TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - The Stars Group
Inc.'s World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), a major annual
online poker tournament series hosted by its PokerStars brand,
ended earlier this week with a prize pool guarantee that surpassed
expectations and paid out a WCOOP record $90.6 million, the second-largest ever online
poker series.
The 2017 WCOOP total series prize pool exceeded its advertised
guarantee of $60 million and grew
16.5% year-over-year, up from $77.8
million last year. It was only surpassed by this year's
PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker, which paid out more
than $93 million.
"We are executing on our plans to bring the excitement of live
events online while rewarding players of all levels," said Rafi
Ashkenazi, Chief Executive Officer of The Stars Group "We're very
pleased to see the reaction at this year's WCOOP with over 107,000
players taking part, of which over 10% were WCOOP first time
players and have only had an online account with us for less than a
year."
The scope of tournaments had buy-ins ranging from $11 to $25,000 and spanned 164 total events
across 25 days. Featuring industry-leading prize guarantees, WCOOP
attracted over 107,000 players from more than 130 countries
resulting in approximately 677,000 total tournament entries. WCOOP
also set a series record for entries in a single tournament of
nearly 20,000 and individual players in a single tournament of
nearly 19,000. The series included a $5,200 buy-in WCOOP Main Event tournament with
the winner taking home $1.6 million
from a $10.9 million tournament prize
pool. For the first time, WCOOP also introduced a low stakes series
this year, with buy-ins ranging from $11 to
$530, and a total prize pool of approximately $19.5 million, as compared to the advertised
$11 million prize pool guarantee.
As part of the 2017 WCOOP, PokerStars also offered more than
$1 million in promotions, giveaways
and prizes, and The Stars Group's Helping Hands corporate giving
program donated all fees from one of its high roller tournaments,
along with a $50,000 match, totalling
over $120,000 to Raising for
Effective Giving, a European-based charity that promotes the idea
of effective giving and providing donation advice to enable people
to give to the causes that best reduce the greatest sources of
suffering in the world.
About The Stars Group
The Stars Group Inc. (Nasdaq: TSG; TSX: TSGI) is a leading provider
of technology-based products and services in the global gaming and
interactive entertainment industries. Through its Stars Interactive
online gaming division, The Stars Group ultimately owns gaming and
related consumer businesses and brands, including PokerStars,
PokerStars Casino, BetStars, Full Tilt, StarsDraft, and the
PokerStars Championship, PokerStars Festival and PokerStars
MEGASTACK live poker tour brands (incorporating aspects of the
European Poker Tour, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Latin American
Poker Tour and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour). These brands together
have more than 113 million registered customers globally and
collectively form the largest poker business in the world,
comprising online poker games and tournaments, sponsored live poker
competitions, marketing arrangements for branded poker rooms in
popular casinos in major cities around the world, and poker
programming and content created for television and online
audiences. The Stars Group, through certain of these brands, also
offers non-poker gaming products, including casino, sportsbook and
daily fantasy sports. The Stars Group, through certain of its
subsidiaries, is licensed or approved to offer, or offers under
third party licenses or approvals, its products and services in
various jurisdictions throughout the world, including in
Europe, both within and outside of
the European Union, the Americas and elsewhere. In particular,
PokerStars is the world's most licensed online gaming brand,
holding licenses or related operating approvals in 17
jurisdictions.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements and
Other Information
This news release may contain
forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of
applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements can, but may
not always, be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate",
"plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend",
"could", "might", "would", "should", "believe", and similar
references to future periods or the negatives of these words and
expressions. These statements are based on management's current
expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties,
and assumptions. There can be no assurance that actual results will
not differ materially from those expressed or implied in
forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on
forward-looking statements. Please refer to The Stars Group's
most recent annual information form, annual and interim financial
statements and management's discussion and analysis for more
information about the factors, assumptions and risks that may apply
to The Star's Group's forward-looking statements. Each
forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date hereof, and
The Stars Group undertakes no obligation to correct or update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable
law.
SOURCE The Stars Group Inc.