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PokerStars is starting a wider poker network strategy in the UK on August 13, with Betfair players joining the PokerStars global player pool. Flutter Entertainment plans to bring Paddy Power Poker and Sky Poker onto the same technology later in 2026.
Good to Know
- Betfair Poker switches to PokerStars technology in the UK from August 13.
- Sunday Million, WCOOP, SCOOP and other PokerStars tournaments remain available through the shared network.
- Paddy Power Poker and Sky Poker will join the PokerStars Network later in 2026.
Flutter Builds One Larger Poker Network
Flutter Entertainment is bringing poker traffic from several brands into the PokerStars Network rather than keeping each player base separate. Betfair is the first UK brand to make the change, following earlier integrations involving FanDuel in North America and Sisal and SNAI in Italy.
The reason is liquidity. Online poker works better with larger player pools, since more players can produce fuller cash tables, larger tournament fields and deeper prize pools. Regulatory differences between countries have increasingly divided international poker traffic into smaller groups.
Mike Woodbridge, Chief Commercial Officer at PokerStars, said:
“In recent years, the market environment has gotten harder for brands like PokerStars.
“A patchwork of regulations from one market to the next has fragmented the global game and led us to make difficult decisions to exit certain markets and not enter others,” Woodbridge explained. “Players have felt it through thinner fields and smaller tournament prizes on our site.”
“We want to do something about that, so we’re moving to a different model with the aim of improving liquidity and player pools and bringing people back to the poker table,” he added.
PokerStars calls the structure the PokerStars Network. Players from participating Flutter brands share connected poker pools where local regulation permits.
For UK Betfair customers, the change is more practical than cosmetic. The existing Betfair Poker client closes on August 13, with customers downloading PokerStars on Betfair and continuing to sign in with their Betfair username and password. Poker balances will transfer into the main Betfair wallet within three working days.
Players will gain access to PokerStars tournament schedules, including Sunday Million and WCOOP events. PokerStars has also confirmed that long-running events such as SCOOP will continue under the network model.
The UK rollout does not stop with Betfair. Paddy Power and Sky Poker are due to host PokerStars poker later in 2026, adding more Flutter customers to the shared network.
Kim Daly, Managing Director at Betfair, said:
“I’m thrilled to bring two iconic brands under one roof. By integrating PokerStars onto the Betfair platform, we’re uniting two category-transformers that share a passion for innovation and player empowerment.”
One geographic exception applies. PokerStars on Betfair will not operate in Ireland. Betfair Poker closes there on August 13, although Irish players can continue using PokerStars directly.
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