Rational Group, the owners and administrators of both PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, intend to expand into other online gambling options beyond just poker. The firm announced last summer that Full Tilt Poker would be remade into a fully operational online casino complete with slots, blackjack, and roulette in addition to the online poker rooms.
But Rational Group says the remake will not stop there, with plans to open a licensed sportsbook under the Full Tilt brand. If the sportsbook is added to the domain, Full Tilt will become the first platform under the Rational Group umbrella that offers a complete package of online gambling options.
The plans are not set in stone, but a spokesperson from the Rational Group confirmed the firm is “exploring opportunities to enter global sports betting markets to enhance our online gaming offerings.”
The company is currently looking for a supplier of online sportsbetting technology, with the goal of launching the Full Tilt online sportsbook by 2015. Rational Group feels the complete Full Tilt casino will be a positive complement to PokerStars, which will retain its sole status as an online poker room. Players can easily transfer between the two sites, and that option is expected to remain intact with the new Full Tilt casino.
Prior to the Black Friday poker scandal, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were the top rated online poker destinations on the web. PokerStars has come out of the scandal as strong as ever, retaining its status as the most visited online poker room. But success has struggled to return to Full Tilt Poker, and Rational Group believes remaking the brand will help bring back lost players.
Will a casino and sportsbook be the successful additions to bring players back to Full Tilt Poker?
