The merger between two online gaming giants has been one of the main topics over the past couple of weeks. FanDuel and PokerStars have come together to create a new brand and new platform, officially dubbed PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel, catering to players from several regulated US states.

Now, the new partnership has its eyes set on Ontario, the most populous province and the only one in Canada with a fully regulated online gaming market.

While the launch date has not been fully confirmed as of yet, all signs point to early May, and a recent tweet, as well as the information shared on Discord, hint at May 6 as the day when the new PokerStars on FanDuel Ontario could go live. The date in question is Wednesday, which is the same day the operator chose for its US launch.

What to Expect from PokerStars FanDuel Ontario Launch?

It looks like the launch procedure for the new platform will closely resemble that in the United States. Firstly, the current rewards system on PokerStars ON is being retired, with April 15 being the last day that players can still earn rewards.

Between April 15 and 22, all completed Chests will be paid out, while the incomplete ones will be paid out on a prorated basis.

PokerStars on FanDuel Ontario will be powered by the new software platform that has already debuted in the US. So far, players’ reactions to the new platform have been mixed, as although it has introduced some new features, there have been some connectivity and geolocation issues affecting the overall experience.

The good news for Ontarians is that the operator still has several weeks to iron out these wrinkles, making the wait well worth it.

In the US, FanDuel Poker went all out on the launch, offering a big freeroll series, two Sunday Million events (with $500k guaranteed in each), and is now rolling out its first major festival, the Ignite Series, with almost 90 tournaments and $5,000,000 in guarantees.

While Ontario is a smaller market than the combined PA-MI-NJ network that the site currently operates in the US, it’s safe to assume the launch in the province will feature a similar initial momentum, with perhaps somewhat smaller guarantees.

Beyond this, there will probably be some changes to popular formats like Spin & Go, and the new client doesn’t currently offer mixed games, although this may change down the line.

Will FanDuel Poker Ontario Share Players With the US?

One thing that players on both sides of the border would love to happen is for a poker site to bring together regulated markets in the US and Ontario. The new FanDuel Poker platform certainly seems well-positioned to do so, but this isn’t a development we’ll see in the near future.

There are currently many legal obstacles preventing shared liquidity that would go beyond US borders, and, unlike the MSIGA, this isn’t something that individual states can just decide to do. Likewise, Ontario and Alberta are still fighting a legal battle to connect the two provinces, which means that any cross-border deals are currently not in the cards.

On the bright side, Alberta will be launching its regulated market on July 13, and it will likely launch with the option for operators to merge player pools with Ontario. In that scenario, PokerStars on FanDuel will probably be one of the first sites to jump on the opportunity to create a larger platform.

PokerStars on FanDuel will be a breath of fresh air in the Ontario online poker market that hasn’t seen any major developments in quite a while.