Unibet, the U.S. arm of Kindred Group, will soon be in Virginia.
Kindred Group announced Thursday that Unibet was awarded a direct market access mobile sports betting license in Virginia. The approval was also posted on the Virginia Lottery website.
RELATED: More on Virginia sports betting and gaming
“We are excited to add Virginia to the growing list of states that Unibet and Kindred Group call home as we continue our expansion in the U.S. market,” Manuel Stan, senior vice president/U.S. for Kindred Group, said in a news release. “Our aim is to go live shortly and we expect that the success we have seen in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Indiana will of course follow in Virginia.”
Currently, there are six sports wagering operators in Virginia; online sports betting went live there in January 2021. Within months the number should grow by at least half with three more online sportsbooks that were approved March 15. In May, gaming regulators will begin taking applications for the remaining outstanding sports betting licenses.
An update on when the three that have been approved might launch was given at Wednesday’s Virginia Lottery Board meeting.
After successful launches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Indiana, and with signed agreements for an additional eight states, Virginia will be a key state in Unibet´s East Coast expansion, the company said.
“We look forward to opening an office in Virginia, which will function as our third hub together with our offices in New York and New Jersey," Stan said in the release. "We are thrilled to continue our journey in what we believe will become the largest gambling market in the world."
More VA Licenses Available
The Virginia legislature initially approved 12 sports wagering licenses but was able to increase that number with new legislation clarifying that that sports wagering licensing for the state’s planned five casinos would not count against the original number. The bill has been signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam and goes into effect on July 1.
Up and running in Virginia are online sportsbooks from FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, Rivers and Wynn. The other three approved but not yet live are Golden Nugget, Barstool Sports and Bally’s. However, some of the current or approved licensees are also affiliated with casinos and do not count against the 12 available licenses for standalone online operators.
And now Unibet will soon join the Virginia market.
