Unikrn has announced a partnership with MGM Resorts International to bring live competitive gaming and esports tournaments to the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Beginning in 2018, Unikrn will host tournaments on Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm to 10pm. Each tournament will offer prizes including both cash and UnikoinGold tokens, amongst others, as well as ‘exclusive experiences’ at select MGM Resorts properties. It’s not been specified which games will be chosen so we hope and expect that they’ll chop and change week to week.
Unikrn has been involved in the esports betting space for some time now, and not too long ago it acquired LEET.gg, an esports tournament organiser which has primarily focused on the casino space.
LEVEL UP, was opened in December 2016 and is located between Hakkasan Nightclub and the MGM Grand Race & Sportsbook; and it’s here that Unikrn’s tournaments will be held.
Rahul Sood, Unikrn CEO, commented: “There’s never been a partnership quite like this fusion, and we’re pumped to be in the center of it.
“Traditional entertainment destinations have a lot of room to grow in appealing to esports and gaming fans, and MGM Resorts International is leading the way, with Unikrn, by bringing regular esports tournaments to LEVEL UP — this is thrilling.”
Lovell Walker, Executive Director of Interactive Gaming Development for MGM Resorts International, noted: “LEVEL UP was designed to attract both the next generation of players and current players seeking innovation, making this partnership with Unikrn a great fit within the space. With our commitment to the future of esports and increased focus on enhancing our guests’ entertainment experience, we know Unikrn will be a tremendous partner.”
This news comes after a slightly concerning recent announcement for Unikrn that its partner Tabcorp has moved to shutter Luxbet, the licensing partner for real money wagering of Unikrn in regions such as the UK and Australia. Sood has since told TEO however that the company knew this was coming for some time, and that they had prepared “well in advance”.
Esports Insider says: This is big news for Unikrn’s events arm and it’s positive to see more regular esports tournaments being hosted in the heart of Las Vegas. As this is a partnership with MGM Resorts too we can expect that this’ll mean more tournaments at other MG venues going forward.
