PokerStars: 2026 review

PokerStars is one of the online casinos that, in France, has managed to establish itself among enthusiasts by offering a comprehensive range of options. On this site, it is possible to play online poker, place sports and horse racing bets, follow live events… In short, you can do almost everything there!

In this guide, we invite you to discover everything you need to know about this website. You will find our complete analysis of the offer, the available payment methods, as well as information regarding the welcome bonus and other promotions.

What is the Pokerstars online casino?

PokerStars is one of the most well-known online casinos in France. It is indeed one of the undisputed leaders in this market.

Launched in 2001, the casino became legal in France in 2010 and launched an online poker site. It holds a gaming licence issued by the National Gaming Authority (Autorité Nationale des Jeux), number 0006-PO-2010-06-25.

Since then? This online casino has gradually diversified, now offering horse racing betting and sports betting. More than twenty disciplines to bet on are available today, such as: 

• Football: Ligue 1, Premier League, Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Champions League, Europa League, World Cup, Euro, etc.

• Basketball: NBA, EuroLeague, Pro A, Liga ACB, etc.

• Tennis: Grand Slam (Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open), ATP Tour, WTA Tour, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, etc.

• Ice hockey: NHL, KHL, Ligue Magnus, etc.

• Rugby: Top 14, Pro D2, European Cup, World Cup, etc.

• Volleyball: Ligue A, Champions League, etc.

• Handball: Champions League, French Championship, etc.

• Golf: PGA Tour, European Tour, Ryder Cup, etc.

• Motor sports: Formula 1, MotoGP, etc.

• Combat sports: Boxing, UFC, etc.

What are the pros and cons of PokerStars Casino?

Find our list of the pros and cons of PokerStars Casino in the rest of this guide.

The pros

PokerStars is a complete online casino. You can wager money on sports or horse racing events, or play online poker.

This casino is secure. It holds gaming licences issued by the ANJ, the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission), and many others.

Finally, the site is modern and easy to use. There is a mobile app available on iOS and Android that you can use from anywhere, at any time, for your real-money gaming.

The cons

That being said, the very core of PokerStars' business is and remains online poker. Sports betting is secondary here. There is, for example, no streaming for the "Sports" section, but only for poker. De facto, if you prefer live betting, PokerStars is probably not for you. 

Services and features offered on the PokerStars online casino

On PokerStars, you have the opportunity to do many things. 

Here is a selection of the services, features and products available.

Poker

PokerStars is an online casino which, first and foremost, has specialised in online poker. It is indeed the core activity of this site. Therefore, if you like card games, we can't recommend it highly enough. 

As the market leader, PokerStars allows you to play in free tournaments (freerolls) or paid ones (with micro buy-ins and high rollers), to join cash game tables or to participate in sit & go's.  

Streaming

The PokerStars online casino offers the opportunity to follow live events via streaming. There is no “Live Sport” section. However, poker events are broadcast, such as tournaments or dedicated shows.

Sports betting

PokerStars is a casino that allows you to place a bet on a sporting fixture. Football, rugby, basketball or even MMA… You can place your money on a team, a player, a fighter, whoever you choose. Several types of bets are offered, such as pre-match, live or accumulator bets.

Cash out 

Like almost all online casinos offering sports betting, PokerStars allows you to cash out. Thus, it is possible to: 

• secure part of your winnings before the end of the match by stopping a bet that is going well. This is ideal for anticipating and avoiding a turnaround in fortunes.

• limit your losses if a bet is going badly. Indeed, you can recover a portion of your stake. 

Full or partial cash out is offered here, providing more flexibility!

Responsible gaming

PokerStars is an online casino committed to its players. Signing up and playing, yes, but in a responsible manner.

Right from your registration and at any moment, you will have the possibility to set deposit and gaming limits for yourself over several days (a week or a month) or request temporary or permanent self-exclusion.

How to open an account on PokerStars casino

Opening a player account on PokerStars casino only takes a few moments. Our teams were able to do it in the space of 3 minutes.

Discover how to proceed.

Step 1 - Account opening

To open an account on PokerStars, go to the homepage of the online casino. Click on the “Sign up” button at the top right of the screen (green background). 

You must answer a series of questions, starting with your country of residence.

You will then need to share a username, a password, an email address, your date of birth (without forgetting to check the box confirming that you are of legal age), and then click on “Create an account”. 

More personal information will then need to be shared, such as: 

• your first and last name,

• your place of birth,

• your postal address (number, street, postcode, town).

Step 2 - Identity Verification (KYC)

Verify your identity. This is mandatory and must be done within 30 days of creating your account.

To proceed, you must contact PokerStars customer support from your player area and send a photocopy (front and back) of your ID card as well as proof of address.

If the documents are not sent within the time limit, then your account will be suspended. You have an additional 30 days to proceed, but will not be able to do anything from your player area. Your account will then be deleted.

Step 3 - Make a deposit

Once your registration is validated, you can make your first deposit. On PokerStars, these are immediate and free of charge. 

Several methods are offered, including: 

• Debit card: VISA, Mastercard,

• Traditional bank transfer,

• E-wallets: Paypal, Skrill, Neteller, Neosurf

• Prepaid card: Paysafecard,

• Mobile payment: Apple Pay, Google Pay.

The minimum amount required to proceed is 10 €. This is a low amount and accessible to all bankrolls.

Step 4 - Start playing on PokerStars casino

Once the money is credited to your player area, you can start playing. From there, navigate through the different menu options offered to you: 

• Online poker,

• Sports betting.

Choose the game that suits you best and enter the amounts you are willing to play. Confirm your bets and that's it!

The PokerStars Mobile App

PokerStars has a mobile app. It is fairly lightweight (281 MB) and installs in just a few seconds. It generally works very well and offers the same features as the desktop version of the casino.

However, it seems that the iOS version is more polished. The reviews are generally very positive about it: 

• 3.9/5 for nearly 25,000 votes, on Google Play.

• 4.4/5, for over 55,000 votes, on iOS.

So do not hesitate to download it if you prefer using your smartphone to play and bet your money online.

Bonuses, Bets and Free Tournaments on PokerStars

PokerStars offers two welcome bonuses: 

• 5 € poker bundle, containing ten tickets to register for Power Path Step 1. These tickets must be used within 21 days after receipt.

• 100% up to 100 € on sports betting if and only if the first bet is lost. Note that this must be placed on a single, live or accumulator bet with minimum odds of at least 1.5.

Security and risk management

PokerStars holds two gaming licences issued by the ANJ (Autorité Nationale des Jeux): 

• Online poker: 0006-PO-2010-06-25.

• Sports betting: 0006-PS-2016-06-07.

Player data is protected through the implemented SSL encryption. This helps secure the personal and banking details exchanged between your computer and the casino.

Added to this proven security measure is 2FA (two-factor authentication) as well as KYC (mandatory identity verification) within 30 days.

Finally, as we briefly mentioned earlier, PokerStars allows you to set your own deposit or gaming limits for sports betting or poker. This ensures you do not bet or spend too much, thus keeping you out of the red, financially speaking.

The quality of customer service

There is no issue contacting the customer support of PokerStars casino. A live chat allows you to reach them 24/7.

The second option is to use the contact form. By heading to the dedicated page, you can fill in your name and your request before clicking send. Within 24 to 48 hours, you should receive a reply from their teams. 

Lastly, you can also use the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). This gathers a selection of ten or fifteen of the most commonly asked questions along with their corresponding answers.

Our final review of PokerStars Casino

It is not for nothing that PokerStars has established itself as one of the leading online gaming platforms in France and Europe. It is a very comprehensive casino, with many opportunities to play and bet!

While some areas for improvement have been identified (a fairly light poker welcome bonus, in particular), this site is particularly well designed, with a functional and easy-to-install mobile app.