Unibet Sportsbook Coming To Indiana Via A Deal With Horseshoe Hammond And Caesars

Kindred is set to expand into a third US state, having had no presence as of last summer. The company’s portfolio will now include Indiana, thanks to a market access deal for Unibet sportsbook.

Caesars Entertainment is utilizing one of its platforms to introduce Kindred’s international sports betting brand to the Hoosier State. However, this does not imply that the Unibet brand will supplant Caesars in the state.

Horseshoe Hammond betting license is being used by Unibet Sportsbook.

Under Indiana law, master license holders can collaborate with various sportsbook brands. Since Caesars manages several properties in Indiana, it has numerous spare licenses. Unibet plans to use the sports betting license of Horseshoe Hammond Casino.

Caesars runs its own sportsbook, hence its retail books in Indiana will maintain that brand. For Kindred, the owner of Unibet, this move is aimed at penetrating the online market in the state.

Kindred already runs Unibet online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The deal with Caesars enables it to broaden its operations to Indiana and Iowa as well.

The market seems to be maturing, making it an excellent time for online sportsbooks to venture into the Hoosier State.

Online betting volume in Indiana is increasing.

In the initial months of online betting in Indiana, only three operators were available. However, that number has recently seen a significant increase.

Consequently, the proportion of betting from online sources has also increased. For instance, in January 2020, 72% of bets placed by residents and visitors in Indiana were made online.

The state’s market received a positive indicator with an 8% increase from December 2019. However, the percentage of online handle experienced a decrease in December compared to November of the previous year.

The online share for the present month may turn out to be even larger due to Super Bowl LIV. Although Unibet didn’t participate in that game, there’s another forthcoming event that Kindred can leverage.

Indiana sportsbooks hurrying to start before March Madness

Every year, March hosts two of the most significant events for marketing sportsbooks – the men's and women's NCAA D1 basketball championship tournaments.

Unibet might have enough time to prepare with about a month left before the first games of those tournaments. The regulations in Indiana are not significantly different from those in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, so Unibet doesn’t require much adjustment.

Unibet has not yet specified a target date to go live in Indiana. However, missing out on March Madness would be a significant missed opportunity if the sportsbook isn’t live by then.

Unibet is among the several brands aiming to enter the market prior to the tournament. BetIndiana, PointsBet, and BetMGM have already secured conditional license approval from the Indiana Gaming Commission, although they haven’t launched yet. For Unibet to progress, it must first gain this approval.

Marketing for sportsbook launches during March Madness is typically highly aggressive. The bettors are usually the biggest beneficiaries in this scenario.

According to Manuel Stan, Senior Vice President of Kindred US, Kindred chose to partner with Caesars due to their strong presence in Indiana. He stated that the geographical reach of Caesars provides a unique opportunity for Kindred.

Although Unibet may have entered the game late, the market appears to have sufficient space for all these operators. If the sportsbook launches in time for March Madness, it could potentially have a strong start in Indiana.