$2.3 Million in Additional Shares Acquired by Amaya CEO

Amaya CEO David Baazov has purchased an additional 110,000 shares in his online gaming company for a total of $2.3 million.

In Canada gambling news, Baazov bought the additional shares on the open market. The Amaya CEO was not alone in his purchase, as Amaya executives Marlon Goldstein and Rafi Ashkenazi had also recently chosen to increase their shareholding.

Executive vice-president, corporate development, and general counsel Goldstein purchased an aggregate of 47,460 common shares worth approximately $1 million together with Ashkenazi, who is the chief executive officer of PokerStars and Full Tilt businesses. A statement by Amaya confirms that both their and Baazov’s acquisitions occurred between November 12 and 18.

Amaya CEO and fellow executives purchased shares following news of company financial growth

The multi-million dollar purchases made by the online gambling sites in Canada executives and Amaya CEO follow recent news that Amaya has been experiencing significant year-on-year financial growth. This year, revenue for Amaya had increased 8% to $324.7 million; adjusted earnings had increased 8% to $141.7 million; and net earnings had increased 13% to $90.5 million.

At the time that the results had been made public, Baazov had said that they represented further delivered value for Amaya shareholders, making it little wonder that the Amaya CEO and his fellow executives had jumped on the chance to acquire more shares.


Its great financial numbers are not the only good news for Amaya: It was also named 'Poker Operator of the Year' at the eGaming Review awards on November 24. The eGaming Review awards are among the most prestigious events in the eGaming industry, and attract more than 700 industry professionals from leading online gaming firms worldwide to celebrate operational excellence and commercial success.

Says Eric Hollreiser, VP of Corporate Communications for Amaya, of the honour: "Winning the 'Poker Operator of the Year' award is a strong endorsement of our poker offering and a testament to the engaged and passionate PokerStars employees who dedicated themselves to delivering a high-quality, safe, and secure online poker experience. We’re working hard to grow and build poker to ensure that we earn this award every year."