Releasing a statement on Monday, Amaya Inc confirmed that its daily fantasy sports operator StarsDraft would limit its real-money player services to four “favourable” states.
In light of the ongoing federal investigation into US daily fantasy sports (DFS) market and operators, Amaya Inc governance has decided to scale back its StarsDraft operations. The Canadian operator will now only service real money DFS services in the states of New Jersey Massachusetts, Kansas and Maryland.
The company had been touted as a potential major player in the DFS market, following its August acquisition of DFS portal Victiv.
Amaya governance had stated at the start of 2015, that its PokerStars subsidiary would be entering the US DFS market ahead of the start of Septembers NFL Season.
Detailing its decision to limit StarsDraft services, Amaya issued the following statement
“We have previously called for state regulation and licensing of DFS to ensure consumer protection and strict government oversight of operators. Prior to the launch of StarsDraft and based on a thorough review of the regulatory environment at the time, Amaya decided not to launch StarsDraft in jurisdictions where many of our competitors continue to operate today, including Michigan.”
“We recently withdrew from Florida and Nevada, where last week the respected Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) determined that DFS operators in that State are required to obtain a gaming license from the NGCB. Amaya supports the decision by the NGCB, and believes that it is prudent to limit the StarsDraft offering until such time as more states adopt a clear stance on daily fantasy sports.”
“We will actively monitor developments and work with all states interested in implementing clear guidelines for the operation of daily fantasy sports in their jurisdiction. In the meantime, StarsDraft intends to focus operations in states with favorable existing daily fantasy sports guidance, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Kansas and Maryland.”