PokerStars is bringing back a full-scale Christmas promotion for its dot-com audience, announcing a $2 million “Snowball” campaign that will run from December 1 to January 5. It is the operator’s first major holiday push in many years for international players, covering both poker and casino verticals.
A Cross-Vertical Holiday Event
The Snowball promo spans PokerStars’ poker and casino platforms, offering a mix of progressive prize draws, all-in shootout freerolls, casino challenges and weekly Mystery Chests. The total prize pool reaches $2 million, with several components increasing in value week by week—hence the “snowball” theme.
$1.5 Million Progressive Draws
A core part of the campaign is the series of weekly prize draws, which together distribute $1.5 million. The prize pools grow as the holiday period advances:
- Dec 7–8: $200,000
- Dec 14–15: $250,000
- Dec 21–22: $300,000
- Dec 28–29: $350,000
- Jan 4–5: $400,000
Players earn entries by opting in via the Challenges tab and completing weekly point targets at the cash-game tables. The requirements become more demanding toward the end of the promotion.
All-In Shootouts and Additional Rewards
Every Monday, PokerStars hosts all-in shootout freerolls awarding a combined $100,000 across the full promo period. Up to five entries per week are available. Prizes include $2,500 Silver Passes, Sunday Million tickets and other bankroll boosters.
Casino Snowball Challenge
Casino players can opt into a separate Snowball challenge that offers up to $10,000 per draw. Participants receive 10 free spins when they join, then accumulate points by playing eligible casino games. A new draw is held each week, with prize pools rising toward early January.
Weekly Mystery Chests
Players who earn points in both the poker and casino challenges within the same week unlock a Mystery Chest. Across the promo, $300,000 will be distributed through these chests.
- Weeks 1–3: top prize up to $1,000
- Weeks 4–5: top prize up to $5,000
Availability
The Snowball campaign is open to most dot-com markets. However, casino-restricted jurisdictions—including Bulgaria, Switzerland, Estonia and Brazil—cannot participate in the casino-specific elements.
A Return to Full Holiday Promotions
PokerStars was once known for its large December campaigns but scaled them back after 2018, often replacing them with smaller offers or focusing on the New Year Series. While the operator continued to run Christmas events in North America—such as the “25 Days of Poker Madness” promo—dot-com markets saw far less activity.
Snowball represents PokerStars’ first comprehensive international Christmas event in years and aligns with broader industry trends, as major operators like GGPoker, Unibet and several iPoker skins regularly launch seasonal promotions in December.
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