Unikrn.com
Year established: 2014
Mobile compatible: Yes
Jurisdiction: Isle of Man
Overall rating: C
Recommended: For recreational players
Unikrn eSports Review
Unikrn pride and promote themselves as being the world’s leading esports only bookmaker. The company is originally based in Seattle and maintains an office there, but is headquartered in Las Vegas, with further offices in both Berlin and Sydney.
It was first founded in 2014 and has come a long way in a short time. It has a real money option and is licensed in the Isle of Man and via Luxbet for certain regions including Australia and the UK. It also includes a virtual coins option with what it calls Unikoins.
Rahul Sood is the company CEO, and co founder alongside Karl Flores. Sood is a vocal supporter of regulated esports betting and is very much the face of the company. He has brought on celebrity backing and investors including the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Mark Cuban.
Unikrn is very much involved in the cryptocurrency space too and raised a reported $30m via an ICO for its token; UnikoinGold. This Ethereum based coin has since been listed on a number of exchanges including Bittrex
Unikrn is also involved in Las Vegas and casinos, it acquired Leet.GG, a casino esports tournament operator, and in a hugely noteworthy move it signed a partnership with MGM Resorts International to host regular tournaments in sin city.
The bookmaker is big on social media, especially as it seeks to be more than just a betting platform but a more general esports fan platform; one reason why it includes news stories about goings on in key titles and the esports ecosystem more widely. Unikrn is on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch.
Unikrn is also a member of the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC) which seeks to uphold esports integrity across competitions. The US firm also signed a partnership with Genius Sports in October 2017, and French bookmaker RBP in the same month. Around this time it also acquired a Maltese licence as it looks to expand its offering evermore globally.
Betting Markets
Unikrn is an esports only bookmaker and so is catered purely to this audience. It offers markets on the following titles: League of Legends, Dota 2, CS:GO, Overwatch, Rocket League, StarCraft 2, Call of Duty, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, FIFA and World of Tanks.
Live Betting
Esports betting is very much focused on live betting, and Unikrn is well versed in in-play wagers. The esportsbook on the Unikrn site is well and clearly organised title by title, and fans and would be-bettors can watch a number of live streams directly in one place.
Bettors can continue to place wagers whilst watching since selected options appear on the right hand side in the pending bets section. In short it’s nicely designed for esports fans, and the only concern is that as more exclusive deals are penned in esports the amount of live content users can watch directly on Unikrn may lessen.
Usability of the Site
The site is designed with the esports fan in mind, that is, typically one that expects a lot in terms of functionality, and user experience. The Unikrn homepage is broken down into four main categories; these are the Esportsbook, My Bets, Esports News and Unikrn TV.
Users can choose to bet with real money (in certain regions) and with Unikoins. The Esports News section is particularly impressive, it’s smartly displayed, inviting and there’s a huge amount of content across titles. Whether you’re a fan of CS:GO or Dota 2 you’re covered. Unikrn TV has ample content too, and you can see what’s live, what’s upcoming and previous broadcasts quickly and easily.
Customer experience is a key part of Unikrn’s focus too, and in addition to multiple contact options, the site offers the Connekt option. This allows users to earn UnikoinGold and UnikoinSilver by ‘connekting’ their gaming accounts and simply playing games. CS:GO, Dota and League earn players UKG whilst Rocket League earns them UKS, these can then be used to enter raffles with the hope of winning loot and other prizes.
The platform is easy to navigate, it’s simple and it’s intuitive. The mobile offering is strong too.
Conclusion
Unikrn seeks to be the leading esports only bookmaker, and it certainly knows how to cater to its audience. A range of titles and markets coupled with a sleek design and a live offering with streams and plentiful content, there’s a reason Unikrn is the name people most often discuss when it comes to esports betting. They’re setting the bar high and with partnerships such as those with ESIC and Genius, they look likely to continue to go from strength to strength.
Advantages:
- One of the first primary eSportsbooks;
- Is the eSports partner of Tabcorp, one of the largest and most reputable gaming companies in the world;
- Large selection of markets and betting options;
- Unique and innovative approach to eSports betting;
- Offers real money betting on many games/eSports events;
- Offers Live streaming;
- Great community, very intuitive interface;
- Can win skins and prizes without risking real money;
- UnikoinGold cryptocurrency provides unique functionality.
Disadvantages:
- Still new, some features yet to come;
- Limited strictly to eSports betting;
- Real money wagering in only 3 countries;
- Available only in English;
- Limited deposit and withdrawal options.
Payments:
Visa/Mastercard, Unikoin
*Keep in mind to double check information. Be prepared for changes to restricted countries, bonuses, currencies, deposit and payment options, languages, contact info.
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