Betstars online sports betting in New Jersey

The Stars Group announced today that it launched its Betstars online sports betting brand in the regulated New Jersey online gaming market through its partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel. Betstars, which is initially available through mobile, provides New Jersey customers with an innovative and robust mobile-led sportsbook alongside The Stars Group’s existing online poker and casino offerings available through PokerStars and PokerStars New Jersey.

“We are excited to introduce BetStars to New Jersey sports fans,” said Matt Primeaux, SVP Strategy & Operations, USA at The Stars Group. “As one of the largest online gaming companies in the world with millions of customers worldwide, we have successfully launched BetStars in regulated markets across Europe and look forward to expanding and enhancing our New Jersey BetStars offering, including through leveraging the Sky Betting & Gaming acquisition following approval from the UK Competition and Markets Authority, to provide a premier product and experience to our customers in this new and developing market.”

BetStars operates on The Stars Group’s proprietary technology and player account management platform, providing customers in New Jersey with a single account, common wallet, various online and mobile depositing and withdrawal options, and a seamless online betting experience along with The Stars Group’s popular online poker and casino products.

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BetStars to run betting markets on PokerStars Ambassadors winning PSPC Platinum Passes

BetStars will be running an array of exciting new markets on the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC), which kicks off in the Bahamas in January 2019. A further six Platinum Passes will be awarded at EPT Monte Carlo (24 April – 4 May), five during the live event and one via the webstream, presented by PokerStars own Hartigan and Stapes, so it’s well worth those interested in attending the poker event of a lifetime tuning in.

Confirmed ambassadors attending EPT Monte Carlo are:

Igor Kurganov — 14/1
Randy Lew — 28/1
Jake Cody — 20/1
Celina Lin — 33/1
Victor Ramdin — 25/1
Lex Veldhuis — 40/1
Liv Boeree — 25/1
Fatima Moreira de Melo — 40/1
Andre Akkari — 28/1

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BetStars launches in the Czech Republic

Online betting site BetStars, the sports brand of The Stars Group, has become the first international sports betting operator to launch in the Czech Republic.

BetStars.cz is available across desktop, web and mobile devices on both iOS and Android to players in the Czech Republic. Under the provisions of its license, which was granted by the Czech State Supervision of Gambling and Lotteries last month, players on BetStars.cz will enjoy access to a range of more than 20 sports and specialist betting options.

"It is a great honor to be the first international sports betting operator to launch in the Czech Republic," said Zeno Ossko, Managing Director of BetStars. "The BetStars team have worked very hard to make this a successful launch, and we hope customers in the Czech Republic will enjoy the range of betting options available."

The BetStars.cz launch follows on from The Stars Group flagship brand, PokerStars.cz, becoming the first online poker and casino operator to be licensed in the Czech Republic in January.

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Snooker legend signs as ambassador for PokerStars, BetStars

Seven-time snooker World Champion Stephen Hendry has teamed up with PokerStars.com and BetStars, Amaya Inc. brands, to rule both the snooker and poker tables.

The snooker great is being supported by PokerStars and online sports betting site BetStars and will make his first official appearance at PokerStars Festival Marbella from 19-25 June. He will also take part in his first online freeroll on 28 May at 15:00 ET joining PokerStars Team Pro Jake Cody and Marcin Horecki, and Team PokerStars Online Lex Veldhuis.

Players who knock out the snooker icon or any Team PokerStars member in the PokerStars Festival Marbella Freeroll will receive a Main Event seat and €400 expenses. The overall winner of the freeroll will win a Main Event seat, a seven night hotel stay and €350 expenses. Players who come in second to ninth place will win a €27 online satellite ticket. Running at the same time is the $215 Marbella Mega Satellite with 15 packages guaranteed. Players should keep an eye on Hendry and the Team Pro social media channels over the weekend for updates and details of how to register for the tournament.

He has played against poker enthusiasts from around the world in the Main Event at PokerStars Festival London in January and also showcased his poker prowess by winning the media event at the festival beating a host of journalists and PokerStars Pros Felipe Ramos, Liv Boeree and Jake Cody. BetStars placed various special odds on Hendry at the festival and at the Super Star Online World Seniors Championship snooker tournament in March, where BetStars sponsored Hendry

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Snooker legend now 147/1 to win PokerStars Festival London

Following an epic win at the PokerStars Festival London Media Event on Thursday night beating Team PokerStars Pro Felipe Ramos heads up, seven-time snooker World Champion Stephen Hendry is now priced at 147/1 with BetStars, PokerStars.com' online betting site, to become the Festival's Main Event champion.

BetStars is also offering the snooker icon at 7/4 to make it to Day Two of the £990 buy-in Main Event, and 20/1 to finish in the final ten players. Hendry, who said he was happy with his new odds which are priced at the maximum snooker break of 147, is currently playing in the third of three starting days (day 1C) against poker players from across the globe at The Hippodrome Casino London, sponsored by PokerStars, an Amaya Inc. brand.

His big win against journalists, fellow sport star Darius Knight and Team PokerStars Pros Liv Boeree, Jake Cody and Felipe Ramos at the Media Event gave him plenty of practice and a good frame of mind heading into the Main Event today, which has a guaranteed £400,000 prize pool.

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Betstars opens betting market for Team PokerStars Pros in SCOOP

The 2016 Spring Championship of Online Poker begins in three days, and for the first time poker players and fans will be able to root for and bet on their favorite Team Pros, as PokerStars.com, an Amaya Inc. brand, has introduced a dedicated SCOOP 2016 Team PokerStars Leaderboard, with Betstars offering odds on the winner.

In addition to wagers that people can make on Betstars, Jason Mercier and George Danzer have made a $10,000 heads-up bet between themselves on who will finish higher on the SCOOP 2016 Team PokerStars Leaderboard.

More than 30 Team PokerStars Pros will take part in SCOOP 2016, pitting their poker wits and tournament strategies against each other in a battle to be named number one Team PokerStars Pro for SCOOP 2016. The leaderboard will be posted on the PokerStars Blog – http://psta.rs/1W9OHUw – and updated at regular intervals, with revised odds on Betstars as the series progresses.

Any Team PokerStars member (incorporating Team PokerStars Pro and Team PokerStars Pro Online) who plays an event will be included, and the current favorite to take the title is Jason Mercier, who was SCOOP 2015 Player of the Year. The four-time SCOOP winner, who won three events last year, is 5/1 (6.0) to win the Team PokerStars Leaderboard, and is determined to retain his SCOOP Player of the Year title, too.

"Last year was amazing, winning the three titles and Player of the Year. I really love SCOOP!" Mercier said. "I'll play as many events as I can and whether it's a $200 event or a $20,000 one, I'm always focused on finishing first. The addition of the Team PokerStars leaderboard, the $10k side bet with George, and earning bragging rights over some of my best poker friends, will be an extra incentive to take the top spot."

George Danzer, who also has four SCOOP titles and the most cashes of any player in SCOOP history with 148 (40 more than fellow Team Pro Marcin "Goral" Horecki in second), will be vying to come top of the Team PokerStars Leaderboard, too.

"I've had some great success in SCOOP and was so close to being the Player of the Series a couple of years ago, so I'll be trying my best to go one better this time," Danzer said. "The extra spice and competition that the Team PokerStars Leaderboard, my side bet with Jason, and the betting maket adds, will make for an exciting couple of weeks."

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PokerStars launches BetStars brand

PokerStars, an Amaya Inc. brand, announced Friday its new sports betting brand, BetStars. BetStars will initially be available in select jurisdictions on the domains Betstars.com, Betstars.eu and Betstars.uk, and on dedicated iOS and Android applications. This is the next stage of development of PokerStars' new sportsbook offering, which will continue to be rolled out during 2016.

BetStars will be supported by the launch of an external customer acquisition campaign in the first half of 2016. As part of this marketing campaign, BetStars intends to introduce an innovative new betting product on the platform which will distinguish the brand from competitors.

"We're very excited about the launch of the BetStars brand, and expect it to be one of the most talked about sports betting sites in 2016 as it continues to evolve with new products and features that we believe will set us apart as a betting brand for the true sports fan," said Rafi Ashkenazi, CEO of Rational Group. "We're applying the same dedication and passion we have for poker to sports betting, and intend to create an authentic, world-class offering. The BetStars brand will build on this passion and provide a safe, trustworthy and, most importantly, exciting environment for sports fans."

BetStars will initially offer a range of betting options across more than 25 sports, including football, tennis and basketball, as well as specialty offerings such as eSports and poker. More sports, including horse racing, are intended to be added throughout 2016. The brand will also feature a range of in-play betting options and exclusive offers and promotions that sports bettors expect from a world-class online sportsbook. PokerStars anticipates the brand will expand into additional key jurisdictions throughout 2016, extending its reach to approximately half of PokerStars' unique active poker customers.

BetStars will also offer its customers a seamless experience between sports betting, casino and poker, with a single wallet for all three services.

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