PokerStars Relaunches On FanDuel With Combined Player Pools
What poker players need to know before signing up.
PokerStars is back in the United States, this time under FanDuel.
On April 1, 2026, FanDuel launched "PokerStars exclusively on FanDuel," a new poker app and desktop site live in Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The relaunch replaces the old PokerStars USA client and, for the first time, merges players from all three states into one shared pool, creating one of the largest regulated online poker networks in North America.
If you are comparing where to play, it instantly reshapes the list of leading online poker sites in the country. For players, the pitch is straightforward: bigger games, larger prize pools and a wider schedule of tournaments and cash games.
Aaron Dugan, general manager of PokerStars at FanDuel, said: "By combining PokerStars' industry-leading poker experience with FanDuel's scale and reach, we're able to deliver bigger games, larger prize pools and a more dynamic experience."
How The PokerStars To FanDuel Transition Works
If you played on PokerStars USA, your account does not simply carry over. Poker is being treated as a brand-new product, so every player, including existing PokerStars and FanDuel customers, is eligible for a fresh sign-up bonus regardless of past sports betting or casino activity.
To claim it, you download the new PokerStars on FanDuel app or log in through the desktop site, and our PokerStars review covers the software, cash games and tournament schedule in detail.
The legacy client has not vanished. Players can still open the old PokerStars software to withdraw any remaining funds, and the operator said it would clear outstanding balances by check to the address on file at the end of the month.
The separate PokerStars Lite app, used for play-money games and private clubs, continues to run as normal.
PokerStars On FanDuel: Key Facts
- Launch Date: April 1, 2026
- Live States: Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
- Player Pools: Merged across all three states into one shared pool
Regardless of your prior play at FanDuel Casino or FanDuel Sportsbook, you can sign up as a new user with PokerStars on FanDuel and still receive the welcome offer.
One more point to note: anyone who has self-excluded from FanDuel or holds an operator ban cannot open an account on the new client.
What Players Need To Know Before Signing Up
Game variety is still catching up.
At launch, several niche formats were missing, including pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better, mixed games, heads-up tables and sit-and-gos. PokerStars said pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better and mixed tables are on the way, but confirmed there are no plans to bring back heads-up games or sit-and-gos.
If you are new to the tables, our poker strategy guides cover the fundamentals before you sit down.
Two Months In: The Early Numbers
Early signs are positive.
Roughly two months after launch, PokerStars on FanDuel had already passed the revenue it generated under its previous partner, Mount Airy Casino.
The bigger structural change is that PokerStars joined the Multi-state Internet Gaming Agreement through FanDuel Casino, letting Pennsylvania players pool with Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan and West Virginia for the first time.
That matters most in Pennsylvania, the largest state to legalize online poker. Slow interstate integration was widely blamed for stalling PokerStars USA, which held an estimated 40% market share about two years ago before slipping to third behind WSOP and level with BetMGM Poker.
What Comes Next For PokerStars Players
FanDuel has said that PokerStars will also launch in Ontario, Canada, later in 2026, and that more US expansion could follow as additional states move forward with legislation, with Maine legalizing online poker this year.
To hold on to players, PokerStars will need to keep investing in its schedule after cutting popular series such as the Championship of Online Poker last fall.
For now, the combined player pools are the real prize for grinders, delivering fuller tournaments and busier cash tables across three states.
