Building on an existing relationship
Unibet will now be offering online live roulette and blackjack games from Evolution in Pennsylvania, as part of a freshly announced deal. The agreement expands the two companies’ existing partnership in the New Jersey and European markets. Evolution already supplies multiple live dealer roulette and blackjack tables in the state, with more set to become available before the end of the year.
online live roulette and blackjack games
Evolution is a leading global supplier of live dealer games, serving players in Pennsylvania through its studio in Philadelphia. Unibet is a sports betting and online casino platform provider in the state. The Kindred Group operates the Unibet brand.
Kindred’s vice president of product in the US, Jonathan Aiwazian, welcomed the latest deal. He said: “Evolution’s Live Dealer Casino is an amazing addition to our offering, allowing customers in Pennsylvania to interact with live, professional dealers in real time.” Evolution Malta CEO and chief commercial officer Johan Nordstrom acknowledged Unibet as a long-standing and highly valued partner. The live dealer games supplier looks forward to delivering a world-class experience to Unibet players in Pennsylvania.
Expansion in the US
Evolution has been expanding across Europe for many years, meeting a growing demand for live dealer games among online casino players. It is now eyeing up the burgeoning US market as more states legalize online gaming. Alongside the live dealer studio in Philadelphia, its New Jersey studio has been up and running since August 2018. Evolution is also currently building a studio in Michigan.
the latest in a series of deals agreed by Evolution
The partnership expansion with Unibet is the latest in a series of deals agreed by Evolution in recent months. In early November, it inked a live dealer games agreement with FanDuel in the United States. Other US partnerships it struck in recent weeks include the Caesars Casino & Sportsbook in Pennsylvania, BetMGM in New Jersey, William Hill, Wynn Resorts, and Rush Street Interactive.
Unibet has also slowly but surely been expanding its presence in the US. The brand already has live sportsbooks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Indiana. It also has market access deals in Colorado, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, and Michigan. The only states where Unibet operates online casinos are New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
In October, Unibet became an official sports betting partner of the Philadelphia Eagles. It was already the official casino partner of the NFL team.
A promising merger for Evolution
Evolution’s planned takeover of online games developer NetEnt looks set to boost its US expansion plans. On November 23, the company announced that the majority of NetEnt shareholders voted in favor of accepting Evolution’s SEK19.6bn (US$2.27bn) offer. The relevant regulatory authorities had already approved the deal.
Both companies have been performing strongly so far in 2020. In the most recent quarter, Evolution’s revenue rose by 48% year-on-year to $165.8m. NetEnt saw an 18% rise in its revenue for the same period. Recently, NetEnt signed partnership deals in the US with companies such as DraftKings and William Hill.