PokerStars launched daily fantasy sports site StarsDraft last week after its parent company Amaya bought the second tier DFS site, Victiv, earlier this year.
As part of the StarsDraft launch, Amaya has pulled its new DFS services from the Canadian market as well as in the state of Michigan.
The launch marks the first time that PokerStars has offered real money gaming in the US since Black Friday. Unlike online poker which is only regulated in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware, real money daily fantasy sports is considered legal in the majority of the US. For more than a year, PokerStars has been waiting for approval to re-enter into the regulated New Jersey market.
Players that do not yet have an account at StarsDraft can sign up and start playing right away.
StarsDraft will sit behind DFS giants DraftKings and FanDuel both in terms of size and liquidity. The StarsDraft website has been redesigned in the highly recognizable PokerStars brand colors of Red and Black.
Most changes to the site at this stage seem to be superficial, with the lobby and the contests the same as when it was run by Victiv. Players who had accounts can log in with their same Victiv usernames and passwords, and their account balances and loyalty statuses remain unchanged.
Withdrawal from Canada & Michigan
What comes as a surprise to many is the chosen withdrawal of StarsDraft out of the Canadian market and in the state of Michigan. No new deposits will be accepted from players in these states effective immediately, but players can continue to access their accounts, enter contests, and withdrawal their balances for the next 120 days. By January 1, all accounts in Michigan and Canada will be closed. Players are advised to withdraw all funds by this date.
