32Red Prepares to Withdraw from Italy, Urges Transfer to Unibet

Kindred Group’s 32Red brand will exit Italy effective November 30, a new message sent to consumers revealed. Kindred has urged players to transfer to the brand’s sister website, Unibet.it.

32Red Bows out of Italy But Sister Brand Remains

Despite choosing to withdraw the 32Red brand from the Italian market, Kindred Group is nowhere near giving up on the country, the company has reassured.

A message sent to 32Red.it users confirmed that the casino will stop working on November 30, but Kindred will continue to bolster its presence in Italy with Unibet, a sports betting and gambling brand, still going on at full throttle.

Unibet operates both a sportsbook and iGaming products in Italy. In the message, the company said that it would regrettably need to suspend its iconic 32Red website and withdraw from the market.

Albeit a difficult choice to make, Kindred is adapting to new market realities and optimizing its portfolio as the group sees fit. The message provided details on remaining bonus funds waiting to be claimed, with the deadline set to November 22.

Kindred reminded players to empty their cash balances by November 29. 32Red players were also invited to join Unibet.it, the company’s sister brand, as per the message. Nothing suggests Kindred would consider withdrawing from the market either.

Italy’s Market Attracts Stakeholders Despite Difficulties

Italy’s predisposition towards gambling has been actively evolving since the Five Star Movement Beppe Grillo became involved with the government, delivering on a promise to eradicate, or at least drastically reduce gambling in Italy. Earlier this year, the government introduced a new turnover tax on all verticals.

On January 1, 2019, Italy introduced a blanket ban on all forms of gambling advertising, making it one of the most drastic restrictions against the industry in Europe.

In light of current events, Italy has been quick to act, and the government introduced a lockdown on October 26, extending the measure to casinos, bingos, gyms, and other entertainment venues effective until November 24.  

Interestingly, the restrictive measures in 2019 didn’t damage the Italian gambling market too badly, which remained vibrant and drove a high sports betting handle in 2019, according to the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM).