Flutter has begun folding Betfair Poker into PokerStars, with the service rebranded as PokerStars on Betfair from 13 August. The move is part of PokerStars Network, which connects players across Flutter brands into shared pools and is intended to create bigger fields more often.
Betfair’s FAQ says Betfair Poker will close on 13 August 2026. On first login, users will no longer be able to use the existing desktop app and will be prompted to download PokerStars on Betfair, with desktop versions for Windows and macOS and a mobile app also required before play can continue. Existing Betfair usernames and passwords will still work, although people with both PokerStars and Betfair accounts will not be able to play poker on both at the same time. The service is not available in Ireland, where players are directed to pokerstars.com.
UK-based players will still be able to compete against PokerStars’ global player pool after the access method changes. They will also keep access to marquee events including the Sunday Million, SCOOP and WCOOP, along with Spin & Go tournaments and qualifiers for live events such as the European Poker Tour. Betfair says the poker wallet will be combined into a single Betfair wallet, cash balances will move within three working days after closure, and automatic currency conversion can leave small differences of a few pence. Players seated in cash games at shutdown will be stood up automatically and their stacks protected.
PokerStars customers in the UK are due to migrate to the Betfair platform later this year, using the same PokerStars software the company says has been the industry standard for 25 years. In the coming months, Paddy Power Poker and Sky Poker will replace their own poker products with PokerStars software, a change the company says should add liquidity to the PokerStars.com global pool.
Mike Woodbridge, PokerStars’ chief commercial officer, said the market has become harder for brands like PokerStars because regulations differ from market to market and have fragmented the global game. He said players have been seeing thinner fields and smaller tournament prizes, and that the company is moving to a different model to improve liquidity and bring people back to the table. Kim Daly, Betfair’s managing director, called the move a powerful moment for the industry and said that, together with Betfair Casino, it creates a more comprehensive poker, sports betting and casino offering.
As reported in July, Flutter had already confirmed PokerStars job cuts as part of a wider restructuring push.
