Stars Group pledges ‘premier’ sports betting in New Jersey

The Stars Group has launched its BetStars sports wagering brand in New Jersey and pledged to leverage its acquisition of Sky Betting & Gaming to establish the service as a “premier product” in the US state.

BetStars goes live through the company’s partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel (pictured), which also covers Stars’ existing online poker and casino offerings available via PokerStarsNJ and PokerStarsCasinoNJ.

Stars will initially offer BetStars on mobile, with the brand set to compete with other mobile sportsbooks in New Jersey run by Borgata, DraftKings, FanDuel, PlaySugarHouse and William Hill.

BetStars will operate on Stars’ proprietary technology and player account management platform, which will provide customers with a single account with various online and mobile depositing and withdrawal options.

Punters can place pre-match and in-game wagers via the BetStars platform and will also have the option to cash out of their bet.

Matt Primeaux, Stars’ senior vice-president of strategy and operations for the US, said: “We have successfully launched BetStars in regulated markets across Europe and look forward to expanding and enhancing our New Jersey BetStars offering, including through leveraging the Sky Betting & Gaming acquisition following approval from the UK Competition and Markets Authority, to provide a premier product and experience to our customers in this new and developing market.”

In July, Stars confirmed it had completed its acquisition of Sky Betting & Gaming in a deal worth $4.7bn (£3.58bn/€4.02bn).

Stars has this year also finalised a deal to purchase CrownBet and William Hill Australia as part of its wider growth plans. 

Last month, Stars cited its merger and acquisition strategy as a key driver behind year-on-year financial growth in the second quarter. Sales rocketed by 35% to €412m and earnings before interest and deductions improved by 15% to $168m.

Image: B64 (Andy Borysowski)