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Eagles Partner Unibet Officially Launches in Pennsylvania
By Kyle Scott
Published:
Unibet, an official Eagles partner, has officially launched its sports betting app in Pennsylvania today, making it the seventh online sportsbook in the state.
A popular and well-known European brand, Unibet will enter a hotly contested market in Pennsylvania where localized dominant US brands like DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and FOX Bet are already present.
Unibet successfully completed its three-day test with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and will be available for betting on NFL games this weekend.
[INSERT_ELEMENTOR id=”100770″]Launching prior to Sunday was likely a big focus for Unibet.
The Stockholm-based company struck an official partnership deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, which includes signage in the stadium and branding on Eagles social media accounts. And with all eyes being on The Linc this Sunday at 4:25 when the Eagles kickoff against the Patriots, Unibet will certainly benefit from having its app available in the state.
So what will separate Unibet from the pack and how will they compete in Pennsylvania?
Here’s a few quick items to consider.
Unibet uses the popular Kambi betting platform used by DraftKings and SugarHouse Sportsbook. While the former adds a layer of its own UI features and custom bets, the latter mostly skins Kambi’s offering and shows it to customers.
Unibet looks like it will do the same. In fact, anyone who has played SugarHouse Sportsbook, or its sister site BetRivers, will instantly recognize what they see from Unibet. But they’ll find a more polished and aesthetically pleasing version of those other books.
Using its famous green color scheme, Unibet manages to look and feel more modern than some other apps. While there are no frills to the interface, everything is clearly labeled and laid out, which makes finding bets easy.
And there are no shortage of them.
Kambi is well-known for the vast markets it offers and instantly-updating live betting options.
New players with Unibet will also get a fairly aggressive signup bonus. You can get two free $10 bets upon registration with no deposit (so that’s an easy way to check out the app) and your first bet is risk-free up to $250.
But will this be enough to get players to play with Unibet in Pennsylvania?
Unibet suffers from the same wrinkle that SugarHouse does in that it does not offer an iOS app out of the box and, rather, requires players on iPhones and iPads to download a third-party geo-location tool to play through the mobile web on those devices. There is a standard desktop website and direct download Android app, but with the majority of online bets being placed on Apple devices, according to recent reports, any sportsbook launching without that capability is instantly at a disadvantage.
Marketing the app against household US brands will be difficult. However, Unibet, in striking a partnership with the Eagles, instantly gets its brand in front of the most desirable fan base in the state, and that may enable them to better compete.
Whatever the case, there is no reason for new players not to check it out seeing as they will get two free $10 bets when they sign up here.
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.