BetStars to Augment PokerStars Betting Brand

December 20th, 2015 | by Kaycee James

PokerStars expands its sports betting platform by announcing the launch of BetStars. (Image: PokerStars.com)

PokerStars’ foray into the world of sports betting took another step forward this week after the operator confirmed the launch of a new subsidiary brand known as BetStars.

Earlier in 2015 PokerStars added to its poker and casino provisions by integrating a sports betting platform into its main poker client.

Although met with a certain amount of trepidation by some, the move appears to have been a successful one as BetStars will now offer betting markets for more than 25 major sports, as well as a host of new features unique to the new platform.

Sports Betting a Growing Part of PokerStars

In fact, according to the recent press release, BetStars (which launched in certain jurisdictions earlier this week) will roll out across more territories in 2016 and will offer an “innovative betting product” that will help the company distinguish itself from its competitors; however, exactly what that means hasn’t been made clear at this stage.

For existing players, BetStars will now be visible under the “Bet” tab within the main poker client; however, for new customers specifically looking for sports betting, BetStars will be available via a separate online platform as well as mobile apps for iOS and Android users.

Fortunately, to facilitate an easy transition between sports betting, poker and casino, BetStars will offer a single wallet which means there could be an increase in poker traffic in the coming months.

PokerStars has already stated that it will be launching a marketing campaign in the first half of 2016 that will target external players.

BetStars Could Benefit Poker Players

This should mean an influx of sports betting fans that will join BetStars and then, potentially, migrate to PokerStars to compete in cash games and tournaments.

Although sports bettors aren’t always inclined to grind long hours at the poker table, it’s certainly a potential benefit certain members of the community have already picked up on.

“I think the good thing is that sports bettors will punt around their winnings in poker games instead of vice versa,” wrote Uhrenknecht on 2+2.

The evolution of PokerStars’ sports betting interests has been clear throughout 2015. In addition to rolling out a series of betting options, the operator also enlisted the services of soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.

Despite being recruited to represent the poker brand, there is clearly potential for these to celebrities to be used to help push the new BetStars brand in 2016.