There is big news brewing in the online gambling market, as Amaya Gaming prepares to purchase Rational Group, the parent company of Poker Stars. Amaya has made a number of acquisitions lately, including Cryptologic and OnGame, and Poker Stars will further position Amaya to become a leader in the online gambling market.
Amaya states that the acquisition will create the world’s largest online gaming company to be traded publically. Rational Group’s two brands, Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker, have over 85 million players combined. So, Amaya will be tapping into one of the largest pool of online poker players. The deal will apply to all aspects of Poker Stars’ business.
As such, Amaya will not only own the online gaming sectors of Poker Stars; it will also deal with live poker tournaments and television programs. Poker Stars hosts an empire of poker events and media in the online and land-based worlds, and Amaya will have access to all of it.
“This is a transformative acquisition for Amaya, strengthening our core B2B operations with a consumer online powerhouse that creates a scalable global platform for growth,” says Amaya CEO David Baazov. Amaya’s acquisition could also be a positive step towards getting Poker Stars back into the American gambling market.
On Black Friday in April 2011, Poker Stars was reprimanded by the American Department of Justice for operating illegally in the country. Since Amaya is based in North America and has a clean record in the United States, Poker Stars may be able to find its way back into the country eventually. "The values and integrity which have shaped this company are deeply ingrained in its DNA.
David Baazov has a strong vision for the future of the Rational Group which will lead the company to new height,” says Mark Scheinberg, Founder of Rational Group.
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