Amaya to merge PokerStars, Full Tilt liquidity pools

Amaya has announced that it is to merge its PokerStars and Full Tilt platforms within the next few months.

In a statement confirming the move, Amaya said the platform migration would enable its development and technology teams to focus on one platform rather than two.

Amaya noted that although it still views Full Tilt as a “profitable poker room”, the brand’s market share has been in decline since is relaunch in 2012.

Full Tilt will retain its original brand, with the continuation of player avatars and rewards, but customers of the service will be contacted directly and given more information about the pending changes.

Once the migration has taken place, players will have a single account that can be used to play on the shared platform through PokerStars or Full Tilt software.

Rafi Ashkenazi, chief executive of Rational Group, the Amaya-owned operator of both brands, said: “Players will benefit from a larger pool of players offering greater game choice, bigger prize pools.

“It will also make us more nimble as we can focus our technological innovation on one platform, rather than two, so we will be able to innovate more quickly and enter newly-regulating and existing markets swiftly.”

Full Tilt players will gain access to the PokerStars VIP Club rewards programme, but the brand will continue to offer ‘The Deal’ that features a jackpot that regularly surpasses $100,000 (€89,500).

Full Tilt Casino will also be included in the migration process and be subject to the same automated account change-over process, although web casino, video poker, baccarat and double-ball roulette will initially not be available, but may be added at a later date.

Amaya also noted that the migration will result in the elimination of a number of roles at its site in Dublin, Ireland.

Staff who are at-risk have been notified and the company is in the final stages of a formal consultation process to determine the extent of the redundancies and expects to conclude that process in coming months.

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