Now here’s a headline we didn’t expect to write over the weekend. According to a report on CalvinAyre, “An agreement is in place that would see Amaya Gaming assume ownership of the Isle of Man-based online poker colossus [PokerStars], thereby clearing the way for the Stars brand to return to regulated US markets.”

Whether Amaya could acquire PokerStars from a financial standpoint wasn’t clear. As CalvinAyre pointed out, the latter appears to have a far greater value than the former: “Amaya’s market cap was hovering around $500 million. Stars is privately held and thus its total value can only be guessed at, but its asking price would presumably be seriously out of Amaya’s budget. That is, unless some kind of reverse takeover is being planned, in which Amaya – which is already licensed to operate in New Jersey – would become Stars’ new corporate face.” Discuss the news in this PocketFives thread.

PokerStars is the largest cash game site by a factor of 10, according to PokerScout, and has regular seven-figure prize pool tournaments despite no longer taking US players. Moreover, PokerStars’ settlement with the US Department of Justicethat saw it acquire the assets of its longtime rival, Full Tilt Poker, weighed in at three-quarters of a billion dollars, which the same report noted was greater than Amaya’s total market cap.

PokerStars is facing plenty of hurdles to reenter the US market after being bucked from it on Black Friday, including a two-year license review suspension in New Jerseyand a potential “bad actor” clause in California and other states. Being absorbed or otherwise collaborating with another company, depending on the state, could provide a means to reenter the market.

Amaya operates the Ongame Network and its stock is traded in Toronto under the symbol “AYA”. On Friday, its stock closed up $1.15 to settle at $10.25 per share, a 12% spike. CalvinAyre added, “Friday’s trading volume [was] nearly five times the daily average over the preceding three months.”

You’ll recall that late last year, former COO of Tokwiro Enterprises Paul Leggett resurfaced at Amaya as the company’s Head of Online. Tokwiro owned and operated the now defunct Absolute Poker and UB, whose US and non-US players have not been paid back after the two sites entered liquidation and went offline. Leggett reportedly left Amaya last November.

E-mails sent from PocketFives to PokerStars and Amaya for reaction to the CalvinAyre story were not returned as of press time. We’ll keep you posted on the latest.

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