PokerStars to Add More Slots to its Gambling Mix

Amaya Inc has announced that it will be adding a number of new games to its online product range on PokerStars and Full Tilt, none of which are poker related. According to a press release, Amaya Inc and edict eGaming now have a content agreement in place in which Amaya will be able to access the Merkur slot machine games exclusively provided by the German based software developer.
The Gauselmann Group, which owns edict as well as a number of land-based casino in Germany, is expected to help improve the online betting experience of the poker rooms’ customers. Commenting on the deal, Amaya’s director of casinos, Sam Hobcraft, explained:
“This will make the casino experience at PokerStars and Full Tilt even more exciting, and helps us to deliver on our commitment to offer a wide variety of high quality, fun and thrilling games.”
While the news will be positively welcomed by fans of online slot games, it is likely to be less favorably greeted by those players who would prefer to see PokerStars and Full Tilt remain faithful to their poker roots. Nevertheless,  gambling operator these days cannot afford to just provide poker games in a contracting market, and so in addition to introducing a recreational-based model for its poker players, Amaya has also been adding casino and sports betting options to its gambling mix for some time now.
According to its latest financial figures, Amaya’s revenues totalled C$1.37 billion in 2015, up by 8% compared to the previous year. From that tally, 75% was derived from online poker, while an estimated 21% came from its online casino and sportsbook. As former Amaya CEO David Baazov explained at the time:
“Throughout 2015 we successfully executed on our strategy of diversifying our operations while maintaining market dominance in poker.. through investments and initiatives that will continue through 2016, have laid the foundation for becoming a leader across multiple gaming verticals.”