PokerStars will retire its US platform over the coming months, as the online cardroom prepares to merge its services with FanDuel. This move signals the end of PokerStars' standalone domestic product, which had allowed players from New Jersey and Michigan to engage in competitive online poker.
Confirmed to users in a post on X, the operator said: "PokerStars and @FanDuel are teaming up to launch @PokerStars in the USA exclusively on FanDuel."
Once fulfilled, the PokerStars-FanDuel merger will see Pennsylvania added to the player pool – increasing the number of states with eligible players to three.
PokerStars Ontario will also join FanDuel's all-in-one online service but, unlike the affected US States, players in the Canadian province will only be permitted to play against those in the same region.
The migration stands as one of the most notable changes seen in the modern poker industry, as PokerStars relinquishes its status as a market leader in North America.
Increased player pool to deliver improved prizes?
In January 2023, PokerStars combined player pools in Michigan and New Jersey, in a maneuver that saw the platform host hundreds of players across multiple rooms simultaneously.
Three years removed from that unification, PokerStars and FanDuel are set to add Pennsylvania to the fray.
As a result, players are expected to see improved tournament prizes by virtue of increased engagement and greater room availability. For FanDuel, the switch should herald enhanced traffic.
One platform for all products
Both PokerStars and FanDuel are owned by Flutter, a gaming conglomerate overseeing many of the industry's biggest brands.
Under the unified platform, poker players can access their account wallet as well as FanDuel's full suite of online products, including sportsbook and casino facilities.
It is not dissimilar to the recently-announced DraftKings 'Super App', which will supply sports betting, casino gaming and predictions markets in one place.
The key difference between DraftKings' product consolidation and FanDuel's merger with PokerStars is this: PokerStars will cease to exist in the US.
All services shall be managed by FanDuel, with payouts, transactions, room moderation and maintenance overseen by the American firm.
PokerStars services to shutter from March 13
One major change immediately impacting PokerStars' existing player pool is that, beginning March 13, core services will shut down.
First on the docket is PokerStars Rewards – a loyalty program designed to distribute real-money rewards for players actively engaged in various site-owned products. Players can continue to accumulate and spend Rewards Points up to this date.
As PokerStars Rewards progress will not be carried over to FanDuel's new poker platform, players will receive cash reimbursements equal to the value of their points balance.
Further, PokerStars Jackpots will wind down on April 1 – any outstanding jackpot funds will be credited to players who wagered on the operator's roster of progressive jackpot titles.
It is important to note that profile information cannot be transferred from PokerStars to FanDuel, and players must create a new FanDuel account to use the operator's consolidated service.
A critical juncture for domestic poker
Despite being a household name in the online poker industry, PokerStars' North American influence has recently dwindled.
As detailed by PokerScout, both WSOP and BetMGM have dominated the scene since 2024 – each serving around 35% of the total domestic player base.
PokerStars has also failed to control the remaining 30%, with BetRivers accounting for 5% of online poker games in the US.
Data also suggests that PokerStars presided over less than 25% of the market; a decline of more than 10 percentage points since 2024.
And, while fingers may reasonably be pointed in the direction of PokerStars' leadership, which opted not to add Pennsylvania to its player pool when the state joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) last year, the operator's figures had already begun shrinking before that market change.
Joining forces with FanDuel will give PokerStars' products an unparalleled opportunity to penetrate an estimated 3.5 million active monthly users.
For players, this means a higher ceiling for prizes. For FanDuel, it is a chance to revive a long-revered, albeit underperforming, service.
Consolidation follows months of public planning
Although the announcement may come as a surprise to some, this is a decision months – if not years – in the making.
In May 2025, PokerIndustryPro reported that a potential FanDuel merger could be the reason for PokerStars' failure to integrate Pennsylvania into its player pools.
This was a particularly notable exclusion given the operator's keenness to enter the Keystone State when internet-based poker launched in 2019. PokerStars was also the first platform to combine player pools across state lines in 2021, through Michigan and New Jersey.
At the time, it was rumored that PokerStars had been planning to leverage FanDuel's gambling license in order to enter new States, rather than obtain certification from various regulators.
More recently, in February 2026, FanDuel posted a job listing for an 'Analytics Engineer'. According to the role description, this position would see new hires join the poker analytics team to "facilitate the team's success, evolving the various tools, models, and data visualizations" and help shape the company's strategy moving forward.
Another clear sign of this merger was made public when former PokerStars Product Manager David Murphy announced that he had left the company to become Product Director at FanDuel.
Murphy outlined that he was: "Looking forward to bringing that expertise (at PokerStars) into this new role at FanDuel and continuing to contribute at Flutter, just from a different seat."
Perhaps the clearest sign of this week's news is that FanDuel has reportedly rolled out domain testing for a new Poker-focused product, as reported by PokerFuse.
Flutter increasingly reliant on FanDuel for growth
FanDuel stands as Flutter's main product for growth in North America, dominating almost half of the national market for sports betting and casino entertainment.
In an earnings report, Flutter CEO Peter Jackson described that international consolidation has demonstrated tangible returns – such as PokerStars' Italian product migrating users from Sisal in 2024 and Snai in 2026 – and that similar consolidatory efforts may be seen in the future.
Additional US migration will likely center around FanDuel, as the operator seeks to deepen its already heavy footprint on the American market.
