PokerStars Alberta: PokerStars on FanDuel Plans a Return 10 Days After Its Oct. 13 Exit
Updated on October 25, 2026.
PokerStars is coming back to Alberta. On Friday, Oct. 23, PokerStars on FanDuel told players in the province that its desktop client and mobile apps are coming “shortly,” 10 days after PokerStars closed its international poker room there. The notice gave no launch date, and old PokerStars accounts will not carry over.
Quick summary
- PokerStars on FanDuel announced on Oct. 23 that it will return to Alberta, without a date.
- You will need a new FanDuel account: old PokerStars accounts won’t move to the new platform.
- PokerStars closed its international poker room for Alberta on Oct. 13, 2026.
- 888poker opened the province’s first regulated poker room the same day, with an Alberta-only player pool.
- Shared tables with Ontario are not in place, and the Supreme Court of Canada has not ruled on international pools.
When is PokerStars coming back to Alberta?
There is no date yet. The notice PokerStars on FanDuel sent Alberta players on Oct. 23 said only that the desktop client and mobile apps “will be coming shortly,” according to Pokerfuse. USPoker reported that the message “carried no launch date and no other details.”
The brand is new to Alberta, but not to North America. PokerStars on FanDuel already runs poker in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ontario. Flutter, which owns both brands, is bringing its regulated poker in the region under the FanDuel brand, and Alberta will be the latest addition.
The return comes after a quick exit. PokerStars pulled its sports betting and casino products from Alberta on July 13, the day the province’s regulated market opened, according to USPoker. Its international poker room stayed open until Oct. 13, a key deadline in the new market.
Do you need a new account for PokerStars on FanDuel?
Yes. Both Pokerfuse and USPoker report that there will be no migration of old PokerStars accounts. To play when the poker room opens, you need a FanDuel account, and you can already create one through the FanDuel Casino site.
Pokerfuse says a poker welcome bonus will likely be announced later. Don’t count on any specific offer until FanDuel publishes it.
Alberta online poker: where things stand
For now, 888poker is the only regulated poker site in Alberta. It went live on Oct. 13 with cash games in Hold’em and Omaha and tournaments that include Mystery Bounty and Knockout events, according to PokerNews. An 888 spokesperson told Poker Industry PRO that the pool “covers Alberta only and does not include Ontario.”
That small player pool is the main question for Alberta players. Pokerfuse expects PokerStars on FanDuel to launch with an Alberta-only pool as well. The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) told Poker Industry PRO it is “actively looking at shared liquidity pools within Canada,” but it has not announced a deal.
A bigger case is still open. On Oct. 7, the Supreme Court of Canada heard about three hours of argument on Ontario’s plan to let its players compete against international players, and it reserved its decision, according to USPoker. Alberta intervened in support of Ontario. The court has not said when it will rule.
Date (2026) | What happened in Alberta |
|---|---|
July 13 | Regulated market opens with 22 licensed sites; PokerStars removes sports betting and casino |
Oct. 7 | Supreme Court of Canada hears the Ontario shared-liquidity case; Alberta supports Ontario |
Oct. 13 | PokerStars closes its international poker room; 888poker launches the first regulated poker site |
Oct. 23 | PokerStars on FanDuel announces its return, with no date |
The market is growing fast. After the Oct. 13 deadline, Alberta had 50 licensed websites run by 29 companies, and AiGC chief executive Dan Keene expects 10 to 15 more sites before the end of 2026, according to USPoker.
What it means for players in Canada
If you live in Alberta, the regulated options are the sites licensed in the province: today that means 888poker for poker, with PokerStars on FanDuel to follow. Many international rooms don’t accept players located in Alberta or Ontario, and each room checks your location when you sign up. Our guide to online poker in Canada explains how the rules work in each province.
Outside Ontario and Alberta, provinces such as British Columbia and Quebec offer poker through government-run sites, and many players there also use international rooms that accept Canadians. These rooms are not licensed by your province, so check the rules where you live before you play. Many players deposit with crypto, and games usually run in US dollars.
If you play at one of our partner rooms for Canada, rakeback returns part of the rake you pay each month. For example, if you open your account through the button in our Betsson Poker review and message us on Telegram, you can receive 40% rakeback, paid monthly, under the room’s terms. You can compare all the rooms in our list of the best online poker sites, and see what rakeback is and how it’s calculated.
This article is for information only and is not legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
Is PokerStars available in Alberta?
Not right now. PokerStars closed its international poker room for Alberta players on Oct. 13, 2026. On Oct. 23, it told players it will return as PokerStars on FanDuel, but it has not given a launch date.
Will my old PokerStars account work on PokerStars on FanDuel?
No. Old PokerStars accounts will not move to the new platform, according to Pokerfuse and USPoker. You need a FanDuel account, which you can already open through the FanDuel Casino site.
Where can I play regulated online poker in Alberta?
For now, 888poker is the only regulated poker site in Alberta. It opened on Oct. 13, 2026, with a player pool limited to people located in Alberta.
Will Alberta players share tables with Ontario?
Not yet. The Alberta iGaming Corporation says it is "actively looking at shared liquidity pools within Canada," but no agreement with Ontario or any other province has been announced.
Sources
- Pokerfuse: PokerStars on FanDuel is coming back to Alberta
- USPoker: PokerStars on FanDuel plans Alberta return as the province’s only poker pool stays ring-fenced
- PokerNews: 888 Poker becomes first to launch regulated online poker in Alberta
- Pokerfuse: PokerStars exiting Alberta on October 13
Play responsibly. 18+ only, and check the legal age where you live.
Who writes this
The RakebackPokerWorld team: professional poker affiliates since 2017, more than 20,000 players helped. We test rooms, payments and rakeback before recommending them.
