Oddschecker to Headline New Stars Group Affiliate Business

Oddschecker is to merge with iBus Media to create a new superpower affiliate business. The new company will be rebranded Oddschecker Global Media and headed by current Oddschecker Managing Director Toby Bentall taking the role of CEO. 

In late 2017 it was confirmed that PokerNews parent company iBus Media was majority owned by The Stars Group which led to the poker media questioning just how biased was their reporting. This was, of course, denied but people were not really convinced. Control the media; control the people!

This merger may or may not be significant. In April 2018 The Stars Group acquired Sky Betting and Gaming, who had previously bought out Oddschecker back in 2007. Does this mean that they are going to expand their affiliate intentions? It is unclear at this time, but what we do know is that PokerStars’ market share has remained stable for many years, while competing sites have come and gone. Is the Stars Group making plans to take control of the remaining 25-30% of the online market by signing up affiliate players to rival sites with the intention of eventually buying them out?

Maybe they have just accepted that PokerStars is unlikely to ever increases its share by much in the future and are just cashing in more heavily on the affiliate market. With Oddschecker now involved in this new project they may be aiming more at the sports betting market, and taking their eye off the online poker scene ever more increasingly.