PokerStars launches casino games in Italy

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Players can now enjoy all the thrill of roulette and blackjack on PokerStars.it, an Amaya brand. Players will be able to enjoy both play money and real money casino games at PokerStars in Italy with the same level of support, integrity, trust and innovation they receive at the poker tables.

In true PokerStars fashion, multi-player social experiences will be at the forefront of the games on offer, with players able to play, chat and interact with other players. This will be particularly relevant in Blackjack, where one player's decisions can affect results for the whole table.

Players are able to choose their favourite casino games in the PokerStars software: a 'Casino' tab is now available to players, and the casino games all share the same wallet as poker games, with no need to transfer funds. The 'Casino Games' tab offers a number of different blackjack and roulette versions. This includes blackjack variants, including classic blackjack, Atlantic City blackjack, European blackjack and double deck blackjack.

"The launch of casino games on PokerStars allows players to enjoy the convenience of playing poker and casino in one place," said Sam Hobcraft, director of casino for PokerStars and Full Tilt. "Our games are fun, safe and we are using our global experience to offer fun games for Italian players."

Outside Italy, the launch of casino games has had a negligible impact on the overall PokerStars poker community and PokerStars anticipates that over time, offering casino games will help PokerStars attract more recreational players to the poker tables. When PokerStars.es launched casino games in Spain, Spanish players flocked to casino games, and PokerStars rapidly acquired double-digit market share in casino games.

The blackjack and roulette games will start on PokerStars.it with a minimum bet of €0.10, with higher stakes also now available on PokerStars.