Poker Stars Casino review
PokerStars is a well-known online gambling brand. It launched in 2001 as a poker-focused site; following a change of ownership in 2015, it added a casino section alongside its poker offering.
A casino account gives members access to thousands of online casino games, a large online poker network and the Bet Stars sportsbook. The review describes multilingual apps for desktop and mobile, as well as instant play in a web browser across platforms.
Poker Stars Casino
100% up to €500 + 50 Free Spins
Bonus code: BUNDLE100
Minimum deposit: $10
Wagering: based on Redemption Points
The review describes a wide range of casino games from providers including Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, BTG, NYX and Blueprint. It lists more than 800 slots, plus a smaller selection of virtual table and card games, including blackjack, roulette, poker, video poker and baccarat.
Features
The review praises the site's simple layout, designed for desktop and mobile. It says the downloadable apps are just as easy to navigate as the browser version. Games are available in free-play and real-money formats, except for live dealer titles.
According to the review, PokerStars casino race slot tournaments run around the clock. A Poker Stars casino account also connects to the Poker Stars multiplayer poker room and sportsbook.
Highlights
- Over 800 video slots
- Mobile-friendly design
- Downloadable app or instant play
- A wide choice of bonuses
- A long-established brand
- A guide to playing
- Desktop app available
Disadvantages
- No craps tables
- Mixed support feedback
- No live chat for UK players
- Wagering terms can be complicated
Poker Stars Casino at a glance
| Online | Since 2017 |
|---|---|
| Licence |
| Software | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Stars Group |
MORE DETAILS
| Restricted countries | |
|---|---|
| Currencies | US Dollars (USD), Euro (EUR), Canadian Dollars (CAD) and British Pounds (GBP) |
| Language | |
| Support | Email, live chat, FAQ |
| Contact | [email protected] |
PAYMENTS & CASH-OUTS
| Deposit methods | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10 |
| Minimum withdrawal | €20 |
| Withdrawal limits | Not stated |
| Payout timeframes | E-wallets: 24 hours Credit / Debit Cards: 3-5 days Bank Transfers: 3-7 days Cheques: 7-15 days Pending Time: 24-48 hours |
Brand history
PokerStars launched in 2001 as Rational Enterprises, which Amaya Inc acquired in 2014. Amaya adopted the name The Stars Group in 2017 and partnered with Microgaming; its Quickfire platform was later integrated into the casino. Flutter Entertainment agreed to acquire The Stars Group in 2019.
Licensing, security and fair play
Stars Interactive held gambling-related licences and permissions across 17 jurisdictions. The review describes separate European and UK entities: in the UK, Stars Interactive Limited held a United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence. In Europe, Stars Interactive operated Rational Intellectual Holdings Limited and TSG Interactive Gaming Europe Limited; the latter held a Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licence.
The review says PokerStars used separate websites for UK, North American and European players outside the UK, and reports that each was licensed. It also says processes covered the casino’s RNGs, player financial accounts, member privacy and online security, describing these measures as safeguards for safety and trust. These historical claims do not establish authorization in Canada.
The review also refers to a certificate from Gaming Laboratories International, LLC (GLI), stating that Stars Interactive Limited’s Random Number Generators (RNGs) had been tested against industry standards.
Bonuses and promotions
Poker Stars is described as providing members with a wide selection of recurring casino promotions intended to add value to membership.
Welcome Bonus
According to the review, the welcome bonus differed between the UK and Europe. PokerStars updates its promotions frequently, so the offers described may have changed.
UK welcome bonus
On a first deposit using bonus code ‘BUNDLE100’, players receive 50 free spins and a 100% deposit match, up to $500.
Poker Stars EU welcome bonus
For players in other European countries, the review describes a bonus paid in US$. Across 3 deposits, it lists a maximum deposit match of $1,500 and up to 2,020 free spins.
- 1st deposit: Get a match up to $500 with 'WELCOME1' and 20 free spins on progressive jackpot slots with $1 million jackpots
- 2nd Deposit: receive a match of up to $500 with code 'WELCOME2', plus a mystery chest with a chance to contain up to 1,000 progressive jackpot free spins
- 3rd deposit: Get a deposit match up to $500 with 'WELCOME3' and another mystery chest, with a chance to receive up to 1,000 more progressive jackpot free spins
Each reward has a 1 month redemption period. After claiming the initial welcome bonus, each subsequent deposit must be made within 14 days of the previous one.
Wagering rules
The review says each bonus must be cleared within 28 days. Once you earn 50 ‘redemption points’, $10 is released as cash. Since games award ‘redemption points’ at different rates, calculating the wagering needed can be complicated.
- Slots points depend on the slot’s RTP. A game with an RTP of 96.64% - 96.95% awards 1 ‘redemption point’ for every $10 wagered
- Video Poker point rates vary by game. Bonus Deuces Wild awards 1 ‘redemption point’ for every $14 wagered, the lowest requirement
- Roulette awards 1 ‘redemption point’ for every $12 staked on RNG-operated games
- VIP Blackjack awards 1 ‘redemption point’ for every $53 wagered on RNG-operated games
The review directs readers to the welcome bonus page for the full game-by-game points table, available through the ‘redemption points’ link.
PokerStars says jackpots won with free spins are paid as cash, without wagering or withdrawal conditions. The review says other free-spin winnings are credited as a ‘Casino Instant Bonus’ and require 20 ‘redemption points’; all spins must be used within 7 days of receipt.
More promotions
The review describes Poker Stars as offering generous recurring promotions and seasonal campaigns for Thanks Giving, Christmas, New Years, Easter, Halloween, and winter or summer.
Stars Trivia: Members can enter daily prize draws for free. According to the description, entrants answer questions for a share of the prize pool, paid as cash rewards.
Random Casino Rewards: Logging in may trigger a surprise chest containing free spins, cash or instant bonuses.
The review also mentions giveaways such as ‘spin of the day’, which it describes as guaranteeing a prize. It further claims that Poker Stars casino guarantees a progressive jackpot win every day; this is a claim made in the review.
Loyalty Rewards
According to the review, a progress bar in the account fills as members wager on real-money games. When it is full, the chest is ready, with rewards tailored to the member’s gaming style.
Members also earn reward points, which can be converted to cash or exchanged for merchandise, cash or race tickets through StarCoins. The review describes 6 chest tiers, with rewards increasing in value and size. Level 1 is the blue chest with $0.60; Level 6 is the Black Chest, worth between $35 and $700 in free cash. Members can move up or down a chest tier.
Payment Options
The review says visitors logging in from Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland or the UK are shown the deposit and withdrawal methods available in their country.
Depositing
To deposit, the review says members should open the cashier, enter an amount and choose a payment method. Methods said to be available in many countries include VISA, MasterCard, Maestro Card, Neteller, Skrill, Giropay, Rapid Transfer, Sofort, Paysafecard, MuchBetter, Trustly, ecoPayz, Neosurf, EPS, Local Bank Transfer, WebMoney and Online Bank Transfer. PayPal and Mobile bill are listed for Ireland and the UK. Direct Bank Transfer and WIRECASHOUTS are identified as unavailable for deposits.
Deposits are credited once approved by the payment provider. The stated minimum deposit for most listed methods is $10.00.
Withdrawals
PokerStars does not publish a maximum withdrawal amount, although the review notes restrictions related to processing times. Available withdrawal methods vary by country. Direct Bank Transfer and WIRECASHOUTS are listed as withdrawal options.
The review says withdrawals are not available through Paysafecard, Rapid Transfer, Neosurf, Mastercard, Local Bank Transfer, EPS, Sofort, Maestro Card, Online Bank Transfer, Trustly, Sofort, Mobile bill or Giropay. Other options listed under ‘Making a Deposit’ may be used for withdrawals, usually with a $20.00 minimum.
The review gives processing estimates of 24 hours for e-wallets, 3 to 5 days for debit/credit cards, and 3 to 7 days for bank transfers.
Game catalogue
The review groups games under 5 main menu options: ‘Home’, ‘ Casino Races’, ‘Slots’, Live Casino’ and ‘Card & Table’. It also describes switching between ‘Poker Stars’, ‘Poker Stars Casino’ and ‘Bet Stars’. These menus lead to the casino’s game listings.
The home page groups titles into categories such as ‘Game of the Week’, ‘Featured’, ‘New’, ‘Card & Table’, ‘Casino Races’, ‘Slots’, ‘Daily Jackpots’, ‘Megaways’, ‘Exclusive’, ‘Live Casino’, ‘Book Shelf’, ‘Gold Rush’, ‘Vegas Slots’, ‘Classic Slots’ and ‘Video Poker’. The supplied text starts to mention themed slots but does not name a theme.
A search tool helps players find games.
Game Providers
The review lists established slot and table game studios on the Poker Stars casino site, including Playtech, Microgaming, NetEnt, Quickspin, BTG, Leander Games, Playson, 2 by 2, NYX, Blueprint Gaming, Games Warehouse, Push Gaming, RTG, Live 5 Gaming and The Games Company.
Slots
The catalogue is described as containing more than 800 slot titles, with sorting options for ‘Popular’, ‘New’, ‘Jackpot’, ‘Exclusive’, ‘Megaways’, ‘Vegas Slots’, ‘Recommeded’ and ‘Recently Played’.
Games highlighted in the review include Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Starburst, Dead or Alive II, Immortal Romance, Jumanji, Twin Spin, Big Bad Wold, Vikings, Ted, Narcos, 3 Blind Mice, Monopoly and Spartacus.
More than 160 listed slots are said to feature progressive jackpots. Examples include Microgaming’s Mega Moolah, Playtech’s Age of Gods, The Goonies and Deal or No Deal Megaways from Blueprint Gaming, and PokerStars’ own UFC Main Event jackpot game.
Table Games
The review describes the ‘Card & Table’ section at Poker Stars Casino as a weaker part of the catalogue, with a relatively short list. It includes single-player or multiplayer blackjack and roulette, plus heads-up hold’em in either format. Other games named are classic blackjack, Playtech premium blackjack, lightning Roulette First Person and baccarat.
This section also includes 14 video poker titles, which the review suggests would be better placed in a separate category.
Live Dealer Casino
The review describes a polished live dealer section with a broad selection of table games, streamed over fast connections using high-definition webcams. Tables include live chat to interact with dealers and croupiers, and some are run in different languages.
Live dealer games can be filtered by ‘Popular’, ‘Game Shows’, ‘Roulette’, ‘Blackjack’, ‘Baccarat and Sic Bo’, ‘poker’ or ‘ Other’.
The roulette selection features Roulette, Lightning Roulette, American Roulette and Poker Stars Roulette. The blackjack section offers 3 games: Blackjack, Free Bet Blackjack and Infinite Blackjack. Live dealer game shows include Monopoly, Football Studio, Side Bet City and Dreamcatcher.
Baccarat and Sic Bo options include Baccarat, Dragon Tiger and Super Sic Bo. The poker section offers Three Card Poker, 2 Hand Casino Hold’em and two progressive jackpot live dealer poker games: Casino Hold’em and Texas Hold’em Bonus. The ‘Other’ category includes Lightning Dice.
Mobile casino
The review says PokerStars serves mobile players through Quickfire’s multi-platform delivery system. It mentions downloadable Android and iOS apps; other devices can access the casino through instant play.
Instant play works in supported browsers such as FireFox, Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer. The review lists Android, iOS, Blackberry and Windows Mobile as systems whose users can access Poker Stars Casino in a browser away from a computer.
Help and Support
The review says support options differ by region. UK players are listed as having email support through a form; European players are said to have live chat and email, with greater satisfaction reported. Overall, feedback about PokerStars customer support is described as less than enthusiastic.
- Live chat
- Email support
- FAQ section
Getting started at Poker Stars Casino
Poker Stars is presented as a desktop and mobile casino, with apps for both and an instant-play option for operating systems that support a web browser.
The review highlights the welcome and recurring bonuses, along with Stars Rewards, as ways for members to receive bonus funds. It also notes that progressive jackpot winnings from free spins are described as having no restrictions.
The catalogue may appeal to slot fans: the review counts more than 800 themed titles from several providers, with varied features and bonus rounds. It also points to a substantial progressive jackpot selection, while the suggestion that a jackpot could make someone an overnight millionaire is promotional language, not a prediction.
For table and card games, the review describes several versions of blackjack, poker and roulette. It concludes that Poker Stars is a well-rounded online casino with organized management.
