PokerStars Casino

PokerStars has built a solid reputation over the years. It holds licences in multiple jurisdictions, including the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC – licence number 39108) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA/B2C/213/2011). As it’s licensed in multiple regions, the PokerStars must follow tough regulations on fairness, financial security, and responsible gambling.

A good reputation isn’t just about licences; PokerStars has never been blacklisted or fined. Cybersecurity is another priority, your data here is protected by SSL encryption, there’s also a 2FA which we were pleased to see, we didn’t run into this feature often at all. The casino also encourages responsible gaming with parental control tools like SafeKids and NetNanny, helping block underage access. Of course, there are also checks during the registration which seed out any user under the age of 18.

Players can set deposit and betting limits, take cooling-off breaks, or opt for self-exclusion through GAMSTOP, which blocks access to all UKGC-licensed sites. Casino provides links to support organisations like GamCare, BeGambleAware, and the National Gambling Treatment Service too in case users may need professional support. There’s also a self-check quiz that doesn’t sugarcoat things, and a section debunking common myths about gambling that’s better than most we’ve seen. The site also provides bank-level blocking options, allowing players to restrict gambling transactions directly. We really like how in-depth they went with all this.

PokerStars Casino has 15 deposit methods, all instant and fee-free. Now that’s a quantity we’d like to see!

That said, the casino runs on USD only, so all deposits are converted using PokerStars’ real-time exchange rate. While players can still deposit in GBP, the balance will always be shown in USD, which also affects minimum deposit limits. Instead of a fixed £10 minimum, it adjusts to match $10 USD. Strange thing, there were no warnings about it and we were taken by surprise during our top-up.

PokerStars Deposit Options

I tested this casino by depositing £10 via Visa, which required an OTP confirmation. After the transaction was completed, my balance showed $11.88 instead of GBP due to the currency conversion. Later, I opened the game and the balance switched back to £9.69, so I lost £0.31 in the conversion without any prior warning. Since games run in GBP, I’m confused why they would need to make deposits in USD, what’s worse, no way to opt out of it.

Jordan Conroy Editor

PokerStars Casino presents only several welcome bonuses, including a no deposit option, but when it comes to existing player deals, there’s barely anything. Still, be careful while reading terms, these are quite difficult to read, especially regarding wagering requirements. Some deals require promo codes, so be mindful of that too.

Casino Welcome Bonus

New PokerStars players can claim a 100% deposit match up to £500, plus 50 free spins. All you need to do is deposit £20 or more with the PokerStars promo code FIRST500. Keep in mind, this offer only applies to debit card deposits. eWallets and bank transfers don’t qualify, sadly.

Unlike other casinos that use standard wagering requirements, PokerStars requires players to earn redemption points before withdrawing bonus funds. This system isn’t well explained, we weren’t huge fans of it at all. You must earn 2 redemption points per £1 of Casino Instant Bonus awarded before the bonus expires.

Poker Welcome Bonus

Poker players have a separate PokerStars sign up offer: a £10 in Spin & Go tickets. To claim this, players need to deposit at least £10 using the pokerstars voucher code SPIN. Unlike the casino bonus, this deal applies to more deposit methods, including Apple Pay.

No Deposit Deal

PokerStars has a massive no deposit bonus available to new users – 150 Free Spins on select games. To opt-in and receive the first 50 spins, register Stars account through the Casino page and then verify it. You will get the second batch of 50 in 36 hours and the final 50 spins will arrive within 72 hours after account verification. This promotion is available on debit cards only and wagering requirements do apply to the bonus, so be mindful of that.

Other Promotions

PokerStars doesn’t overload you with bonuses, you won’t find referral code deals here or much reload bonuses. The few offers that are available tend to have decent long-term value, especially if you’re already active across casino or poker:

• Apollo 20% Cashback: Every Wednesday, play 100 spins on any slot and get 20% of net losses back as a Casino Instant Bonus. This one triggers automatically once the spin count is hit, and the bonus lands quickly after. No deposit bonus code needed.
• Slot Challenges: These challenges pop up regularly and revolve around specific games. You’ll usually need to complete a set number of spins or trigger certain features to qualify. Among the rewards you can grab are Casino Instant Bonuses. Slots change often, so you will not get bored.
• Casino Races: Leaderboards that offer prizes based on points earned from playing casino games. Daily and weekly prize pools. When we first went to the Casino Races page it said that they were unavailable but when I checked later they were there, we guess these may take a while to load. Not quite a free spins no deposit deal, but you can grab some extra rounds here.
• Zoom Poker 2x Reward Points: Available through “Early Bird Zoom.” If you’re one of the first ten players to start a 6-Max game (NLH or PLO) with blinds up to $2.50/$5.00, you’ll double your Reward Points. Once the game hits 10 players, you still keep the boost for another 10 minutes. This can be repeated across four entries per stake level, and if the player count drops below 10 again, the boost reactivates indefinitely.
• New Player Challenges: Newcomers get a 16-task challenge board that covers all main poker types. To activate it, just make a real-money deposit and opt in from the Challenges Window within 21 days. After finishing three tasks, you unlock a freeroll ticket valid for 30 days. These freerolls run every Saturday at 15:00 ET and have a $5,000 prize pool. The actual prizes vary from Power Path tickets to up to $1,000 in cash.

PokerStars ties its loyalty Programme to a Chest system built around Reward Points. Any real-money wager fills a progress bar, and once full, that bar cracks open a Chest. The contents are random: bonus funds, free spins, or StarsCoin, with the value increasing as you climb through six tiers: Blue to Black. Five Chests in 28 days moves you up a level, fail to hit that, and you’re dropped to a lower tier with fewer rewards, but lower unlock thresholds too.

Poker players will be the ones who benefit the most from this programme. Players earn 100 points for every $1 spent on rake or tournament fees. Those raking in $50,000 a year qualify for PokerStars Select, a status that gives 50% rakeback paid out daily. At $100,000, that jumps to 60% through Select+, though that level clearly isn’t built for casuals. Meanwhile, slot or table game players won’t find any fixed cashback rates here, which makes it difficult to weigh the system’s value. They explain the earning rates quite well on the dedicated page https://www.pokerstars.uk/casino/redemption-points/.

PokerStars Casino has a massive selection of over 4,000 games, split into slots, jackpots, Megaways, table games, instant win titles, and live dealer options. Not everything gets the same treatment though, some categories feel neglected, like table games and instant games. Bingo is missing altogether, which we found unusual for a casino of this size.

The interface is easy to use but could be better. Games are divided into broad categories, but there’s no real filtering system, so it was difficult to sort through the options. You can use the search bar to look up specific games or providers, but that’s about it. Games open in a pop-up window, not on the webpage which we didn’t like much. If a player forgets to close one before opening another, the site won’t let a new game load.

Performance is solid across all devices. Games load quickly, and there are no major lag issues. One of the biggest letdowns is the lack of demo mode, we really would love to see it here. Most games have a small information page displaying pay lines and features, no RTP information though which is disappointing.

PokerStars Game Options

Let’s see what are the best games on PokerStars for each type.

PokerStars offers 12 withdrawal options, which match the deposit methods. All transactions are processed in USD, meaning transactions made in GBP are converted at PokerStars’ exchange rate. This also affects withdrawal limits, as the minimum amount must meet the $10 requirement rather than a direct GBP equivalent. Processing is advertised as instant, but actual payout times depend on the method used. You can reach out to support easily from the withdrawal screen, but only through the chat, since there’s no phone number available.

I tried withdrawing £8.22, which should have been possible since the stated minimum is £8. The system initially directed the funds to my Visa, but then asked me to choose a method. The Visa option was unavailable, even though my balance met the minimum. I switched to USD, but the same error appeared. After contacting support, I was told that a hidden 3% processing fee meant I needed more than $10 to complete the transaction. The error message didn’t clarify this, just stating that I needed at least $10 in my account, which I already had.

Jordan Conroy Editor

KYC

PokerStars runs an automated verification system, and in our case, the account was approved as soon as we signed up. We didn’t need to submit any documents, but if the system can’t confirm a player’s details, it immediately asks for additional verification upon login. If that happens, there’s no way to access the account until the documents are submitted. Document upload option is available within the “Cashier” section, it takes just a few clicks to submit the files.

While there isn’t a dedicated verification category in the FAQ, there are more than a dozen questions covering the topic, providing detailed info.

PokerStars support is limited to live chat and an FAQ section. Email support used to be available, but has since been removed and there’s no contact number listed. The help page can be accessed by clicking “Help” in the top right corner of the homepage, which redirects to a separate page.

The FAQ section has 11 categories, each with dozens of questions. We found it useful for common issues. All of the questions have detailed answers, providing you with a useful source of info.

Live Chat is the only means of communication here and we really wish it would be easier and faster to access.

Once I clicked the chat button, I was greeted by a digital assistant. I tried asking him manually, but the bot “didn’t understand” my question, so I had to navigate a short menu tree before I could contact an agent. I was waiting for more than an hour to be transferred and still hadn’t talked to an agent. So I decided to quit and rejoin, and this time it took me more than 2 hours to get connected.

I asked about changing my primary currency from USD to GBP, withdrawal limits and support via phone. The responses were clear and polite but lacked extra detail. While my questions were answered, I wasn’t given any additional help or resources.

Jordan Conroy Editor