Microgaming teams up with eSports betting giant Unikrn in landmark content deal

For some time now, Microgaming has been expanding its reach by striking deals with partners to provide content for them, either in an exclusive, or non-exclusive arrangement. In doing so, the company has expanded the amount of games on offer to its customers at its wide reach of casinos around the world.

However, a deal struck on Monday July 13 could well be the first of its kind for both the Isle of Man developer and Unikrn, the company that they have agreed this landmark deal with.

Unikrn are an eSports betting service that allows customers to bet on a wide range of popular eSports titles including League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO), Overwatch and many more. However, the new agreement will see Microgaming given access to Unikrn's Virtual eSports Betting service, Unikrn Virtual.

This means that Microgaming customers will now not only be able to play Virtual Sports betting content from Inspired, that the company agreed a deal with not so long ago, but they will also be able to place bets on the bespoke content available as part of the unique Unikrn Virtual service.

What is Unikrn Virtual?

Unikrn Virtual is a Virtual eSports betting service that has been designed by Unikrn to remove issues with scheduling and the like, which meant that at certain times of the day, there were not as many events for eSports bettors to engage with.

Using bespoke content, which features some of the top eSports players in the world across a range of popular eSports games, the Unikrn Virtual service follows the same kind of structure as a standard Virtual Sports betting service where players place their bets and then a Virtual eSports match takes place, with a random number generator used to predict the outcome.

The product is the first of its kind in the burgeoning eSports industry and as the Unikrn COO Andrew Vouris pointed out: "Unikrn Virtual is the solution to the single-most foundational issue facing bookmakers today. Even in the fast world of eSports, content gaps can wreak havoc on bettor engagement. For bettors who want engaging, 24/7 options, Unikrn Virtual is the only option."

"Raises the Bar of Entertainment"

Speaking about the deal, Microgaming's Commercial Director Leon Thomas commented:

"Microgaming has a rich history of product innovation and development, and we are constantly exploring new avenues to deliver unique content that raises the bar of entertainment. Unikrn has a strong reputation for delivering innovative eSports gaming experiences that capture the attention of players around the world, and we firmly believe the addition of their eSports product will allow us to bring something special to the market."

In response, the co-founder of Unikrn, Rahul Sood observed:

"When I left my position as CEO of Microsoft Ventures, it was to create something unprecedented. Unikrn Virtual is a never-ending well of exclusive content that will change the betting landscape. With our Microgaming partnership, I'm excited to access Microgaming's network and global reach."

Why have Microgaming moved into eSports?

Given that Microgaming are extraordinarily busy with their casino gaming development program, which has seen a steady release of brand-new slots, so why have the company made the move to diversify into what appears to be a niche market such as eSports betting?

Well, part of the reason may be the fact that since May 2019, the UK Gambling Commission have reported that the Gross Gambling Yield from eSports betting has increased from just over £50,000 in the UK, to over £4.6 million. An increase of over 2,600%. There is no doubt about it, eSports betting is increasing rapidly in breadth, scale and popularity across Microgaming's target markets.

However, the product that Microgaming have struck the deal for is much more in line with their casino gaming ethos, than traditional sports betting. In the same way that Microgaming will now carry Virtual Sports games to customers through the deal struck with Inspired Entertainment a few weeks back, so the deal with Unikrn will allow punters to place bets on Virtual eSports.

This is a very different proposition to genuine eSports betting. Virtual eSports are the eSports equivalent of Virtual Sports betting, run using algorithms and random number selections, as opposed to professional players or teams battling it out. As has already been stated many times before, Virtual Sports (and eSports) because of this random factor are much more akin to a slot game or casino game, than they are to real life sports (or eSports) betting.

In whatever way you want to look at the move, it makes perfect sense for the company to move into the market now, as interest in eSports in the UK and indeed, all over the world, is increasing rapidly and a larger number of punters than ever are now engaging with eSports betting of some form.

I don't understand much about eSports, what is it?

If you are not familiar with eSports then they are relatively easy to understand. They are computer games that can be played either by single players, or teams of more than one player, against other human competitors. There are, of course, many different types of computer games but there are a number that have thrived within the eSports sphere.

This includes first person shooter games like Call of Duty, Overwatch and CS:GO, as well as Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games, such as League of Legends and Dota 2. Other games that have proven popular include combat games such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, sports simulations such as FIFA, NBA2K and Madden (American Football) and strategy games, such as StarCraft 2.

At the highest level of eSports now, professional players play in top level competitions against each other for vast amounts of prize money. The industry is well-regulated, and many sports betting sites have been offering eSports betting for many years now, as well as bespoke sites like Unikrn being founded specifically for the needs of eSports betting.

You bet on eSports as you would on any other sport. You look at the markets available, pick your selection and place your bet. Unikrn Virtual is simply the Virtual Sports version of that.

Diversification

The move is the latest from Microgaming in what appears to be a conscious and deliberate attempt at further diversification of the products that the company offers to its customers. Over the last three years or so, we have seen the company move away from producing almost all its content in-house, to working with a number of studios to produce, initially, slots and casino games for the company.

Then we saw Microgaming strike deals to carry content on a non-exclusive basis with other providers and we have also seen them now move into the world of "virtuals" with two deals in the past few weeks.

It clearly seems to be a move from the Isle of Man-based company to ensure that whatever the tastes and fashions of casino players, the company is well set in the future to meet those needs in whatever shape or form they take.