PokerStars

PokerStars is owned by Stars Interactive Limited, a gambling operator working from the Irish Sea island of Isle of Man. They are now also a part of the Flutter Group. Its head office is located at Douglas Bay Complex, King Edward Road, Onchan, IM3 1DZ. PokerStars is a safe site for UK players because it is fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) with license number 39108.

License Information

Licence Violations

Stars Interactive Limited may be a very safe site to gamble on because they have no known licence violations. Keep a constant eye on this page, which will be updated whenever such a licence violation occurs.

Introduction to PokerStars

PokerStars is the dominant force in world poker, ruling over it since the site’s inception in 2001. It is estimated that PokerStars’ lowest amount of traffic is still twice as high as its nearest competitor’s peak traffic. The number of cash players online is almost always over 10,000 at any given time. But why do PokerStars continue to pull in such a huge amount of traffic?

There is a lot of debate about what has allowed PokerStars to grow into the behemoth that it is today. Commentators usually point towards the great variety of game options backed by incredible bonuses that help you to get started.

PokerStars is also widely considered to have the best software of any poker provider, particularly since it purchased Full Tilt in 2016. This great software has been optimised for mobile and desktop devices, meaning you should have a fantastic experience however you like to play. On your mobile, you can choose to play on the website, or you can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for Android devices.

Welcome Bonus

Casino Bonus	100 free spins and 100% first deposit match up to £200
Wagering Requirements	Earn 5 “redemption points” for every £1 of bonus.
Time to Wager	Seven days.

At first glance, PokerStars’ welcome bonus is very generous. By using the code “FIRST200”, you can get 100% on your first deposit up to £200 and 100 free spins. This is a great start for your bankroll and gives you a chance to explore some sections of the PokerStars website.

However, this potential is limited because the free spins and deposit match bonuses can be used anywhere on the website but only contribute 100% towards the wagering requirements if you play on certain popular slots. These are Big Bass Bonanza, Big Blue Bounty, Cashzuma, Eye of Horus Megaways, Book of Dead, Gates of Olympus, Legacy of Dead, and Starburst.

One thing that should be noted is that the wagering requirement will be confusing for many players. Instead of simply requiring players to wager their bonus a certain number of times, you must earn five redemption points for every £1 of bonus to complete the wagering requirement.

The number of redemption points on offer varies depending on what part of the website you are playing on. American Roulette has the best turnover of redemption points at $6 per point. Meanwhile, Premium Blackjack has the worst turnover at 1 point per $97 wagered.

Furthermore, this bonus is only available to players making an initial deposit of £20 or more. Therefore, this deposit is out of reach for the majority of low-stakes players.

Online Casino Games

PokerStars has a huge variety of top-quality slots that are envied by its competitors. There are hundreds on offer, but if you don’t know where to start, then you can choose PokerStars recommendations by navigating to the site’s PokerStars Picks section. At the time of writing in July 2023, its recommended games were Amazon Rayne and the Wheel of Wealth, Razor Shark, Gold Cash Free Spins, Book of Tribes, and Fire and Roses Joker.

All of these games are secure and fair. PokerStars makes use of standard SSL data encryption and more to keep your data safe. The games themselves use a random number generator (RNG) which ensures that the outcome of the spins is always random. This system continues to be reviewed on a regular basis by Gaming Labs Certified, which is one of the most reputable game testers in the industry.

You can also enjoy a diverse live casino which will allow you to play games live with an entertaining professional host. They have Evolution Gaming’s offerings like Blackjack and a range of other game shows and traditional table games.

It is not just the casino games that will get customers excited. PokerStars, of course, has unrivalled opportunities to play poker. It has games across a range of stakes, with a $1 million guaranteed tournament every Sunday. This site also has the rights to the most WSOP satellites of any platform, so it could be your ticket to join the greatest poker event in the world.

Furthermore, the huge player base means that all tournaments are well populated, which allows PokerStars to experiment with rare forms of poker. This includes seldom-seen cash formats like Draw and H.O.R.S.E.

Sportsbook

PokerStars goes further than a lot of UK casinos and poker sites by offering a comprehensive betting site. It specialises in sports from across the world, offering great markets in football, tennis, basketball, golf, and cricket for both women’s and men’s sports. The site also allows you to bet in advance or in play.

These markets are exceptionally well organised to give you immediate access to the biggest sporting events in the world. At the time of writing, you could instantly make bets on Wimbledon 2023, The Ashes, UEFA Champions League and Conference League Qualifiers, and PDC World Matchplay.

PokerStars’ sportsbook also excels because it constantly offers promotional odds and accumulators on the front page of the sportsbook. For example, for a prominent tennis game, it might offer an accumulator for a player to break their opponent’s serve first, win the first set, and win the match.

How To Play PokerStars

Getting started on PokerStars could not be easier.

Navigate to PokerStars

First, click the button below to get onto the site, or download the app onto your Android or Apple phone.

Create an Account

Next, you will need to make your account. Select “Join” in the top-right corner of your screen and follow the instructions.

Deposit and Get the Bonus

You are now ready to make your first deposit. Remember to use the code “FIRST200” to get the welcome bonus!

Start Playing

With your bonus and bankroll on your Pokerstars account, you can start exploring all sections on the website.

PokerStars Review Summary

There is a reason that poker and non-poker gamblers alike continue to flock to PokerStars. While it naturally offers a great and diverse poker experience, it is definitely not limited to poker. On the site, you can find brilliant slots, live casino features, and more.

Another great aspect of playing on such a prominent site is that you are guaranteed a consistent and high-quality level of customer service. It has a very helpful FAQs section, but you are always welcome to contact 24/7 customer support if needed. The team will be reachable by email, but unfortunately, there is no live chat feature available unless you are logged into an account.

However, a few factors continue to let PokerStars down. The foremost is a welcome bonus which is highly restrictive and only available to players who are comfortable committing a substantial amount of their hard-earned cash to the platform early on. The redemption points system also appears to be a way to make the wagering requirement more confusing so that fewer players are able to withdraw money from their bonus earnings.

As the world’s biggest poker site in the world, hundreds of online commentators have written reviews about PokerStars. Our review score is the average of the reputable reviewers’ scores listed below.

Scams.info	4/5
Olbg.com	3.6/5
AskGamblers.com	3.99/5