PokerStars Casino

About Pokerstars

It’s time to don those shades as we are about to go all in and check out the world’s largest online poker site Pokerstars. Personally I’m not going in completely blind with my own account being over 15 years old now. So is this site bluffing or are they holding a royal flush? Let’s find out!

Pokerstars has been around a long time now and is still going from strength to strength. Launched in 2001 it is today the most dominant force in online poker. However ,this platform isn’t just about poker, in 2015 it revamped itself and added a casino and sportsbook.

Owned by the Stars Group until 2020 it was then sold to Flutter Entertainment, the parent company who also own the Sky gaming brands, Paddy Power and Betfair. Nowadays, if you’re a poker player either for fun or a professional you will no doubt have an Pokerstars account. It runs the WCOOP (world championship of online poker) and the European Poker Tour. The winner of these big tournaments can pretty much become millionaires with prize money ranging up to a guaranteed $5 million. The great thing about online poker is anyone can enter and you can earn seats at the main events for as little as $2.20 by winning satellite tournaments. A great feature here is they have many brand ambassadors which include Ronaldo, Neymar and famous poker professionals, which you could end up facing on the poker tables. Pokerstars sometimes offer bonuses if you knock their ambassadors out of tournaments, adding to the bragging rights that you knocked, say Ronaldo, out of a poker tournament.

The Pokerstars homepage is a distinguished black and red which is pretty much the theme through the whole platform. Their logo is a red spade (card) symbol with a white star in the middle. There are bold links at the top guiding you to poker, casino or sports. The blue chest at the top middle is a progress bar to their rewards scheme where you earn points through gaming. Towards the right the icon shaped like a person is all things account related, with a help menu and responsible gaming just above that on desktop or through the 3 white lines on mobile.

Getting Started

Pokerstars has an excellent welcome offer that is available by clicking or tapping on the link above. Firstly when you open an account there you get a total of 150 free spins when your account is verified. You get the first 50 spins when that is done and 100 more within 72 hours. The second part is if you deposit £10 using the code UK10 you will also receive an extra 250 free spins in batches of 125. There are many different deposit methods you can use at PokerStars but be aware that if you wish to claim the welcome offer, the only one you can use is a plain old debit card.

The free spins come with wagering requirements which are a little complicated. It’s tied to the loyalty scheme; alongside the reward points you collect as you play, you also collect redemption points. You need to collect a specified number of these per £1 of your deposit and bonus. The complicated part is that the rate at which you collect redemption points is tied to the Return To Player of the games you play; the higher the RTP, the more you need to wager per redemption point (please check the PokerStars website for an up to date conversion table or check the information panel for the game you want to play). You won’t need to worry about this too much when playing through the bonus from your welcome offer spins; the wagering requirements can only be discharged at 100% on the same games the spins are for so just pick the ones you enjoy playing. As you play through the bonus, you can check your progress any time to see how many more redemption points you need to collect.

Signing up is very straightforward, taking a few minutes at most. There are also options to set deposit limits and reality checks before you play. Pokerstars will try to verify your account when you sign up, however you could be asked to provide ID and proof of address before you play or in the future. Being required to provide ID is completely normal with the casino practising due diligence in line with the Gambling Commission.

Sports Betting at Pokerstars

My first impressions of the sportsbook was that it looks a little basic compared to the more established bookmakers in the UK – and to be brutally honest, it is. Firstly on desktop the bet slip area is far too big and on mobile you can’t see what choices of sports are on offer unless you use the search function. Changing odds from decimal to fractional on desktop is simple using the settings link which is plain to see, but on mobile it’s more complex where you have to go to your account area and within sports, set your preferences.

Once you get your head around the navigation they do provide a wide range of sports markets which include UK and Irish horse racing, football, golf and motor sports to name a few. There is an inplay area and also an esports section with streaming quite limited on live events. On a positive side they do have a fairly big boosted odds area which is on a number of different sports and not just football. There is also the ability to do bet builders within each game with a few ready made ones advertised. They also run a “star sub” promotion on all player based bets. On a fun note, their special bets section is worth a look, with some weird and wonderful markets including which country will the TV series White Lotus be filmed in!

Slot Games at Pokerstars

The casino at Pokerstars is certainly not just an afterthought to all things poker related here, far from it. The choice of games on offer here is impressive to say the least, with some high-quality options. Within the casino tab you will find a lobby full of games. Under the category of slots are sub categories which include popular titles such as Fishin’ Frenzy games, Starburst and Sweet Bonanza. New titles also have their own section with 80+ brand new games topped up each week. The Dog House Royal Hunt and Break the Piggy Bank were at home there at the time of writing. They also have exclusive, megaways and recommended genres to choose from.

Within the My Casino category, Pokerstars also gives you the slight personal touch supplying recommendations of games which trend from your game play which is a nice feature. They also feature quite a few of their own Stars Studio slots (complete with a substantial progressive jackpot) if you fancy a complete change from the norm. However if you don’t there is a vast range of standard progressive jackpot games. Jackpot King, Rapid Fire, Age of the Gods and Red Tiger hold the fort. There’s a good search function in which you can search games by name or provider (it helps if you know who the provider is), making navigating your way round the casino side in general fairly simple.

Poker and Other Games at Pokerstars

You are at the home of online poker. This platform has the most choice of games with the most members so games are always busy running 24/7. I could write a whole review just on the poker side here but briefly, if Poker is your thing or you are a beginner looking for tutorials this is a great place to start. You can use their poker software on a browser but the site does work better when you download their poker client be it on desktop or mobile. With tournament play and cash games running at all different speeds and buy-ins, when it comes to poker there is no better.

The Live casino here is also first rate with Roulette, Blackjack and Baccarat all under its own category. Pokerstars has its own live casino branding which is powered by Evolution. This also includes Poker variants. If you like your Game Shows you’re in for a real treat here also with 40+ on offer. If you’re also a bingo lover you will find bingo style game shows like Mega Ball, Crazy Balls, Deal or No Deal and Vegas Ball Bonanza, just by typing bingo in the search function. Video table games and instant win scratch cards additionally have their own sections within the casino. Furthermore, there are also a few crash and plinko games via the search function if that appeals to you.

Other Things to Consider

Alongside the previously mentioned welcome offer, there are plenty of ongoing promotions aimed at all areas of the Pokerstars platform. Within your account is a challenge area which provides you with ongoing and tailor made offers. Your game play also earns you redemption points which in turn earns you a chest which can be full of treats. Also the casino has Slot Races which is a tournament where you compete with other players for cash prizes.

Pokerstars does tick a few boxes and you won’t be surprised when you hear me say it once again delivers on different user platforms. Being mobile and tablet friendly their site is very similar to the desktop version. There are separate apps available for the poker and the casino side, but from a casino point of view it runs exceptionally on a mobile browser.

Pokerstars being a worldwide brand as you would expect, has some great customer support options. Firstly their customer care team is available 24/7 by means of live chat. You can find the link under help within your account area. They are also alternatively obtainable by email.

Final Thoughts

Pokerstars is a great gaming platform and although they focus heavily on the poker side which is delivered excellently, there is more to their site than just that. The casino here is top drawer and the rewards programme, although a little over complicated, offers good value. With a functional sportsbook too, this place is the pocket rockets and well worth a closer look.

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