PokerStars, which for many years has been known as one of the most iconic poker rooms in the world, has now taken a new route: becoming a B2B poker network. Indeed, it has become the PokerStars Network (PSN), similar to the model adopted by iPoker.

On August 13, Betfair moved off the iPoker network to join the new PokerStars Network, the first brand to do so, now operating under the name PokerStars on Betfair and gaining access to PokerStars’ global dot-com player pool.

Later this year, two more sister brands will follow suit, with Paddy Power and Sky Poker also joining the PSN.

There are several key takeaways from this major development — as outlined on Poker Industry PRO — that much of the poker media has either missed or not fully recognized.

1) PokerStars Software is Here to Stay

The first big takeaway is that the iconic PokerStars software is here to stay, and that is very good news.

For more than two years, there had been persistent but unconfirmed speculation that PokerStars planned to retire its own poker software worldwide and move to iPoker, potentially creating its own player pool there. Playtech has long been a partner of Flutter, PokerStars’ parent company and has been the technology provider for Paddy Power and Betfair poker in multiple markets.

When Sky Bet migrated to iPoker last year, it only added fuel to those rumors. PokerStars’ move to iPoker software in North America further fanned the flames.

But now, those rumors can be put to bed. The PokerStars software, which has been live since 2001, is staying. So too are the iconic PokerStars brands and products: from the Sunday Million, Sunday Storm SCOOP and WCOOP to Spin & Go, Zoom and access to a wide variety of mixed games.

2) PokerStars to Consolidate in UK

At the same time, at least for those playing online poker in the UK, PokerStars itself will no longer be the main poker skin later this year. Instead, PokerStars UK will be accessed through Betfair.

“Players in the UK will be migrated onto PokerStars at Betfair later in the year,” the press release announcing the changes said, adding that “both brands will share more detailed information about these changes directly with customers in the coming weeks and months.”

Existing UK players will have their accounts moved over. It remains unclear whether that process will be automatic or whether it could, as happened when PokerStars moved to FanDuel in the US and Ontario, require players to cash out, create new accounts with Betfair and deposit again.

From a poker perspective, the decision is unexpected. PokerStars is arguably a bigger brand than Betfair in the UK, and certainly is when it comes to poker. One might therefore have expected Flutter to follow the model used in Italy, where Sisal is the lead brand but PokerStars continues to operate as its own site.

Outside poker, however, there is logic behind the decision. Flutter presumably sees an opportunity to reduce costs by retiring one UK license in a market where operating costs are increasingly high. Moving players to a brand with a stronger sportsbook and casino offering also makes sense from a broader gambling perspective.

So, yes, PokerStars might no longer be the main skin in the UK, but the poker experience itself will remain the same, with the same games and liquidity available through Betfair. There will also be Sky Poker and Paddy Power, the latter of which could be the leading brand for online poker in Ireland.

3) PokerStars Remains Lead Brand in Europe

More importantly, outside the UK, PokerStars will remain the lead brand in other regulated European markets.

PokerStars is one of the most widely licensed and regulated online gambling brands in Europe. It operates online poker in several European countries that connect to its global player pool: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.

It is difficult to imagine these markets being migrated onto other Flutter brands. PokerStars also has the most robust multi-jurisdictional setup of the four brands, with licenses in both the Isle of Man and Malta, while operating internationally in Canada outside Ontario, South America and other markets.

4) PSN Could Get Bigger

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the creation of the PokerStars Network opens the door to more brands joining the network in the future.

This was one of the points largely missed by other media outlets. “The move reflects a deliberate shift in how PokerStars operates, with the brand focused on rebuilding liquidity in partnership, beginning with other Flutter brands.”

The implication is that, beyond these four Flutter brands, future partnerships could result in more sites joining PSN. That potentially means opening the network to third-party operators.

It is a model used by practically every major online poker network today. GGPoker has arguably perfected it, operating first-party GG skins across the world while also welcoming other operators where it makes sense. That includes Natural8, which targets Asian markets; OlyBet in Lithuania and Latvia; PokerArabia in Lebanon; and Danske Spil in Denmark.

For PokerStars, this could open similar avenues. In markets where operating its own poker room has become too burdensome, PokerStars could potentially work with a local partner instead. In Europe, that could eventually mean finding partners in markets such as the Netherlands, Czechia, Norway, Poland or Latvia. It could also open doors to markets further afield.

A Much-Needed Move

All of this makes the PokerStars Network a potentially very important move for PokerStars — and one that was arguably needed.

Over the past few years, PokerStars has taken a hit in traffic, while tournament guarantees have also fallen. The operator needed to find a way to reverse that trend, and the creation of PSN could be the first step.

For now, the network consists of PokerStars and its Flutter sister brands. But if the model works, 2027 and beyond could see PokerStars bring more operators onto the network, increasing player liquidity, traffic and the overall reach of the PokerStars brand. That could also give tournament guarantees a boost, with SCOOP and WCOOP potentially returning with bigger guarantees in the years ahead and the return of Sunday Million more frequently.