Amaya to Launch BetStars Sportsbook

Amaya, parent company of PokerStars, has purchased multiple domain names in preparation of the launch of the independent online BetStars sportsbook.

In big gambling news, Amaya has been acquiring domain names such as BetStars.com, BetStars.eu, BetStars.co.uk, and BetStars.net behind the scenes these past few months in preparation of the launch of the new BetStars Sportsbook. This builds on the news of its launch of casino gaming and sportsbooks on its popular PokerStars sites in select jurisdictions.

According to figures from GamblingInvest.com, Amaya purchased the domain name BetStars.eu for USD 2,177, BetStars.de for USD 1,995, and most recently BetStars.net for USD 10,000. BetStars.com was sold to Amaya by WilsonBet for an undisclosed amount, and it is rumoured that Amaya paid WilsonBet to close down its website and relinquish its name.

Release of BetStars sportsbook aligns with B2C expansion

News of the upcoming release of the BetStars sportsbook is in line with the announcements from Amaya CEO David Baazov of his intentions to expand the company’s B2C sportsbook and casino operations, in addition to its American poker rooms. Last week Baazov spoke of “opportunities in the near future with our upcoming launch in New Jersey, the expansion of our casino and sports-betting businesses and our mission to grow the poker category.”

In further news from Amaya, the gaming giant has recently purchased the daily fantasy sports website Victiv, which it has since rebranded as StarsDraft. This procurement is part of Amaya’s mission to build a wider, more powerful array of B2C brands, a mission that it’s been working on since its acquisition of PokerStars back in 2014. The company has also been receiving some backlash for the changes it’s made to its PokerStars VIP program, with certain sections of the online poker community believing that PokerStars’ simplifying of the VIP program and encouraging of recreational players is a cash grab to increase profits.