Unibet to Exit New Jersey Casino Market by Q2 2024

This week, it was announced by the Kindred Group that the Unibet brand is leaving the New Jersey online casino market. The brand is being removed from the entire North American sector as the Malta-based company focuses on core markets and cost reduction initiatives.

Unibet will no longer offer sports betting and casino services in North America. New Jersey players will lose access to both options as part of the exit. The brand featured mobile and desktop gaming in the state.

Kindred Group has plans to fully remove services in North American markets by the second quarter of 2024. The company will remove around 300 jobs and will save over $50 million next year due to the cut. Kindred interim CEO Nils Anden stated that the cuts are necessary and decisive as they will put the company in a stronger position for long-term growth across locally regulated core markets.

Unibet Sportsbook and Casino in New Jersey operated with a license provided by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. The casino only supports Bet365 and Hard Rock Bet online services, with the brand removing services. Year to date, the skins under Hard Rock have generated over $54 million in the state.

Unibet Sportsbook also operates in Arizona, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The casino was also functioning in Pennsylvania. Each platform will now be removed in the coming year. It will be interesting to see if any other operator tries to obtain licensing in the available states, particularly NJ and PA.

With an opening for an online casino site, we may see a completely new brand try to take the spot of Unibet. It would certainly be interesting to see a new face in the market. The NJ market is already saturated, but new sites have launched and earned a piece of the proverbial pie despite the large number of operators in the state.

While the Garden State is losing a brand, a new one was launched quietly in November. The Jackpocket brand launched an online casino platform in November, with no news release or big grand opening. The brand is known for its lottery ticket services but is also now dabbling in casino gaming.

Currently, Jackpocket offers mobile lottery ticket sales in several states across the US. After obtaining approval from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the operator now features a mobile casino site in the Garden State.

Jackpocket has teamed up with Caesars Interactive Entertainment and Harrah’s Atlantic City to provide casino gaming to players. So far, the platform includes a solid collection of games, though the offering is smaller than that of other competitors.

There are under 200 titles on offer, with options for slot games, live dealers, and table games. You will find several recognizable titles on the site, including Divine Fortune, 88 Fortunes, and Cleopatra. Click on the info tab of each game to see a description and the RTP before playing.

With sites still launching in New Jersey after ten years of operations and dozens of operators in the market, who will be next? No announcements have been made regarding online casino providers for NJ, but you never know when a site will pop up. Some operators will open with major fanfare and announce their impending launch, while others, like Jackpocket, will keep things quiet.

We will continue to monitor local news and announce any details regarding the launch of a new iGaming site for the New Jersey market. There is still room with the exit of Unibet, and players are always welcoming of a new provider!