Intro

PokerStars is arguably the most well-known name in poker tournaments around the world. Numerous televised tournaments have carried the operator’s name, ensuring a near-household name level of brand recognition. 

In the online casino world, PokerStars offers a host of poker options and tournaments, but that’s just the start. By also providing an impressive range of casino and sports betting options, PokerStars has placed itself as something of a one-stop-shop for iGaming needs. 

Add a comprehensive welcome bonus and a range of banking and language options, and it’s no surprise this site enjoys huge levels of popularity. 

Join us as we run down everything you need to know about PokerStars and what it has to offer you.

New customers at PokerStars are greeted by a welcome package worth £150 in total. 

£20 of that bonus is attached to the Prize Wheel while players can also earn up to £130 in cash while playing poker games. 

Players receive daily spins of the Prize Wheel over six days, with a max prize of £1,000 cash available on each spin, so the bonus can really pay off if you’re lucky! 

As you play your favourite poker games you will receive Redemption Points, 5 points for every £1 you wager. 75 Points earns an instant £5 in cash, so there’s £130 to be won over your first 30 days as a PokerStars player. 

The Welcome Bonus is triggered when using the bonus code POKERSTARS whilst making a deposit of £10 or more. Redemption Points cannot be earned at some high limit tables such as Pot Limit or No Limit tables when the blinds are over £5/£10 (small blind/big blind). 

While this isn’t the usual “here is some bonus money” bonus, there are no wagering requirements attached to any winnings. Players do have to spend money to win money –– the Prize Wheel aside –– so this isn’t a bonus that will necessarily suit low rolling players.

Software

PokerStars offers a comprehensive list of software developers across its sports betting, poker, and casino offerings.

Big names like Microgaming, NetEnt, and Playtech can be found alongside smaller, but still popular developers like Red Tiger Gaming, and Yggdrasil. 

This ensures a good mix of popular games and new titles across various categories including slots, table games, and live dealer titles.

Games

• Gambling Site

PokerStars’ slots selection sets itself apart due to having numerous exclusive and proprietary offerings. 

This means there are some slots here that are only available at PokerStars, and others that are limited to its sister sites on the network. The slots on offer on this front are respectable if not industry-leading, but a good number of exclusive titles is exciting in itself. 

The best quality is found in the slots from high-profile developers, however, and there’s a wide array of those, including Book of Dead, Dead or Alive II, and Starburst. 

There’s also a selection of progressive jackpot slots (Mega Fortune, Age of the Gods etc.) all with jackpot trackers attached so you can weigh up which one you think is closest to dropping.

You’ll also find a strong selection of titles using the ever-popular Megaways engine, such as Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways, Gonzo’s Quest Megaways, and more.

Slots can be searched via different categories including new, popular, and jackpot, and you can also search by slot name. The addition of a search by developer option would be nice, however.

The Live Casino suite at PokerStars, found under its own section of the online casino site, has a wide array of top-quality games. 

This is due to the site’s live casino being powered by Evolution Gaming software, the undeniable king of live dealer games. 

With a few exclusive games thrown in (like PokerStars Roulette) you’ll also find Evolution favourites like Lightning Roulette, and unique live games including Crazy Time and Dream Catcher.

Evolution’s live games are set in magnificent, professional-looking studios with friendly and skilled hosts and dealers ensuring you’re enveloped in the real-world casino atmosphere.

If there’s a forgotten part of the PokerStars game selection, it’s non-live table games; poker notwithstanding, of course. 

This is particularly clear in the Blackjack selection, where there are four blackjack games found aside from the live dealer selection. 

The options available are fairly standard, but there’s High Roller Blackjack for those looking for high risk/high reward gameplay.

Like blackjack, the roulette options disappoint at PokerStars for those who aren’t in the mood for a Live Casino game. 

Standard European and American Roulette and High Roller Roulette options are the beginning and the end of the selection here. 

This is fine if you’re just looking for a break between poker or slots play. However, true roulette fans will quickly exhaust the site’s limited variety.

It’s rare in the modern day to find a poker-first casino site, but as the name suggests, that’s exactly what PokerStars is. 

Players will be sure to find a wide range of poker games including Deuces Wild, Tens or Better, and Super Jackpot, as well as Pot Limit and No Limit games with various blinds to suit all budgets. 

In case that wasn’t enough, the Tournament section will reveal a smorgasbord of available tournaments that players can jump in on, again with various buy-in amounts. There’s even a poker school if you want to hone your skills before jumping into a real-money poker game!

Deposits and withdrawals can be made in a variety of ways at PokerStars Casino, including bank transfer, debit card, Paysafecard, Entropay, Ukash, and e-wallets including Neteller, PayPal, and Skrill. 

Most of the popular and common payment methods are available here, with only cryptocurrencies, most notably Bitcoin, not being included in the possible methods. 

E-wallets are provided as a deposit method at most online casinos, but it’s rare to find the trinity of Neteller, PayPal, and Skrill all on offer, giving users the full range of top-quality e-wallet choices. 

It is important to note that Paysafecard is only accepted as a deposit option, due to it being impossible to withdraw using this method. All other services listed at the PokerStars Cashier are available for paying in and pulling out money. 

PokerStars can take up to 48 hours to trigger a withdrawal after you make the request. E-wallet payments will then arrive almost immediately after release, while debit card withdrawals can take 3-5 working days to clear.

The delay isn’t the best, with an increasing number of casinos processing withdrawal requests almost immediately these days. However, 48 hours isn’t too long to wait compared to other top casinos.

Design & Usability

PokerStars is a good-looking, easy to navigate online casino site. 

As mentioned above, searching by software provider would be a welcome addition, but beyond that, game categories are well separated. There are three main sections to the site, Poker, Casino, and Sports. Within each of these three sections, there are numerous subsections that are easily located and make it simple to find the game category or title you’re looking for. 

This perfectly suits players who know exactly what they’re looking for, and those looking to browse within a particular set of parameters to find a game that best suits their mood. 

The black, white, and red branding is familiar to most, and this colour scheme is used throughout the site. The execution is pristine, with everything looking sleek, elegant, and professional

Support Options

While there isn’t a direct phone number available to contact PokerStars, players can send an email to the support team. 

Those looking for a quicker response time can use the 24/7 live chat service, while the site’s social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) is another good way to make contact.

There is a poker-focused app for Android users, but those looking to access the PokerStars casino and sports options are best to use their device’s web browser to access the site. 

The mobile site is well laid out, with PokerStars’ minimalist approach to design working particularly well in the mobile environment. 

Some games are not accessible via mobile, but players can still enjoy a decent range of games from a variety of categories.

App Review

PokerStars has a mobile app available, although it doesn’t offer the full functionality of the main site. At this point, the mobile casino app is solely poker-focused, and it’s not yet available for iOS or Windows customers. 

The Android app includes a variety of poker games and tournaments, optimised to look great on a smaller screen. The cashier and customer service options available to desktop players can also be accessed from the mobile app.

It’s a shame that the wider casino, including slots and live casino games, is not currently available via the app, but it’s further proof of PokerStars’ poker-first mentality. 

Poker fans will be very aware of the distinct lack of decent real-money poker apps, so Android players will be delighted by the high quality of PokerStars’ offering.

Loyalty and VIP Rewards

The PokerStars reward programme is known as Stars Rewards. 

Every time you play for real money at PokerStars, you will collect points that fill up a progress bar. Once the progress bar is complete, you’ll win access to a chest. 

These chests range from the Blue chest (£0.60) all the way up to the Black Chest (£42-£700) with each carrying bonus money, free play tokens, and more. 

To get to the next Chest level, you have to unlock 10 chests within 28 days. You need to unlock at least one chest within a 28-day period otherwise your progress bar will reset. 

Some games give fewer points than others, so be sure to check the terms and conditions at the PokerStars site.

Customer Support