Who owns PokerStars?
PokerStars is owned by Flutter Entertainment plc, the NYSE-listed betting group. Flutter got PokerStars in 2020 when it took over The Stars Group. The UK site, pokerstars.uk, runs under Stars Interactive Limited, which holds UK Gambling Commission account 39108. The .com site and other national sites use other Flutter companies.
| Ultimate owner | Flutter Entertainment plc (listed (NYSE: FLUT)) |
|---|---|
| Operating company | Stars Interactive Limited, unverified (believed Isle of Man) |
| Licenses | UKGC account 39108 |
| Products | Poker, Casino, Sports betting |
| Website | pokerstars.uk |
| Also runs as | pokerstarsmtairycasino.com, pokerstars.se, pokerstars.dk, pokerstarscasino.dk, pokerstarssports.dk, pokerstars.ee, pokerstars.ro, pokerstarscasino.ro, pokerstarssports.ro, pokerstars.bg, pokerstars.de, pokerstars.be, pokerstars.fr, pokerstarssports.fr, pokerstars.pt, pokerstars.es, pokerstars.it, pokerstars.gr, pokerstarscasino.gr, pokerstarssports.gr, pokerstarsnj.com, pokerstarsmi.com, pokerstars.ca |
| Sister casinos | 21 |
| Fines and actions | 20 |
| Owner proof | verified |
| Last checked | 14 Oct 2026 |
In numbers
- Stars Interactive Limited also runs 1 other gambling brand under the same company and licence.
- Flutter Entertainment plc owns 22 brand families with 60 websites in our data.
- 20 regulator fines against the owner since 2018, about €13 million in total (converted to euros).
- Flutter Entertainment plc has owned PokerStars since 2020.
Who is behind it
Flutter Entertainment was formed in 2016 by the merger of Paddy Power and Betfair. Its 2020 deal for The Stars Group added PokerStars and Sky Betting & Gaming. Flutter is incorporated in Ireland and run from New York.
PokerStars uses different licence holders in different countries. Check the footer of the site you use to see which company you deal with.
License and what it means for you
The UK Gambling Commission is a strict regulator. Players in Great Britain get its rules on identity checks, safer-gambling tools and complaints. Our data believes Stars Interactive Limited is based in the Isle of Man, but we have not confirmed it.
Sister sites
Flutter also runs Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet, Sky Poker, tombola, Sisal, Snai, Sportsbet and FanDuel. In the US, Flutter runs PokerStars US and FanDuel Poker. Sister brands often share back-office teams. A self-exclusion at PokerStars may not cover them.
Fines and regulator actions
The UK Gambling Commission has acted against Flutter companies 4 times in our data. In 2018 Paddy Power Betfair paid £2.2 million over customer-care and anti-money-laundering failures. In 2022 Bonne Terre (Sky Betting & Gaming) paid £1.17 million for sending marketing emails to self-excluded and unsubscribed customers. In 2023 a Paddy Power company paid £490,000 for marketing to self-excluded or vulnerable people. In December 2025 the regulator reported a penalty of about £2 million for spotting signs of gambling harm too slowly. Other actions in our data include: January 2021, Austria's Courts (civil), €1.6 million (PokerStars); June 2019, Sweden's Spelinspektionen, SEK 10 million (TSG Interactive PLC); June 2019, Sweden's Spelinspektionen, SEK 5.5 million (Betfair International plc). The full list is in the table below.
Licences
| Regulator | Type | Valid | Check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| UKGC account 39108 | — | active | register |
What these licences mean for you
- Players in Great Britain get UK rules on identity checks, safer-gambling tools and complaints. GamStop self-exclusion covers all UK-licensed online sites. Self-exclusion: GamStop.
About Flutter Entertainment plc
The world's largest online betting group by revenue, formed when Paddy Power merged with Betfair in 2016 and later absorbed The Stars Group (PokerStars, Sky Betting & Gaming). Recent deals added Italy's Snai (2025) and a majority of Brazil's NSX/Betnacional (2025). FanDuel is its main US brand.
Headquarters: Ireland (incorporated); operational HQ New York, USA · Founded: 2016 · Ownership: listed (NYSE: FLUT)
How we know, and what we could not confirm
How we know: UK site licensed to Stars Interactive Ltd; .com and other national sites use other licensees.
- We have no company registration number for Stars Interactive Limited.
21 sister casinos
Same owner often means the same terms, the same support team and the same payout rules. A self-exclusion at one brand may not cover its sister sites.
Paddy Powerpaddypower.com
Betfairbetfair.com
Sky Betskybet.com
Sky Vegasskyvegas.com
Sky Casinoskycasino.com
Sky Bingoskybingo.com
Sky Pokerskypoker.com
tombolatombola.co.uk
- Sisalsisal.it
Snaisnai.it- Sportsbetsportsbet.com.au
FanDuelfanduel.com- Adjarabetadjarabet.com
MaxBetmaxbet.rs- Betnacionalbetnacional.bet.br closed
Junglee Gamesjungleegames.com- BetStarsbetstars.dk
PokerStars Mobile FRpokerstarsmobile.fr
FOX Betfoxbet.com closed- Betfair Brasilbetfair.bet.br closed
MaxBet Bosniamaxbet.ba
Everything Flutter Entertainment plc owns, with fines and sources →
Regulator fines
| Date | Company | Regulator / court | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-30 | FanDuel (Betfair Interactive US LLC) | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 5,000 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for sep16-30 2026): civil penalty of $5,000 on FanDuel pursuant to an Action in Lieu of Complaint for failing to adhere to a Division directive source |
| 2026-03-31 | FanDuel (Betfair Interactive US LLC) | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 25,000 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for mar16-31 2026): civil penalty of $25,000 against FanDuel pursuant to an Action in Lieu of Complaint for violation of responsible gaming rules source |
| 2026-01-15 | TSG INTERACTIVE SPAIN SA | Spain — DGOJ | EUR 75,000 | Breached responsible-gambling and player-protection obligations. Nominal fine €125.000; reduced to €75.000 after the firm admitted liability and paid early. Case ES 2025/097; DGOJ lists it under 2026. source |
| 2026-01-08 | FanDuel Canada ULC | AGCO (Ontario) | CAD 350,000 | Penalty for failing to identify and report suspicious betting on Czech table tennis matches with match-fixing signs (Oct-Nov 2024). source |
| 2025-12-17 | Paddy Power / Betfair (PPB) | UK Gambling Commission | GBP 2,000,000 | About £2m for failing to spot signs of gambling harm quickly enough (amount approximate as reported). source |
| 2025-07-31 | FanDuel (Betfair Interactive US LLC) | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 2,000 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for jul16-31 2025): $2,000 civil penalty on FanDuel pursuant to a Notice of Violation for an unauthorized promotion source |
| 2025-07-23 | Betfair Interactive US LLC d/b/a FanDuel | USA Pennsylvania — PGCB | USD 40,000 | Consent agreement: failed to license several employees. source |
| 2025-07-10 | TOMBOLA INTERNATIONAL MALTA, PLC | Spain — DGOJ | EUR 9,000 | Did not meet the technical requirements set by the gambling regulations. Nominal fine €15.000; reduced to €9.000 after the firm admitted liability and paid early. Case ES/2025/079; DGOJ lists it under 2026. source |
| 2025-05-28 | TSG Interactive PLC | Spelinspektionen (Sweden) | SEK 7,000,000 | Warning and fine (PokerStars) for anti-money-laundering shortcomings. source |
| 2025-03-25 | TSG Interactive Spain, S.A. | Spain — DGOJ | EUR 100,000 | Used technical systems that were not approved, e.g. moving gambling data to a new data centre without approval. Nominal fine €125.000; reduced to €100.000 after the firm admitted liability and paid early. Case ES/2025/002; DGOJ lists it under 2025. source |
| 2025-03-11 | TSG Interactive Spain, S.A. | Spain — DGOJ | EUR 60,000 | Did not meet the technical requirements set by the gambling regulations. Nominal fine €100.000; reduced to €60.000 after the firm admitted liability and paid early. Case ES/2025/017; DGOJ lists it under 2025. source |
| 2024-02-15 | FanDuel (Betfair Interactive US LLC) | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 2,000 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for feb1-15 2024): $2,000 civil penalty on FanDuel pursuant to a Notice of Violation for violation of rules regarding patron wagering source |
| 2023-05-25 | PPB Counterparty Services (Paddy Power) | UK Gambling Commission | GBP 490,000 | Sent marketing to self-excluded or vulnerable consumers. source |
| 2023-04-24 | Betfair International plc | Spelinspektionen (Sweden) | SEK 4,000,000 | Warning and fine for offering bets on a Swedish U21 football league, which is not allowed. source |
| 2022-03-09 | Bonne Terre Limited (Sky Betting & Gaming) | UK Gambling Commission | GBP 1,170,000 | Marketing emails sent to self-excluded and unsubscribed customers. source |
| 2022-02 | Sportsbet Pty Ltd | ACMA (Australia) | AUD 2,508,600 | Infringement notice for spam breaches: marketing emails and SMS sent without consent or without a working unsubscribe facility (Jan 2020 to Mar 2021). Also an enforceable undertaking and about A$1.2m in customer refunds. source |
| 2021-01-01 | PokerStars (Flutter group) | Austria — Courts (civil) | EUR 1,600,000 | Civil court order to repay one player's online casino and poker losses, because the operator had no Austrian licence. A court judgment, not a regulator fine; date approximate. source |
| 2019-06-26 | TSG Interactive PLC | Spelinspektionen (Sweden) | SEK 10,000,000 | Warning and fine for taking bets on matches with under-18 players. source |
| 2019-06-26 | Betfair International plc | Spelinspektionen (Sweden) | SEK 5,500,000 | Warning and fine for taking bets on matches with under-18 players. source |
| 2018-10 | Paddy Power Betfair | UK Gambling Commission | GBP 2,200,000 | Customer-interaction and AML failures; stolen money gambled on Betfair exchange. source |
Ratings elsewhere
- Trustpilot: read the reviews there
Ratings from other websites, with their source. We do not copy their reviews, and they do not change our facts.
Questions and answers
Who owns PokerStars?
Flutter Entertainment plc, since its 2020 takeover of The Stars Group.
Is PokerStars licensed in the UK?
Yes. Stars Interactive Limited holds UK Gambling Commission account 39108.
Do PokerStars and Sky Poker have the same owner?
Yes. Both belong to Flutter.
Sources
- https://www.flutter.com/our-business/our-brands/
- https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/downloads/business-licence-register-domain-names.csv
- https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/downloads/business-licence-register-businesses.csv
Last checked 14 Oct 2026. How we check facts. Gambling can be addictive. Help: BeGambleAware, GamStop, Gamblers Anonymous.