PokerStars Rolls the Dice with New Casino Venture

PokerStars will become a complete online gaming portal in 2015, according to a recent press release that confirmed that casino games would be the first products launched.

With wagering limits starting at just $0.10 per bet, PokerStars will first add blackjack and roulette to its platform before releasing additional options in 2015. Commenting on the recent announcement, PokerStars' Head of Corporate Communications, Eric Hollreiser, said:

"We are taking the same principles, practices and integrity that make PokerStars such a successful and beloved brand and applying them to new verticals. These new products will also support the development of poker and grow the overall business."

The decision to ultimately offer casino games (and sports betting in time) was promoted by the following reasons:

• 30% of PokerStars.ES poker players (a site that already offers casino games) had stated that they engage in casino games on a monthly basis.

• 50% of Full Tilt players claim they only play casino games on Full Tilt.

• Recent analysis of casino gaming on its Spanish axis has shown PokerStars that dormant accounts have been reactivated because of these new options.

Some Added Extras

Alongside the news that PokerStars casino will go live on a market-by-market basis in the coming months, the operator also explained that a mobile casino web app will go live in 2015. Additionally, the new games will be an optional extra. Although PokerStars' platforms will all be updated to show the games by default, poker players that are keen to hide these options can do so via their account settings.

About PokerStars

PokerStars is known as the largest online poker site in the world, serving millions of customers across the globe since 2001. Since launching, the site has dealt more than 120 billion hands, more than any other online poker website.

PokerStars is a part of the Rational Group, which also owns poker brands such as Full Tilt and the European Poker Tour (EPT). In 2012, 2013 and 2014, Rational Group companies in the UK and Isle of Man won awards for being among the top places to work, including a ranking among the 25 Great Places to Work Institute's Best Workplaces.

The Rational Group and its subsidiaries are owned by Amaya Gaming, which is the largest online gaming operator in the industry.