PokerStars and FanDuel: The Largest Merger in the US Online Poker Market

PokerStars US to Switch to FanDuel Poker Brand

In early March 2026, Flutter Entertainment announced that PokerStars in the United States would transition to the FanDuel brand. The new product will be called PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel.

One of the most significant changes concerns liquidity. The new poker room will finally combine the PokerStars player pools from three states:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Michigan

This move is expected to significantly increase traffic and tournament guarantees. In particular, the return of major tournament series and the debut of the Sunday Million with a $1,000,000 guarantee are anticipated.

PokerStars  Ontario will continue to operate separately only within that province.

The new product will also be integrated into the FanDuel Single Wallet ecosystem. Poker, casino games, and sports betting will all operate through a single account and shared wallet.

When is the new FanDuel Poker expected to launch?

The exact launch date has not yet been announced, but recent changes to the bonus system suggest that the transition is approaching.

The PokerStars US Rewards program will close on March 13, and progressive casino jackpots will be disabled on April 1. In Ontario, jackpots are scheduled to be removed on May 5, which may indicate that the U.S. launch will take place earlier than the Canadian one.

Until the transition is completed, the current PokerStars client will continue operating without changes. The company has also confirmed that players’ accounts will remain accessible until April 30, 2026. During this period, users will still be able to view their balances, transaction history, and other account data.

To attract new users, the One Sign Up: Double the Bonus promotion has already been introduced. Anyone who creates an account at FanDuel Casino before the launch of the new platform will receive a casino bonus, and once the poker room goes live, they will also get an additional poker bonus.

New client of PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel

The PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel client will closely resemble the classic PokerStars software. The published screenshots show that the lobby structure, color scheme, and navigation are virtually identical to the familiar design.

The main innovation is a built-in HUD, which will display basic player statistics directly at the table. This is the first official implementation of such a tool in PokerStars products. In the US, BetRivers Poker is currently the only licensed online poker platform to offer built-in statistics.

Thanks to the pooling of liquidity across three states, fast-paced Zoom poker will be available at licensed U.S. poker rooms for the first time.

In addition, limit games have been confirmed. This is relatively rare for modern poker sites, as most platforms primarily focus on NLH and PLO.

How FanDuel Poker's launch will impact the US online poker market

The integration of PokerStars and FanDuel could significantly change the balance of power in the US online poker market.

This new model provides the poker room with several key advantages:

• Access to FanDuel’s massive user base
• Combined liquidity across three states
• New client with additional tools for players

PokerStars’ main competitors remain WSOP.com, BetRivers Poker, and the BetMGM Poker / Borgata Poker network. These operators have already structured their products around broader ecosystems where poker operates alongside sports betting and online casinos.

With the launch of PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel, the poker room will have a much better chance of regaining a leading position in the U.S. online poker market. Players, in turn, should benefit from a wider selection of games and more opportunities to participate in major tournaments.