PokerStars Network: Flutter to Unite Its Poker Brands

Flutter Entertainment is bringing several of its poker brands together under a single international network called the PokerStars Network. Betfair will be the first to migrate, with Paddy Power Poker and Sky Poker set to follow later in 2026.

Flutter Entertainment is moving ahead with a plan years in the making: consolidating several of its major poker brands into a single international network under the PokerStars Network (PSN) banner.

The network will be powered by PokerStars software and share the existing PokerStars player pool, while Flutter will continue to use locally established brands as the customer-facing entry point in selected markets.

The main objective of the consolidation is to increase liquidity. PokerStars' international traffic has declined in recent years amid an increasingly fragmented regulatory environment and stronger competition, resulting in smaller player pools and, in some cases, lower tournament prize pools.

According to PokerStars Commercial Director Mike Woodbridge, the new model is designed to address exactly that issue. By bringing players from separate Flutter brands into a shared network, the company aims to create a larger player pool and improve overall liquidity.

The first major step in the transition will take place on August 13. Betfair's UK poker players will leave the iPoker network and move to a new platform operating under the "PokerStars on Betfair" name.

Betfair's existing iPoker skin will consequently be discontinued. The new client will run on PokerStars software, with Betfair players sharing liquidity with the global PokerStars player pool.

Flutter plans to make similar moves with Paddy Power Poker and Sky Poker later in 2026, bringing both brands onto PokerStars technology.

An even bigger change is planned for the UK market later this year. Existing PokerStars UK players will eventually be migrated to PokerStars on Betfair, with PokerStars set to cease operating as a standalone UK poker brand.

It is a particularly notable decision considering PokerStars has been one of the most recognizable names in online poker for more than two decades, while the United Kingdom has traditionally been one of its most important markets.

The basic concept behind the PokerStars Network is straightforward: the same poker platform and player pool will operate in the background, while players in different markets may access it through different Flutter-owned brands.

The concept itself is not entirely new for PokerStars. In Italy, Flutter previously combined the PokerStars and Sisal player pools, before Snai joined the shared system in 2026. Three separate brands therefore now share the same network in the regulated Italian market.

Flutter has taken a different approach in North America. In Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, PokerStars continued operating under the "PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel" branding, but the underlying technology also changed: the operation moved from PokerStars' proprietary software to the iPoker platform. The same model was later introduced in Ontario.

The newly announced international PokerStars Network effectively represents a third model. Multiple brands can remain visible to players, but the underlying technology and liquidity continue to be provided by PokerStars.

The consolidation will not mean the end of PokerStars' best-known poker products. The Sunday Million and Spin & Go games, along with flagship tournament series such as WCOOP and SCOOP, will remain important parts of the network.

Players using different Flutter brands will also be able to compete in shared online satellites for live events, including stops on the European Poker Tour. Closer cooperation is also expected around events such as the Irish Open, which is already jointly sponsored by PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker.

The launch of PokerStars on Betfair is notable from a historical perspective as well. In PokerStars' 25-year history, this is only the second time another brand has operated on its international platform.

The first was Full Tilt Poker, which was migrated onto the PokerStars platform around a decade ago before the Full Tilt brand was eventually retired several years later.

The restructuring of the UK operation does not mean Flutter is preparing to phase out the PokerStars brand internationally.

PokerStars holds licenses in markets including Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Switzerland, Romania and Sweden, and is expected to continue serving players directly under the PokerStars name in those countries.

Ireland could be different, with Paddy Power potentially becoming the primary customer-facing poker brand, while Sky Poker could also remain a separate gateway to the shared network.

Flutter may not necessarily stop with its own brands either. The company has indicated that its new strategy is intended to rebuild PokerStars liquidity through partnerships, potentially opening the door for additional poker rooms to join the PokerStars Network in the future.

The new era begins on August 13 with the launch of PokerStars on Betfair. Paddy Power Poker and Sky Poker are scheduled to migrate later in 2026, while PokerStars' UK players are also expected to move to Betfair before the end of the year.