by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Apr 29, 2020 | Updated on Apr 29, 2020
All Unibet Poker live events for 2020 will now move online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
This means Unibet Poker will stop hosting land-based tournaments for the rest of the year.
With travel bans and movement restrictions still in effect across the globe, and with positive cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise, the decision from Unibet Poker does not come entirely as a surprise as people around the world are being encouraged to stay at home and stay safe!
Unibet’s head of events Nataly Sopacuapero said the health and safety of their players is their main priority during these difficult times. Sopacuapero said the decision to move all 2020 events online will also benefit the recreational players who will no longer need to make travel arrangements in order to play. Unibet Poker acknowledges the impact this would bring to their land-based partners, but right now, they cannot compromise on the health and wellbeing of its players.
As a result, all Unibet Open events scheduled for 2020 will now be held online. The first one, Unibet Open Tallinn, has already been confirmed to run on Unibet Poker’s online client, alongside the Unibet Online Series in May. The Fall and Winter editions of Unibet Open will also hit the virtual felts, though the final dates are not yet determined. Sopacuapero said this decision was thoroughly discussed before it was made.
Unibet Open For Suggestions
Unibet Poker will now work on bringing that unique level of fun and excitement associated with their live events to the online world. Head of Poker Kristoffer Bergvall has expressed confidence in their online client, saying it is better equipped than ever to accommodate their land-based players and fans.
Unibet Poker welcomes ideas and suggestions from the poker community on how to make their online events more fun and exciting. If you have ideas, you can directly get in touch with senior members of the team through the Unibet community forum.
In March, Unibet Poker confirmed that Unibet Open Tallinn will be held online and will be merged with the eighth edition of the Unibet Online Series. The combined online festival will take place from May 1 – 24, featuring €1,000,000 in guarantees, spread across 132 MTTs. The series will culminate in the €1,100 Unibet Open Main Event.
Unibet Poker is the first major brand to take a clear stance as far as holding poker festivals is concerned, in light of the pandemic. The 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has also been postponed, but organizers indicated the event could be held during the fall.
