Poker news | 8月 20, 2020
Unibet Poker Sees Record Growth in Q2
By RTR Dennis
Online poker sites have been reporting increased revenues ever since coronavirus-related lockdowns took effect. But perhaps no operator has been experiencing as much success as Unibet lately.
Unibet Poker earned its highest amount of revenue for a quarter in Q2 2020. The site made just under £10 million in revenue during Q2.
Unibet’s parent company, the Kindred Group, meanwhile, earned £235 million overall on the quarter. Most of this revenue came from their betting and casino verticals across multiple brands. The Kindred Group’s £235 million revenue marks a 4% year-on-year increase from Q2 of last year.
What’s the Secret Behind Unibet Poker’s Success?
Again, COVID-19 is the primary driver behind increasing online poker revenue. People are looking for ways to keep themselves busy during coronavirus lockdowns. Internet poker has been one of the most-popular ways to pass the time.
However, Unibet’s success goes beyond just the pandemic. Ever since leaving the iPoker Network in 2013, it has adopted a recreational-friendly model.
Unibet was one of the earliest poker rooms to put recreational players on a pedestal above pros and rakeback grinders. Back then, they quickly realized that giving casual players a fun experience was key to future success.
After all, many sites were offering ridiculously generous rakeback deals in the early 2010s. While this rakeback looked attractive on paper, it actually created a generation of nits who played tight and relied on rakeback to make profits.
Unibet bucked this trend by focusing on quality low-stakes games, protecting casual players from regs, and offering recreational-friendly promotions. Recent years have proven that Unibet’s vision is a success.
Return to the Glory Days
Henrik Tjärnström, CEO of the Kindred Group, recently ran a webcast to discuss Unibet’s latest quarterly results. He said that online poker is closing in on its “glory days,” which lasted from 2003 until 2011.
An internet poker boom doesn’t necessarily seem right around the corner. As long as COVID-19 persists, though, then the latest uptick should continue.
Online poker has especially benefited from the lack of sports betting. Most sports leagues have shut down or are running under unusual circumstances amid the pandemic.
Through a recent report, the Kindred Group noted that poker has helped them greatly in the absence of sports betting. This dynamic is especially true with Unibet’s US-based operations.
“Our US business continues to develop very strongly,” Kindred notes, “despite the loss of offline revenues and the disruption to sports. Gross winnings revenue amounted to £6 million for the second quarter, an increase of 131% from the first quarter.”
What to Expect From Unibet Poker Moving Forward
Internet poker isn’t going to sit in the spotlight forever. Eventually, sports will return to full capacity across the globe. Land-based casinos and bookmakers will also be back to normal as well.
For now, though, online poker has proven resilient in light of the virus. It has served as a nice replacement for the types of gambling that are currently sidelined or limited.
Therefore, Unibet Poker should remain quite successful in the near future. It could even retain a fair amount of this renewed interest moving forward.
After all, new poker players coming to Unibet will still have an account there once COVID-19 finally slows. Some of those who’ve returned to the game will also likely continue playing at Unibet off and on.
Online poker is indeed experiencing something similar to its glory days. Again, this blissful period won’t remain the status quo forever. However, it’s definitely good for Unibet Poker and other sites.
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