GGRAsia – Amaya starts Nasdaq trading, eyes expansion

Amaya starts Nasdaq trading, eyes expansion

Jun 09, 2015 Newsdesk Industry Talk, Latest News, World

Amaya Inc, the owner of online gambling brands PokerStars and Full Tilt, started trading on Nasdaq on Monday after getting exchange approval. The stock, under the symbol “AYA”, closed at US$25.99 on Monday.

The company’s common shares will continue trading in Canadian dollars on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the firm said.

Canada-based Amaya sought a Nasdaq listing to broaden its shareholder base outside its home market, the firm said in previous statements.

The company confirmed last month that it had teamed with sports wagering group GVC Holdings Plc to buy London-listed online gambling company Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc.

Amaya announced in June last year it was acquiring PokerStars in a US$4.9 billion leveraged deal.

According to previous press releases, the online poker platforms PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker are some of the world’s most popular and profitable online poker brands with more than 85 million registered players on desktop and mobile devices.

In May, PokerStars announced that Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo would promote the online poker brand in global marketing campaigns.