Amaya granted U.K. license for PokerStars, Full Tilt, B2B business

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Amaya Inc. announced today that it has received licenses from the UK Gambling Commission for PokerStars.com and Full Tilt to operate online poker and other gaming within the United Kingdom. Since late 2014, the brands had been operating under temporary continuation licenses. Previously, they were white-listed under their Isle of Man gaming licenses. Amaya’s B2B online casino business has also received licenses to continue supplying UK-facing online gaming operators with online gaming content and technology.

“We are very pleased to receive operating licenses in the UK, which is a large and growing market for us,” said Eric Hollreiser, Head of Corporate Communications for Amaya and PokerStars. “We continue to build upon PokerStars’ leadership in poker in the UK and intend to leverage our scale and expertise to become market leaders in casino and sports betting.”

The issuance of the UK gaming licenses follows a thorough review including, but not limited to:

Financial stability and history
Corporate and business unit management structure
Technology
Game integrity
Payment processing and security
Anti-crime and anti-money laundering protections
Responsible gaming policies and practices
Regulatory approach to various geographic operations
The UK Gambling Commission has introduced a rating system for player fund protection. PokerStars and Full Tilt have voluntarily applied the very highest standards of player fund protection whereby UK player funds are held separately by a trustee, consistent with the approach PokerStars pioneered on the Isle of Man.

“We believe the UK licenses illustrate the strength of our platforms, our regulatory approach, and our commitment to integrity, security, and consumer protection,” Hollreiser said. “PokerStars and Full Tilt now hold licenses from a dozen European jurisdictions.”

Rational Group was recently recognized for its stringent and ethical responsible gaming policies by being awarded the ‘Socially Responsible Operator of the Year Online’.