Kindred Exits Poland Shortly After Graj Legalnie Scrutiny

Kindred Group, a prominent gaming company, has announced its exit from Poland. The company recently discontinued its casino and poker operations in the country and is now putting an end to its sports betting business there too.

Kindred to End Its Business in Poland

Kindred Group, which operates the Unibet brand in Poland, pulled back its casino, poker and bingo operations from the country in October this year. However, the company was still accused of operating sports betting despite lacking a license in the country. Graj Legalnie, an association that opposes offshore gaming in Poland, claimed that Kindred’s unlawful operation is depriving the Polish State Treasury of millions of zloty.

In addition, Kindred’s recent takeover agreement with La Française des Jeux (FDJ) outlined that the merged group would only operate in regulated jurisdictions. The company confirmed this as the reason for its departure from Poland, affirming its commitment to respecting the agreement and stopping its .com operations.

Kindred contacted its Unibet players in Poland, notifying them of the cessation of service. The company clarified that players’ accounts will remain open, allowing them to withdraw their funds. However, all sports wagers were settled as of November 25. Unsettled sports bets were voided, allowing bettors to take their money back.

Kindred also noted that Unibet’s players must withdraw their funds by December 30 at the latest.

FDJ Acquired Kindred in a Historic Deal

Kindred’s acquisition by FDJ was officially closed in October, following months of regulatory setbacks. The size of the two companies had caused monopoly-related concerns among regulators, who believed that the union would command a significant market share.

Because of that, the French Competition Authority only allowed the deal to proceed on the condition that FDJ’s lottery business and Kindred’s gaming business are kept separate and do not channel players toward one another.  

The deal marked a new era for Kindred, necessitating big changes, such as its exit from unregulated markets, the end of its .com business and a reshuffled leadership team. The company introduced major changes to its board of directors, welcoming new members and parting ways with old ones.

Later that month, FDJ initiated a squeeze-out to complete its takeover of Kindred and solidify its ownership of the gambling group.