On Friday to close out the work week, PokerStars, the largest online poker site in the world, announced that it has officially launched the online sports book BetStars“in select jurisdictions on the domains Betstars.com, Betstars.eu, and Betstars.uk.” The site has also launched iOS and Android apps.

In the first half of 2016, BetStars is planning an “external customer acquisition campaign… As part of this marketing campaign, BetStars intends to introduce an innovative new betting product on the platform which will distinguish the brand from competitors.”

Rafi Ashkenazi, CEO of Rational Group, commented in a press release on Friday, “We’re very excited about the launch of the BetStars brand and expect it to be one of the most talked about sports betting sites in 2016 as it continues to evolve with new products and features that we believe will set us apart as a betting brand for the true sports fan. We’re applying the same dedication and passion we have for poker to sports betting, and intend to create an authentic, world-class offering. The BetStars brand will build on this passion and provide a safe, trustworthy and, most importantly, exciting environment for sports fans.”

The BetStars brand is initially launching with betting options on 25+ sports including football and e-sports. It’s also offering betting on poker, although no options to do so were available when we checked in.

As we said, BetStars is only available right now in select jurisdictions like the UK. By the end of 2016, it’s expected to be available to half of PokerStars’ user base. The same press release added, “BetStars will also offer its customers a seamless experience between sports betting, casino, and poker, with a single wallet for all three services.”

The first sports bets were taken within the PokerStars platform earlier this year and the company had originally anticipated rolling out sports betting worldwide by the end of 2015.

When sports betting was discussed at the end of 2014, Eric Hollreiser, Head of Corporate Communications for PokerStars, commented, “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.”

PokerStars’ poker brand has been in hot water with players recently for cutting benefits for high-stakes and high-volume players. A three-day strike was held at the beginning of December with mixed results.

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