Ontario’s Betting Landscape Shifts Tomorrow as FanDuel and PokerStars Debut Long-Awaited Unified Experience
Posted on: May 6, 2026, 03:25h.
Last updated on: May 7, 2026, 07:19h.
- The PokerStars Ontario app is officially non-operational as of May 7, 2026.
- Access to PokerStars games is now restricted solely to the FanDuel platform for all Ontario users.
- No date has been set for a relaunch of a dedicated poker client while regulatory approvals are pending.
Starting tomorrow, PokerStars Ontario will operate exclusively within the FanDuel ecosystem, marking a major industry contraction that leaves Ontario with only 45 active licensed operators.
Platform Shutdown Tomorrow
Both PokerStars and FanDuel are operated by Flutter Entertainment. The merger applies to PokerStars’ online poker, casino and sports betting operations. The new product will be re-launched as “PokerStars on FanDuel”.
A tweet on PokerStars Ontario X account advised players of the changes taking place, it read:
“PokerStars will no longer be offering Poker, Casino or Sports on our current platform in Ontario as of May 7. Your PokerStars account will remain accessible until June 4, 2026. Any funds not withdrawn from your PokerStars account by June 4 will be sent in the form of a check.”
A second X post said the relaunch date with FanDuel will be announced after they ensure provincial regulatory requirements have been fulfilled.
The PokerStars, FanDuel merger is the latest chapter in a period of market consolidation in Ontario. With the news, the market is down to 45 licensed operators, according to iGaming Ontario.
Pooling Players
FanDuel announced in March that PokerStars would be joining forces with them to become the exclusive home of PokerStars in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ontario.
As part of the U.S. relaunch, players in all three states will be combined into one liquidity pool with their counterparts outside the state.
Under current rules, online poker and paid DFS players in Ontario are geofenced in, unable to play against online players outside the province. The Canadian Gaming Association, GGPoker owner NSUS, and Flutter all challenged that in court.
A decision by an Ontario Court of Appeal last November ruled in their favor. It confirmed the legality of a new “pooled liquidity” model for online gaming, allowing Ontario players to engage with players outside Canada.
Peer-to-peer games including both Ontario and non-Canadian players would mean bigger games, larger prize pools. It would mean a broader selection of tournaments across regulated markets.
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, British Columbia Lottery Corporation and the Atlantic Lottery Corporation appealed that decision to Canada’s Supreme Court in December.
Revenue Jump for Poker in Ontario
The news comes at a time when Ontario just reported one of its highest revenue months for online poker in the province.
According to figures released last week by iGaming Ontario, for March, poker revenue came in at $6.9 million (28% month-over-month increase). That was the second highest since Ontario’s regulated market opened in April 2022. The record high was March 2024, at $7.1 million in revenue.
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