PokerStars announces sports-betting brand launch

rStars, owned by Amaya Gaming, has launched its new sports-betting brand.

BetStars will initially be available in select jurisdictions on the domains Betstars.com, Betstars.eu and Betstars.uk, as well as on dedicated iOS and Android applications.

The announcement represents the next stage in the development of Pokerstars’ new sportsbook offering, which will continue to be rolled out during 2016.

The launch of BetStars will be supported by a marketing campaign in the first half of next year.

Initially offering over 25 sports, including football, tennis and basketball, the BetStars brand will also carry eSports and poker.

PokerStars had initially planned to launch a sports-betting offering in the first quarter of 2015.

According to Amaya CEO David Baazov, the delay was undertaken in order to “enhance the consumer product experience and complete the product offering.”

Rafi Ashkeni, CEO of Rational Group, said: “We are 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.”