Amaya readies for NFL season with fantasy sports betting acquisition

Online gaming company Amaya is bolstering its entry into fantasy sports betting by acquiring U.S.-based Victiv for an undisclosed price.

The daily betting site launched last September will be rebranded StarsDraft and be ready for the upcoming NFL season and offer a venue for league soccer play in Europe.

The site will allow players to build a roster of their favorite sports stars and compete for money. It currently offers payouts up to $15,000.

StarsDraft will initially be launched in select U.S. markets and later added through Amaya's PokerStars platform.

Amaya has been testing its own sports betting activities, but is moving slowly because the North American market is small with less than $100 million in industry revenues last year.

CEO David Baazov says Thursday that Amaya chose Victiv after examining the technology of 12 different companies.