Unibet Sportsbook is finally launching in Indiana.
The Hoosier State’s eighth online sportsbook will open its digital doors on July 30. Its arrival marks the first new Indiana sports betting app since Caesars Sportsbook launched back in May.
A launch months in the making
Unibet has been working on coming to Indiana for a handful of months. It received its temporary vendor license back in May, which was the first step in the process of launching in the state. Since then, it’s been hard at work to get ready for lift off.
The Indiana Gaming Commission gave Unibet the all clear on July 28, so now there’s nothing standing between the sportsbook and its Indiana launch.
The company is based in Europe, but it still has plenty of experience with US gamblers.
Indiana will be Unibet’s third state in the US, after New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
In both of those other states, Unibet has its hands in the online casino side of the business. Online casinos aren’t allowed yet in Indiana, but the company will certainly be looking to move into that space if it’s ever legalized in the Hoosier State.
Unibet partners with Horseshoe Hammond
Unibet is getting its market access through Caesars Entertainment.
The sportsbook is partnered up with Horseshoe Hammond Casino, which Caesars owns and operates. Even though Caesars has nothing to do with operating Unibet, the sportsbook still needed the company’s help.
Indiana doesn’t allow standalone online betting websites. They have to be tethered to a brick and mortar casino. Unibet partnering with Caesars gets the sportsbook within that legal requirement.
Caesars’ betting app is already partners with Horseshoe Hammond, so Unibet will be the new kid on the block. Unibet may be working with Caesars for now, but that relationship may already be ending soon.
Caesars recently finalized its massive merger with Eldorado. However, that merger came with some conditions. The Indiana Gaming Commission is forcing Caesars to sell three casinos in Indiana. The company plans on Horseshoe Hammond being one of those three.
The company has until December 31, 2020 to sell each property, so Unibet will only be Caesars-adjacent until then.
Summer of sportsbooks for Indiana?
Unibet probably won’t be the only betting site launching in Indiana this summer.
For example, theScore Bet is also right on the horizon. The sportsbook landed its temporary license back in May. It also just cleared another big launch hurdle just a few weeks ago.
In addition to satisfying the legal requirements for coming online in Indiana, theScore Bet has been busy putting together new deals with major sports leagues. All of that will put the company in a prime spot to compete right away after it launches.
However, things might not be stopping with theScore Bet. William Hill and BetIndiana could also be coming in the next few weeks.
BetIndiana is partnering with Majestic Star Casino for its land-based needs. It received its temporary license back in January, but hasn’t been able to come to market yet.
William Hill has been in the pipeline for even longer. Tropicana Evansville’s partner received its license back on August 13, 2019. That was just a few days after heavyweights DraftKings and FanDuel got theirs.
It’s understandable that it would take BetIndiana some extra time, since compared to William Hill, it’s a much smaller company. On the other hand, William Hill’s absence from Indiana’s market is strange.
Regardless, both are overdue for their launches in Indiana. Between theScore Bet, BetIndiana and William Hill, Hoosiers could have a slew of new betting apps to choose from by the end of the summer.
