the Warwickshire cricket club.

Unibet also sponsors the eSports team known as Astralis, which plays in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

On January 30, 2020, Unibet began its partnership with Magnus Carlsen.

How did it all begin

The beginning of any new business is a very exciting event, because often it is the idea of one person, which many thought was impossible. This was the case with Anders Ström, who in 1997 founded Unibet in his apartment in Earls Court, London.

Anders sought to create a company that would be better than any other bookmaker. This includes dealing with players, accessing additional information, and all the tools needed to make informed decisions about what to bet on. Ström himself was an experienced player, so he had the wisdom to pass it on to those who wanted it, and no other bookie at the time did anything like that.

First steps in the betting business

Ström became the first CEO of Unibet, and his first task was to bring the business from his bedroom to the world level. You had to get a license to start taking bets. Andres achieved this in 1998 by obtaining permission to accept sports betting by telephone. Ström and his small team began their work – they tried to create a base of regular customers as soon as possible with their unique approach to the gambling industry.

1999: Start of online activities

Ström was pleased with the beginning of Unibet, but his goal was always to have the company as wide as possible. Like many other visionary gambling entrepreneurs, he realized that the Internet was the foundation on which to build his company’s future.

In 1999, Unibet was granted an online gambling license to customers in the UK and Sweden, Ström’s home country. The first websites appeared quickly in both English and Swedish. The team worked hard to become the most customer-oriented betting company, so the site has sections with key statistics and information that helps to inform customers about rates.

At first, Unibet worked only in the online space of the UK and Sweden, but Ström understood that it was necessary to use the Internet more actively, so he began to gradually withdraw his product to other countries. This led to an application for a Maltese gaming license, which allowed the company to register players from other EU countries.

2000: Changes to the Manual

The acquisition of the first international gaming license coincided with Pontus Lesse’s appointment as the new CEO of Unibet. This marked the end of Anders Ström’s reign, but he was still actively involved in the management of the company and was a key voice in deciding how it would develop and expand further.

By 2001, the company had translated its website into 12 different languages, helping them to find customers in 50 different countries. This number was even higher by 2002, when Unibet reached 200,000 customers worldwide from 80 different countries.

2004: Share Placement on the Stock Exchange

In 2004, the company’s shares appeared on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. This expansion had a snowball effect, as rumors of a company that was only five years old spread. In the same year, the number of customers exceeded the mark of 300 thousand.

The steady growth in the number of new customers and the constant expansion of the product range were two key indicators that enabled Unibet to secure the means to develop further growth strategies. Over time, this BK has become one of the largest in the gambling industry.

2004: First Visit

By 2004, Unibet was on par with the best of its competitors, but the board of directors realized that sports betting alone would not be enough. They decided to add to their list of online casino services. For this Unibet has acquired the Belgian casino operator Mr Bookmaker. This purchase was to be the catalyst for a series of mergers and acquisitions. Over time, Unibet began to manage many other brands.

2016: Creation of Kindred Group

By 2016, Unibet was a family of brands, products and services, not just a separate betting company. It became clear that managing all this diversity under one brand was no longer practical. Therefore, a new parent organization called the Kindred Group was created.

At the time of its creation, Kindred Group had 11 brands. Each of them offered customers something different: from fully functioning betting companies such as Unibet, to online casinos such as 32Red, and bingo sites such as Bingo.com. There could have been 12 – the famous British bookmaker Stan James was also bought by Unibet in 2015, but the management closed it down and transferred customers to Unibet.

2017: Sponsorship Contracts

In 2017, Unibet became the main sponsor of the Aston Villa football club, marking a targeted step towards attracting more players. However, this is not the only thing the company has done for football. She also signed agreements with Preston North End, Middlesbrough and Leeds United.

Unibet also signed several major sponsorship agreements with teams and organizations from other sports. These include the Derby Festival at Epsom Downs, the Cheltenham Festival and 49 meetings at Kempton Park. Unibet also has deals with Magnus Karlsen, a Norwegian chess grandmaster, and Astralis, an eSports team specializing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

2018: Start Working in the USA

For many years, Kindred Group hoped that the online gambling situation in America would change. In 2018, the company was finally able to enter the US market. This was made possible by their partnership with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, which was established in August of that year.

New Jersey was one of the first states to legalize gambling, and Unibet immediately took advantage of this, immediately opening an online betting office there. Just a few months later, in January 2019, Kindred Group signed a similar deal with Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino, resulting in the opening of a betting center in Pennsylvania.

Unibet’s management sought to capitalize on the presence of the Kindred Group in the United States, continuing to sponsor its activities, this time on the east coast of the United States. The betting company signed sponsorship agreements with the New Jersey Devils hockey team and then with the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl champions.

It has been more than 20 years since Unibet was founded. Now it has become a global conglomerate of betting products. And it all began with the dream of one person, embodied in his apartment!

Unibet Group PLC

Unibet Group PLC is a leading global online gambling operator providing a wide range of services to customers around the world. With its innovative approaches, high quality service and a wide range of games and bets, Unibet has earned a reputation as one of the most respected and successful companies in the industry. Let’s take a look at the history, products and services, and the company’s impact on the global gambling industry.

History

Unibet was founded in 1997 in Sweden. From the very beginning, the company has endeavoured to provide customers with an innovative and exciting gaming experience by offering a wide range of products and services. Over time, Unibet has become one of the largest and most respected brands in the global gambling industry.

Products and Services

1. Sports Betting: Unibet offers a wide range of sports events to bet on, including football, tennis, basketball, golf and many other sports. The company also offers live betting, allowing customers to place live bets during matches.
2. Online Casino: Unibet provides access to a wide range of online casino games including slots, roulette, blackjack, video poker and other gambling games.
3. Poker: The company also offers an online poker platform where players can participate in poker tournaments and competitions.
4. Bingo: Unibet offers online bingo for those who love the game, with a variety of game options and large jackpots.
5. Mobile App: For your convenience, Unibet provides a mobile app that allows you to bet and play casino games from any mobile device.

Innovation and Technology

Unibet is constantly working on developing their technological solutions to provide customers with the best gaming experience. They are constantly introducing new features and services to fulfil the needs of their users.

Impact on Industry

Unibet has made a significant impact on the gambling industry by providing customers with a wide range of services and innovative online gaming solutions. Its successful development and high level of service confirm its reputation as one of the leading operators in this field.

Conclusion

Unibet Group PLC continues to be one of the world’s leading online gambling operators, providing its customers with high quality services, a wide range of games and innovative solutions. Its industry influence and ability to adapt to changing market needs make it one of the key players in the global gambling entertainment industry.

Our team at Regulated United Europe will be happy to assist you in registering the company and obtaining a gambling license in one of the most favorable jurisdictions for this. Contact us now to get individual advice and start your project.