OPERATOR REVIEW · 2026

PokerStars on FanDuel Review

PokerStars is the most recognizable brand in online poker, and in the United States it just went through the biggest change in its regulated history. On April 1, 2026, the standalone PokerStars sites in New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania were retired and relaunched as “PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel,” a single Flutter Entertainment platform that pools all three states together for the first time. This review separates the real-money poker product from FanDuel’s other verticals and gets specific about tournaments, cash-game traffic, software, bonuses and safety. For more options, see the wider guides to USA gambling sites at GamblingSitesUSA.

Published On:

July 31st, 2026

Peter Bailey

Peter Bailey

Revenue & Earnings, Banking, Sportsbook Analysis

Revenue & Earnings, Banking, Sportsbook Analysis

Published: July 31st, 2026
4.6/5
★★★★☆
Deepest game menu and richest series in regulated US poker
Overview

PokerStars on FanDuel at a Glance

If you played PokerStars NJ, PokerStars Michigan or PokerStars PA before spring 2026, almost everything about how you log in, deposit and earn rewards has changed, while the games themselves — the Championship of Online Poker series, the Sunday event, Zoom, Spin and Go — carry over in updated form. This is not a marketing tie-in or a co-branded skin. It is a full migration: a new client, a new account system, a new rewards program and one shared wallet across poker, sportsbook and casino.

The “PokerStars” you play in 2026 is a Flutter product wearing two logos. Your poker sessions still carry the PokerStars name and much of its look, but you register, deposit, withdraw and earn loyalty value inside FanDuel’s ecosystem. Below we verify exactly where it operates, who regulates it, and how the product stacks up against WSOP and BetMGM. One note on dates: the merger news broke in March 2026 and the US relaunch went live April 1, 2026, so any traffic figure, guarantee or promotion here is a snapshot that can change.

Verdict

Our Rating and Scorecard

Our Verdict on PokerStars on FanDuel

PokerStars remains the most storied brand in poker, and the 2026 relaunch finally unites NJ, MI and PA in one pool while pairing the deepest game menu and richest tournament series in regulated US poker with FanDuel’s scale. For tournament and variety players in the three legal states it is a top-tier choice worth playing today — just verify current bonus, rewards and software details in-client, because the product is still settling into its new skin.

The score below comes from our how we rate methodology. For regulated US poker we weight player-pool liquidity, tournament and series depth, software quality and game variety most heavily, because those are the things that decide whether the games actually run and whether you can win in them.

4.6/5
★★★★☆
Top-tier regulated room
Software & Multi-Tabling4.9
Tournaments & Series4.8
Game Variety4.8
Traffic & Liquidity4.2
Visit PokerStars21+. NJ, MI and PA only. Play responsibly.
Quick Facts

PokerStars on FanDuel Quick Facts

Brand
PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel (relaunched April 1, 2026)
Parent company
Flutter Entertainment plc (owns both PokerStars and FanDuel)
Live US states
New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania
Regulators
NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement, Michigan Gaming Control Board, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Player pool
Shared across NJ, MI and PA (single combined liquidity network)
Games
No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, PLO5, mixed games, Stud, Zoom fast-fold, Spin and Go, MTTs
Flagship series
State Championships of Online Poker (COOP), Sunday Million, MicroMillions, No Sweat Series
Welcome offer
100 percent deposit match up to $1,000 plus $30 in tournament tickets
Rewards program
Moved under FanDuel; the PokerStars Rewards chest program ended March 13, 2026, with unopened chests paid out in full cash
Software
PokerStars’ reference-grade multi-tabling software, delivered as a dedicated poker app and desktop site under FanDuel; web and mobile too
Account rule
No migration — every player, including existing PokerStars customers, had to open a new account; existing players need a FanDuel Casino account
Wallet
Single FanDuel wallet shared across poker, FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Casino
Ontario, Canada
Rolling out on the FanDuel platform later (ring-fenced, not shared with US)
The 2026 Story

PokerStars Is Now “Exclusively on FanDuel”

Here is the single most important fact for anyone searching “PokerStars US” in 2026: the standalone PokerStars poker rooms in New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania no longer exist as separate products. On March 3, 2026, Flutter Entertainment — the London- and New York-listed gaming group that already owned both PokerStars and FanDuel — announced that FanDuel would become the exclusive home of PokerStars across North America. The rollout moved fast.

Mar 13
The legacy Stars Rewards loyalty program was retired. Unopened rewards chests and progress were paid out in cash.
Apr 1
After Michigan Gaming Control Board approval, “PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel” launched in all three states at 8 a.m. ET on one combined network. PokerStars Casino progressive jackpots were removed with contributions distributed to players, and the standalone US casino was wound down.
Apr 30
Old PokerStars accounts remained accessible so players could see balances and transaction history, but a FanDuel account became required to sit at the new tables.
Later
PokerStars is also rolling out on the same FanDuel platform in Ontario, Canada, kept ring-fenced from the US pool.

The general manager of the combined poker product, Aaron Dugan, framed the logic bluntly: pairing “PokerStars’ industry-leading poker experience with FanDuel’s scale and reach” was meant to deliver bigger fields, larger prize pools and steadier traffic. In practical terms, the merger let Flutter finally put all three of its US poker states into one player pool — something PokerStars had resisted for Pennsylvania even after that state joined the interstate compact in April 2025. As late as May 2025 the company said it would not integrate Pennsylvania “in the short term”; the FanDuel deal is what finally resolved it.

One detail trips up returning players: there was no account migration. Every player — including existing PokerStars customers — had to create a brand-new account on the FanDuel platform, and existing PokerStars players need a FanDuel Casino account to play. Balances, screen names and reward progress were not simply carried across, so longtime users should confirm any prior balance with support.

No account carried over

Every player, including existing PokerStars customers, had to open a brand-new account, and existing players need a FanDuel Casino account. Legacy accounts stayed accessible through April 30, 2026 for balances and history only. Confirm any prior balance and screen-name status directly with support.

The Products

Separating PokerStars Poker From FanDuel’s Other Products

Because everything now sits under one FanDuel account and one wallet, it is easy to blur the products together. Keep them distinct.

  • PokerStars poker (the subject of this review): peer-to-peer real-money poker — cash games, tournaments, Spin and Go, Zoom. This is where you play other humans and the operator takes rake, not a house edge. It carries the PokerStars branding and tournament series.
  • FanDuel Sportsbook: fixed-odds and live sports betting. A separate product with its own promotions. Not covered here.
  • FanDuel Casino: house-banked slots and table games (real-money gambling against the house). The former PokerStars Casino in the US was folded into this. Not the same as the poker room.
  • FanDuel’s daily fantasy and other games: distinct products entirely.

The single wallet means a deposit can move between poker, sportsbook and casino, and some sign-up offers are cross-product. For poker specifically, focus on the poker welcome offer and the poker rewards program, both detailed later. When a promotion mentions “bonus spins” or a casino match, that is the casino side, not your poker rakeback.

Legality

Where PokerStars Is Legal and Who Regulates It

PokerStars real-money poker is legal and live in three US states as of 2026. Each is a separately licensed market with its own regulator, and PokerStars originally entered each through a local casino partner that provided market access.

StateRegulatorOriginal market-access partner
New JerseyNew Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE)Resorts Casino Hotel / Resorts Digital, Atlantic City
MichiganMichigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB)Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians / Odawa Casino, Petoskey
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB)Mount Airy Casino Resort, Mount Pocono

Under the FanDuel relaunch the product still operates within these state licenses, and FanDuel maintains its own regulated presence in each market as well. To play you must be physically inside one of the three states and at least 21 years old, verified by geolocation software every session and by identity checks at registration. You do not need to be a resident — a visitor physically located in New Jersey, Michigan or Pennsylvania can play. If you want the state-by-state legal picture, see our guides to New Jersey online poker, Michigan online poker and Pennsylvania online poker, plus our overview of whether online gambling is legal in the US.

No other US state currently offers legal PokerStars poker. Nevada, Delaware and West Virginia regulate online poker but PokerStars does not operate there. Executives have said publicly they hope to expand to additional states “in coming months,” but as of this writing NJ, MI and PA are the entire US footprint. Ignore any site claiming PokerStars is live elsewhere in the country.

History

PokerStars US Timeline: How It Got Here

PokerStars’ US regulated history stretches back a decade and explains why the FanDuel merger was such a milestone. The key dates:

2016
New Jersey launch. After years of regulatory review following the company’s post-Black Friday changes and its 2014 sale to Amaya, PokerStars went live in New Jersey through Resorts. It quickly became the state’s dominant online poker room.
2019
Pennsylvania launch. PokerStars became the first licensed online poker room to open in Pennsylvania, going live through Mount Airy shortly after the state’s regulated market opened.
2021
Michigan launch. PokerStars was again first to market, becoming the first online poker site to operate in Michigan, via the Odawa partnership.
2023
Michigan joins a shared pool. PokerStars became the first operator to use Michigan’s MSIGA membership, merging New Jersey and Michigan liquidity into one pool and roughly doubling its reach overnight.
2025
Pennsylvania joins MSIGA. The largest expansion in the agreement’s history. Rivals BetMGM and WSOP moved to add PA, but PokerStars initially held it out, saying as late as May 2025 it would not integrate “in the short term.”
2026
The FanDuel merger. Flutter announced the consolidation on March 3, retired the Rewards chest program and the standalone casino, and on April 1 relaunched all three states as PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel — finally uniting NJ, MI and PA in one pool.

So PokerStars was a first mover in every US market it entered, spent 2016 to 2023 building single-state and then two-state liquidity, and in 2026 collapsed everything into a single Flutter-owned tri-state network. It was an early adopter of shared US liquidity, though WSOP’s four-state network — the only one that includes Nevada — still spans one more state than PokerStars’ tri-state pool.

Ownership

From Black Friday to Flutter: The Ownership Chain

To understand why “PokerStars is now on FanDuel” is not as strange as it sounds, follow the ownership. PokerStars launched in 2001, built by the Scheinberg family, and grew into the largest online poker site in the world through the 2000s. That run in the US market ended on April 15, 2011 — “Black Friday” — when the US Department of Justice unsealed indictments and seized the .com domains of PokerStars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker, forcing them out of the US. PokerStars settled with the DOJ in 2012 (without admitting wrongdoing), acquired Full Tilt’s assets and repaid players, and positioned itself to re-enter the US through state regulation.

The corporate lineage then ran through three owners in a decade:

2014
Canadian company Amaya Gaming acquired PokerStars’ parent (the Rational Group) in a deal valued around $4.9 billion, clearing much of the Black Friday baggage and enabling US re-entry — New Jersey followed in 2016.
2017
Amaya rebranded as The Stars Group, expanding into sports betting and casino under the PokerStars, BetStars and Sky Betting brands.
2020
Flutter Entertainment — the group behind Paddy Power, Betfair and FanDuel — completed an all-stock combination with The Stars Group, bringing PokerStars and FanDuel under one roof.

Once Flutter owned both the dominant US sportsbook (FanDuel) and a legacy global poker brand (PokerStars), consolidating US poker onto the FanDuel platform was a matter of when, not if. The 2025 Pennsylvania compact entry and Flutter’s push for a single US account and wallet finally triggered it in 2026. The brand you play under two logos today is the end point of a fifteen-year journey from federal indictment to Fortune-scale ownership.

Liquidity

Shared Liquidity and MSIGA, Explained

Online poker in the US is regulated state by state, which historically meant a player in Michigan could only play against other Michigan players. The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) is the compact that lets member states combine their online poker pools so residents of different states can sit at the same tables. As of 2026 six states belong to MSIGA: Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Pennsylvania joined in April 2025.

PokerStars on FanDuel uses that framework to run one combined New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania pool. For you, shared liquidity means:

  • Bigger tournament fields and larger guarantees than any single state could support, because entrants from three states fund one prize pool.
  • More cash tables running at more stakes and more hours of the day, so mid-stakes and off-peak games actually go.
  • Steadier Spin and Go and Zoom pools, formats that only work with a critical mass of players.

Two caveats. First, Ontario players are on the same FanDuel software but are ring-fenced by Canadian regulation — they do not share the US pool. Second, funds and accounts are still state-bound at the wallet and licensing level even though the games are shared; you play within the state you are physically located in. The tables are national in feel, the license is local.

Tournaments

The COOP Series and the New Flagship Events

Tournaments are where PokerStars built its reputation, and the US product leans hard on the format. The centerpiece is the state Championship of Online Poker family — historically run as three parallel series and now increasingly synchronized across the combined pool.

Championship of Online Poker: NJCOOP, MICOOP, PACOOP

Each state has its own COOP flagship: the New Jersey Championship of Online Poker (NJCOOP), the Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP) and the Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP). These multi-week festivals stack dozens of events across every buy-in level and game type, topped by a Main Event. Concrete numbers from the 2021 editions show the scale even before the tri-state merger:

  • PACOOP: about $2 million guaranteed across 69 events, with a $300 Main Event carrying a $200,000 guarantee. The 2021 PACOOP Main drew 851 entries for a $238,230 prize pool.
  • MICOOP: about $1.5 million guaranteed across 68 events, $300 Main with a $150,000 guarantee. The Main pulled 632 entries and a $176,960 pool.
  • NJCOOP: about $1 million guaranteed across 60 events, $300 Main with a $100,000 guarantee. The 2021 series drew 10,536 combined entries and paid out roughly $1.1 million.
$2M
PACOOP guarantees, 69 events (2021)
$1.5M
MICOOP guarantees, 68 events (2021)
10,536
NJCOOP combined entries (2021)

With NJ, MI and PA now sharing liquidity, expect the COOP series to run with synchronized schedules and materially larger guarantees than any single-state edition ever posted, because one prize pool now draws from all three states at once. This is the biggest upside of the merger for tournament players.

The Sunday flagship and weekly majors

PokerStars’ Sunday Million tradition survives the rebrand. It launched in the merged US pool on April 12, 2026 as two separate Sunday Million tournaments — one at a $100 buy-in and one at $1,000 — each carrying a $500,000 guarantee, for a combined $1 million across the two. A weekly Sunday Special has long anchored the schedule with a mid-three-figure buy-in and a large guarantee, and the combined three-state pool makes those guarantees far easier to hit.

MicroMillions, launch series and overlays

For small-stakes players, MicroMillions is the low-buy-in series built around events costing cents to a few dollars, offering a shot at four- and five-figure scores without bankroll risk. The relaunch also brought a purpose-built kickoff festival, the No Sweat Series, carrying $150,000 in guarantees (exact dates and individual event guarantees are worth confirming in-client). The three state COOP festivals also continue, now feeding off the merged pool.

A telling detail from launch: several early tournaments overlaid, meaning the guarantee exceeded the money collected in buy-ins and FanDuel topped up the difference. Overlays are money in players’ pockets and a sign the operator is investing to build liquidity while the new pool matures.

Daily and weekly schedule

Beyond the festivals, the everyday tournament calendar is built to give every bankroll a reason to log in. Expect the familiar PokerStars structure of recurring branded events — low-buy-in “Nightly” tournaments, turbo and hyper-turbo variants, progressive knockout (bounty) events where part of each buy-in becomes a bounty on eliminating opponents, and deep-stack editions with slower blind levels. Freerolls run for new and loyal players. Satellites are a core part of the ecosystem: cheap qualifiers that award tickets into the Sunday flagship, COOP Main Events and the big festival tournaments, so a few dollars can turn into a seat worth hundreds. The combined tri-state pool is what makes this daily depth possible.

See the PokerStars ScheduleSeries guarantees and dates change — confirm in-client.
Traffic

Cash Games and Traffic: How Much Action There Is

Tournaments generate headlines, but cash games measure a room’s day-to-day health, and here the picture is honest rather than flattering. US regulated cash-game traffic contracted across the board in the mid-2020s. PokerStars’ own US cash-game base slid from roughly 4,000 to 4,500 concurrent players in late 2022 down to about 2,000 by mid-2025, tracking the broader decline. In the newly merged NJ + MI + PA pool, peak concurrent cash traffic has run in the neighborhood of 1,100 players at busy hours — a snapshot that should climb as the combined network settles and marketing ramps.

4,500
Peak US cash players, late 2022
2,000
US cash base by mid-2025
1,100
Peak merged-pool cash traffic

Where PokerStars sits in the pecking order: the US regulated market is split among four networks — WSOP (which shares liquidity across the most states and is the only network with Nevada), the PokerStars-on-FanDuel network, the BetMGM Poker network, and BetRivers (the only network in Delaware and West Virginia). WSOP, PokerStars and BetMGM take the largest shares, and no single operator dominates the way PokerStars once dominated New Jersey. For a sense of the competition, see our reviews of WSOP online poker and BetMGM Poker.

Practical cash-game notes:

  • Busiest stakes are micro to low No-Limit Hold’em, from $0.01/$0.02 up through the $0.25/$0.50 to $1/$2 range, where most tables run. Pot-Limit Omaha games populate reliably at low and mid stakes.
  • Peak hours are US evenings, roughly 7 p.m. to midnight Eastern, when all three states are active at once. The shared pool means more mid-stakes tables now go outside those hours than in the single-state era.
  • Higher stakes up to around $25/$50 are spread and mixed-game action runs from $0.25/$0.50 up to $100/$200, but expect those to be intermittent rather than around-the-clock.
Rake

Rake and Fees: What the Room Charges

A poker room makes money on rake (a small cut of each cash pot) and tournament fees, so the rake structure directly affects your win rate. PokerStars has historically used a percentage-with-cap model that is standard for US regulated sites, and understanding it matters more than any bonus headline:

  • Cash games: rake is taken as a percentage of each pot — typically around 5 percent — up to a fixed cap that scales down at higher stakes. Micro and low stakes carry the highest effective rake as a share of the pot, which is why low-stakes cash is the hardest place to beat the game. No-flop-no-drop applies, meaning hands that end before the flop are not raked.
  • Tournaments: the entry fee is separated from the prize-pool contribution and shown as a “+” figure — for example a $100 + $9 event puts $100 into the prizes and $9 to the house. Fee percentages are generally lower on higher buy-ins and on the big series events.
  • Spin and Go: these hyper-turbo sit-and-gos carry a built-in fee inside the buy-in; the trade-off is the jackpot multiplier that can turn a small entry into a large prize.
  • Zoom: raked like standard cash at the equivalent stake, but you play far more hands per hour, so total rake paid per session is higher even though the per-pot rate is the same.

The practical takeaway: your real cost of playing is rake, and the FanDuel-based poker rewards and welcome bonus are both effectively rakeback — money the room returns against the rake you generate. When comparing PokerStars to rivals, weigh the combination of rake plus rewards, not the sign-up offer alone.

Compare

How It Compares to WSOP and BetMGM

PokerStars on FanDuel competes against three other networks in a four-network US market. The quick comparison focuses on its two closest rivals for game breadth and series pedigree:

FactorPokerStars on FanDuelWSOPBetMGM Poker
Shared-pool statesNJ, MI, PANV, NJ, MI, PA (widest reach; only network with Nevada)NJ, MI, PA
Game varietyDeepest — Zoom, PLO5, Spin and Go, mixed games, StudCore formats plus fast-foldCore formats plus fast-fold and jackpot SNGs
Signature seriesState COOP, Sunday Million, MicroMillionsOnline bracelet events tied to the WSOPBetMGM Poker Championship and online series
Software edgeReference-grade multi-tabling client, now a dedicated FanDuel poker appEstablished multi-state clientPartypoker-based US client
Market positionTop tierTop tier; widest footprintTop tier

The honest read: WSOP wins on raw multi-state footprint and the prestige of online bracelets, BetMGM competes on brand and cross-product promotions, and PokerStars wins on game variety and tournament-series depth. A fourth network, BetRivers (PA, MI, DE, WV), competes on the lowest rake in the market and is the only regulated option in Delaware and West Virginia. No operator dominates. Choosing among them comes down to which states you can play in, which formats you prefer, and where your rewards value is highest.

Games

The Games Menu

PokerStars carries one of the deepest game menus in regulated US poker, and the FanDuel client retains the core of it, deploying formats as combined liquidity supports them.

NLHE

No-Limit Hold’em

The backbone, from $0.01/$0.02 micro cash to high stakes, plus the entire tournament schedule.

PLO

Pot-Limit Omaha

Four-card Omaha spread at low and mid stakes and featured across series.

PLO5

Five-Card PLO

The action-heavy five-card variant PokerStars helped popularize, available where traffic allows.

ZOOM

Zoom Poker

PokerStars’ signature fast-fold format — folding instantly moves you to a new table and a fresh hand against the next player in the pool. NLHE and PLO, historically up to NL/PLO200.

S&G

Spin and Go

Three-handed hyper-turbo sit-and-gos with a randomized prize multiplier, buy-ins from about $1 to $50, with a Spin and Goal jackpot advertising top prizes up to $1 million.

MIX

Mixed Games

Rotations and standalone tables of non-Hold’em variants, spread from $0.25/$0.50 up to high stakes during peak times and series.

STUD

Seven Card Stud & Limit

Part of the historic Stars menu and mixed-game rotations, available where demand supports them.

MTT

MTTs & Sit-and-Gos

A full daily schedule from freerolls and micro buy-ins up to high rollers, plus satellites feeding the flagship events.

The breadth is a genuine differentiator. WSOP and BetMGM cover the core formats, but PokerStars’ catalog of Zoom, PLO5, Spin and Go and mixed games gives variety-seeking and recreational players more ways to play than most rivals.

A closer look at Zoom and Spin and Go

Two formats deserve extra attention because they define the modern PokerStars experience. Zoom is fast-fold poker: instead of waiting for a hand to finish, folding whisks you to a brand-new table with a fresh hand against the next available player in the entire Zoom pool. The result is three to four times the hands per hour of a standard table, which suits players who want maximum volume and rewards tight, disciplined play. It only functions with a deep player pool, which is exactly why the merged tri-state liquidity matters.

Spin and Go is the lottery-style sit-and-go: three players, a small buy-in, and a prize multiplier randomly assigned before the first hand that can range from twice the buy-in up to a life-changing jackpot in rare cases. Hands are hyper-turbo with fast-rising blinds, so a match lasts minutes. The format is pure gamble-friendly entertainment, and PokerStars layers promotions like Spin and Goal on top with advertised top prizes reaching into seven figures. For recreational players, Spin and Go is the single fastest way to sample real-money poker with a capped downside and a huge ceiling.

Software

Software Review: Still the US Multi-Tabling Benchmark

Software is where the rebrand changed the least that matters. PokerStars’ client has long been regarded as the best in poker for stability, table controls and multi-tabling, and that reputation survived the move onto FanDuel — the software remains the reference point US grinders judge every rival against. The relaunch delivers it as a dedicated poker app and desktop site under the FanDuel umbrella, keeping the familiar PokerStars visual identity: table felt, card and deck designs, avatars and customization. The exact underlying platform detail has not been fully spelled out by the operator, so treat the technical plumbing as evolving, but the multi-tabling experience players relied on carried over rather than being thrown out.

Key software points as of the relaunch:

  • Multi-tabling and table tools. The client supports serious multi-tabling with the tiling, resizing, bet-sizing shortcuts, hotkeys and note-taking that PokerStars players expect. Customization of table backgrounds, deck designs, sounds and animations carries over.
  • Three ways to play: a downloadable desktop client, a browser-based web client, and native mobile apps sharing one account and wallet.
  • Tracking software. Whether third-party trackers such as PokerTracker or Hold’em Manager are permitted on the FanDuel platform is not something the operator has confirmed publicly, so serious players should verify current tracker policy in-client before building a session around one.

Verdict on software: PokerStars historically set the benchmark for client quality, and the rebranded product keeps the look and the feature depth that earned that reputation. As with any platform transition, expect ongoing polish in the first year — worth watching for bugs and missing features that get patched over time. Serious grinders should confirm current tracker compatibility before committing a big session load.

Mobile

Mobile App

PokerStars on FanDuel

Native iOS and Android apps, downloaded per state. Full real-money play — cash, MTTs, Spin and Go and fast-fold — on the same wallet as desktop, with geolocation every session.

PokerStars on FanDuel ships native apps for iOS and Android, downloaded per state through the app stores or the operator’s site. The mobile client supports the full real-money experience — cash games, tournaments, Spin and Go and fast-fold — with the same account and wallet as desktop, plus geolocation to confirm you are inside a legal state. Because Apple and Google restrict real-money gambling apps by region, you download the state-specific version, and the app checks your location every session before dealing you in.

Mobile is well suited to Spin and Go and single-tabling tournaments, where the touch interface, portrait-mode tables and quick-bet controls work smoothly on the go. Heavy multi-tablers and mixed-game players will still prefer the desktop client for screen real estate and table management — stacking six or more tables on a phone is impractical. Useful mobile touches carried over from PokerStars include the ability to pre-select actions (check/fold, call-any) while waiting for your turn, quick deposits from the shared wallet, and push notifications for tournament starts and blind-level changes. As a freshly launched app, ratings and stability are worth checking in the store before you rely on it for a deep-run tournament, and it is smart to play a low-stakes session first to confirm your connection and geolocation are stable in the spots where you usually play.

Get Started

How to Get Started

Signing up on the new platform is a FanDuel registration rather than a PokerStars one, even though you land at PokerStars tables. The steps:

  1. Confirm your location. You must be physically inside New Jersey, Michigan or Pennsylvania. Residency is not required, but presence is — the app will geolocate you at login.
  2. Create or use a FanDuel account. Register with your legal name, date of birth, address and the last digits of your Social Security number for identity verification. Existing FanDuel Sportsbook or Casino users can use the same account and wallet.
  3. Verify identity (KYC). Regulated sites confirm you are who you say you are and that you are 21 or older before you can withdraw. Have ID ready in case manual verification is triggered.
  4. Install the right client. Download the state-specific desktop client or mobile app, or use the web client. Enable the geolocation plug-in when prompted.
  5. Deposit and claim the poker offer. Fund the shared wallet, opt into the poker welcome offer, and collect any no-deposit tickets to sample the schedule before risking a deposit.

Longtime PokerStars US players should note there was no account migration at all: everyone, including existing customers, had to create a brand-new account, and existing PokerStars players need a FanDuel Casino account to play. Nothing was renamed or carried across automatically, so confirm the status of any prior balance and screen name with support.

Bonus

Welcome Bonus

Welcome Offer
100% up to $1,000 + $30 in tickets

Deposit match releases as you generate rake; $30 in tournament tickets offered to new and returning accounts. Terms vary by state — confirm before depositing.

Bonus CodeNone neededClaim at PokerStars

The poker welcome offer for new players combines a matched deposit with immediate ticket value. As advertised around the relaunch:

  • 100 percent deposit match up to $1,000. The bonus releases into your cash balance incrementally as you play raked hands and tournaments — you unlock bonus dollars by generating rake, so the more you play, the more of the $1,000 you release, up to your matched amount. The exact clearance rate and expiry window are set by the current state terms, so confirm both before depositing.
  • $30 in tournament tickets. Offered to everyone, including former PokerStars US account holders making the switch, giving new and returning accounts a risk-free way to sample the schedule.

Flutter also ran a “Now and Later” transition offer around the relaunch to bridge former PokerStars players onto the new platform. Read the terms in your state before depositing, since exact percentages, expiry windows and ticket allocations can change. Treat any bonus that clears through rake as rakeback you have to earn, not free cash handed over up front. Because the wallet is shared, be careful not to conflate the poker offer with FanDuel casino or sportsbook sign-up promotions — those are separate and clear on different terms.

Rewards

Rewards Program: What Replaced the Chests

The headline change is confirmed and clean: the old PokerStars Rewards system — the chest-and-StarsCoin loyalty program — was shut down on March 13, 2026, and players received full cash compensation for any unopened reward chests. That is the important fact for anyone who was sitting on chest progress: nothing was stranded, the value was paid out in cash.

Loyalty now runs under FanDuel rather than the old chest system. Reporting around the relaunch described a milestone-and-missions structure that pays rake-based rewards as you hit cumulative rake targets, with tournament tickets, bonus cash and completion objectives layered on top, and put the effective return for engaged players in a competitive range for the US regulated market. Those specifics — the exact program name, milestone thresholds and rakeback percentages — are the kind of detail operators tune, and they are not something the authoritative record pins down yet, so verify the current rewards structure in-client before you count on any particular rate.

Banking

Deposits and Withdrawals

Because everything runs through the FanDuel wallet, banking uses FanDuel’s payment rails, which are among the broader menus in US regulated gaming:

  • Deposits: Visa and Mastercard debit and credit, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, online/instant bank transfer, Trustly, and cash deposits at a partner casino cage.
  • Withdrawals: back to PayPal, Venmo, bank transfer and other supported methods, plus cash pickup at the cage in some markets.
  • Speed and limits: e-wallet withdrawals are typically the fastest; bank transfers take longer. Exact limits and processing times vary by state and method.

The shared wallet is a convenience — one balance across poker, sportsbook and casino — but keep your own accounting of what is poker bankroll versus what you might spend elsewhere. All withdrawals require completed identity verification (KYC), standard for regulated US sites.

Visit PokerStarsOne FanDuel wallet across poker, sportsbook and casino.
Ambassadors

Pros and Team PokerStars Ambassadors

PokerStars fields Team PokerStars, a global roster of ambassadors and pros who represent the brand at live and online events. Recent additions and mainstays of the 2024–2026 era include high-stakes standout Jason Koon, chess-and-poker figure Jennifer Shahade, Caitlin Comeskey and Irish pro and commentator David Lappin, alongside the broader international team. These are worldwide brand ambassadors rather than a US-only lineup, and their day-to-day play is often in international pools and live events; still, they anchor the PokerStars name that the US product now carries. The ambassador program is a branding and content asset — streams, coaching content and live-event presence — more than a promise of who you will find at your NJ, MI or PA cash table.

Support

Customer Service

Support now flows through FanDuel’s customer service infrastructure, since the account and wallet live there. Channels include an online help center with searchable articles, email support and live chat, plus phone support for the FanDuel account layer in some cases. Poker-specific issues — tournament disconnections, table disputes, bonus clearance questions — are handled through the same support system. As with any first-year platform, response quality is worth monitoring; the migration of a mature poker room onto a new support stack is exactly the kind of change that can produce longer waits until processes settle. Keep records of tournament tickets, balances and any bonus terms in case you need to reference them with an agent.

A few practical tips for getting issues resolved faster: use live chat during US business hours rather than late at night, when queues are shorter; note the exact tournament ID or hand number for any disconnection or payout dispute, since the support team can pull the hand history; and for anything involving a balance or withdrawal, expect identity verification to be the first checkpoint, so have your KYC documents ready. Regulator complaints are a last resort — if a dispute cannot be resolved with support, players in each state can escalate to the NJDGE, MGCB or PGCB, which oversee licensed operators and require documented complaint handling.

Safety

Safety and Security

Fully regulated, safe to play in its three states

Licensed by the NJDGE, MGCB and PGCB, operated by publicly traded Flutter Entertainment, with segregated player funds, certified RNG, geolocation and KYC.

On the fundamentals, PokerStars on FanDuel is a fully regulated, safe place to play for US residents in its three states:

  • State licensing. The product operates under licenses overseen by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the Michigan Gaming Control Board and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board — three of the more rigorous regulators in US gaming, each requiring audited operations.
  • Ownership and financial backing. The operator is Flutter Entertainment, a Fortune-scale, publicly traded gaming company (listed in New York and London) that also owns FanDuel, PokerStars, Betfair and other brands. That backing means real corporate accountability and financial stability behind your balance.
  • Segregated player funds. Regulated US operators are required to hold player balances separate from operational funds, so your bankroll is protected and withdrawable.
  • Fair play and RNG. Shuffling and randomization are certified, and PokerStars brings a long-running game-integrity operation — collusion detection, bot detection and multi-accounting enforcement — that is among the most developed in poker.
  • Geolocation and identity. Every session is geofenced to confirm you are physically in a legal state, and accounts pass KYC identity verification, which also enforces the 21-and-over age requirement.
  • Responsible gaming. Deposit limits, session limits, cool-off and self-exclusion tools are available, along with state problem-gambling resources.
Responsible Gaming

Responsible Gaming and Player Protection

Regulated status is worth little without usable player-protection tools, and here the FanDuel platform carries a full suite required by the NJ, MI and PA regulators:

  • Deposit limits on a daily, weekly or monthly basis that you set yourself, with decreases typically taking effect immediately and increases subject to a cooling-off delay.
  • Session and time limits and reality-check reminders to keep track of how long you have been playing.
  • Cool-off periods — short, self-imposed breaks that lock you out for a set time.
  • Self-exclusion, including enrollment in state self-exclusion programs administered by the NJDGE, MGCB and PGCB, which bar you from regulated sites for the chosen term.
  • Loss and wager limits where offered, so you can cap exposure ahead of time rather than in the moment.

Each state also provides problem-gambling helplines and resources. If gambling stops being entertainment, use the tools early — they are built in, free and confidential. Players must be 21 or older, and identity and age are verified before any withdrawal. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Expansion

Ontario and the Expansion Outlook

The US is not the only place PokerStars migrated to the FanDuel platform. In 2026 PokerStars also relaunched on the same software in Ontario, Canada, where online gaming is regulated provincially. Ontario stays ring-fenced — its players do not share the US pool — but the shared client shows Flutter standardizing PokerStars globally onto one platform.

For the US, executives have signaled ambitions to add states “in coming months.” Realistically, any expansion depends on two things: more states legalizing online poker (a slow legislative process), and those states joining the interstate compact so new markets can plug into the shared pool. West Virginia is a MSIGA member where PokerStars does not yet operate; Nevada and Delaware round out the regulated map. Until legislatures act elsewhere, the three-state footprint is the ceiling. Treat any promise of imminent new-state launches as aspirational, not scheduled, and verify current availability before assuming your state is covered.

Pros & Cons

PokerStars on FanDuel Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Largest single US player pool by state count: NJ, MI and PA combined into one network
  • Deepest game menu in regulated US poker — NLHE, PLO, PLO5, Zoom, Spin and Go, mixed games, Stud
  • Elite tournament pedigree: COOP series, the Sunday Million, MicroMillions and launch festivals, with launch-period overlays adding value
  • Reference-grade multi-tabling software whose reputation carried through the rebrand, now a dedicated FanDuel poker app
  • Backed by Flutter Entertainment with strong regulatory standing and a broad banking menu through the FanDuel wallet
  • Full cash compensation for unopened reward chests when the old program closed, and poker loyalty carried over under FanDuel

Cons

  • Only three states — no Nevada, Delaware or West Virginia, and no non-MSIGA expansion yet
  • Overall cash-game traffic has declined market-wide, and the merged pool is still building back peak numbers
  • Platform in transition: expect first-year bugs, evolving features and a support stack that is still settling
  • No account migration — every player, including existing customers, had to open a brand-new account, and existing players need a FanDuel Casino account
  • Shared wallet blurs poker bankroll with sportsbook and casino — easy to lose track of what is poker money
  • Some technical and program details (exact software platform, current bonus and rakeback terms) are in flux post-launch and should be verified in-client
Best For

Who PokerStars on FanDuel Is Best For

This room is the strongest fit for tournament players in New Jersey, Michigan or Pennsylvania who want the biggest guarantees and the widest series schedule the US market offers, and for variety players who value Zoom, PLO5, Spin and Go and mixed games in one place. Recreational players benefit from the low-stakes cash and MicroMillions ecosystem and the approachable Spin and Go format. Pure high-volume cash grinders should weigh the current traffic snapshot against WSOP’s larger multi-state footprint before committing. If you already use FanDuel Sportsbook or Casino, the single wallet makes PokerStars an easy add. If you are outside the three states, this room simply is not available to you — and no legal workaround exists.

For alternatives and the full regulated landscape, our online poker hub compares every legal US room side by side.

Best for tournament playersWidest game varietyZoom & Spin and GoNJ, MI, PA only
FAQ

PokerStars on FanDuel FAQ

Is PokerStars still available in the US in 2026?

Yes, but under a new name. As of April 1, 2026, PokerStars in the US operates as “PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel” in New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania. The standalone PokerStars sites were retired and players now use a FanDuel account.

Did PokerStars merge with FanDuel or get bought by it?

Neither in the usual sense. Both PokerStars and FanDuel are owned by the same parent, Flutter Entertainment. Flutter consolidated its US poker onto the FanDuel platform, making FanDuel the exclusive home of PokerStars in North America. It is an internal consolidation, not an acquisition of one rival by another.

Are New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania players in the same pool?

Yes. The 2026 relaunch merged all three states into a single shared-liquidity network under the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, the first time PA joined NJ and MI in one PokerStars pool.

What happened to my old PokerStars account and balance?

There was no account migration. Everyone, including existing PokerStars customers, had to create a brand-new account on the FanDuel platform, and existing players need a FanDuel Casino account. Legacy accounts stayed accessible through April 30, 2026 for balances and history, and PokerStars Rewards chests were cashed out on March 13, 2026 with full cash compensation for unopened chests. Confirm your balance and screen-name status directly with support.

Is there still a Sunday tournament and a COOP series?

Yes. The Sunday flagship carried over — the relaunch featured Sunday events with guarantees up to the six- and seven-figure range — and the state Championship of Online Poker series (NJCOOP, MICOOP, PACOOP) continues, now with larger guarantees thanks to the combined pool.

Does the software still support tracking tools and HUDs?

The PokerStars client remains the US multi-tabling benchmark, but the operator has not publicly confirmed whether third-party trackers such as PokerTracker or Hold’em Manager are permitted on the FanDuel platform. Verify the current tracker and HUD policy in-client if you rely on a specific tool.

Do I need a separate account for poker, sportsbook and casino?

No. One FanDuel account and one shared wallet cover PokerStars poker, FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Casino. Funds move between them, so keep your own track of what is poker bankroll versus what you might spend on other products.

What is the PokerStars welcome bonus and how does it clear?

A 100 percent deposit match up to $1,000 plus about $30 in no-deposit tournament tickets. The matched bonus releases into your cash balance as you generate rake, at a clearance rate reported around 20 percent over roughly 120 days — so it is earned rakeback, not instant free money. Verify current terms in your state.

Can I use PokerTracker or Hold’em Manager on the new client?

Tracker compatibility on the FanDuel platform has not been confirmed by the operator, so do not assume your database tool will work. Confirm current compatibility for your specific tool in-client before relying on it for a big session.

Is PokerStars poker the same as FanDuel Casino?

No. PokerStars poker is peer-to-peer real-money poker where you play other people and the room takes rake. FanDuel Casino is house-banked slots and table games. The former PokerStars US online casino was folded into FanDuel Casino during the 2026 consolidation.

Is PokerStars on FanDuel safe and legal?

Yes, in its three states. It is licensed by the NJDGE, MGCB and PGCB, operated by publicly traded Flutter Entertainment, uses segregated player funds, certified RNG, geolocation and KYC, and offers responsible-gaming tools.

Verdict

PokerStars on FanDuel Final Verdict

PokerStars remains the most storied brand in poker, and in 2026 it is also one of the most changed. The relaunch as PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel finally unites New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania in one pool, pairs the deepest game menu and richest tournament series in regulated US poker with FanDuel’s scale, and carries the multi-tabling software reputation that made PokerStars the US benchmark. Those are real advantages, and the merger’s larger guarantees and launch-period overlays are genuine value. The trade-offs are equally real: a platform still settling in its first year, a no-migration reset that forced every player onto a new account, a shared wallet to manage carefully, and a market-wide traffic decline the combined pool is still rebuilding from. For tournament and variety players in the three legal states, it is a top-tier choice worth playing today — just verify the current bonus, rewards and software details in-client, because this product is still settling into its new skin.

Regulated
4.6/5 ★★★★☆
Best for tournament and variety players in NJ, MI and PA who want the biggest guarantees and the widest game menu in US poker.
Bonus100% up to $1,000 + $30 tickets
StatesNJ, MI, PA
PoolShared tri-state
Visit PokerStars
Visit PokerStars21+. NJ, MI and PA only. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-522-4700.