It's Official: Sports Betting from Poker Stars Coming

The time is at hand for PokerStars: owner Amaya has announced that the iGaming provider giant will launch its first sports betting platform by April's conclusion.

Amaya Takes the Lead

Amaya CEO David Baazov went public with the news that "with the continuing trend of online gaming regulation around the world, the company has in front of itself an enormous opportunity to leverage its brand recognition and customer loyalty to diversify into other gaming verticals as casino, sports betting and social gaming."

The sports betting platform will follow PokerStars prevailing successful strategy of gradually rolling out new offerings to the international PokerStars 7 client base through which PokerStars provides poker tables as an iGaming market leader.

Gradual but Strategically Prompt Rollout

Amaya further indicated that the sports betting platform will be available on a progressively expanding basis to its international client base as well as its web and mobile versions over the course of the coming year.

PokerStars' expansion into sports betting has been anticipated since Amaya's $4.9 billion purchase of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker’s parent company The Rational Group, days after which Amaya initially announced its sports betting expansion plans.

Casino games on PokerStars 7 is the first step in a more complex strategy which looks to be fully implemented towards the end of 2015, with Amaya expected to have its mobile casino platform operating at full capacity as part of a broader marketing strategy trumpeting the diversification of a comprehensive set of iGaming products and services., according to Amaya.

Expanding Amaya Unphased By Controversy

Amaya's launch of casino games constituted something of an image conflict, leading to some minor controversy when two-time European Poker Tour (EPT) champion Victoria Coren-Mitchell ended her sponsorship contract with the poker room; nonetheless, Amaya remains satisfied with results of the move characterized as "above expectations."

For example, in Spain where the casino games were first introduced, Amaya estimates that despite no significant or directed marketing campaigns, PokerStars has achieved a double-digit market share.

In other words, the world is ready for PokerStars expansion; the question is how quickly Amaya will reach its full customer base.