Flutter Entertainment is conducting a round of layoffs to its PokerStars team across multiple jurisdictions, the poker brand confirmed to SBC Americas on Tuesday.
Affected employees were informed on July 7. The operator did not confirm exactly which regions are impacted, but some North American positions have been affected.
“PokerStars can confirm that it is proposing a number of organizational changes as part of its ongoing transformation program, which includes integrating its online poker offering with Flutter’s leading brands to better serve customers,” a PokerStars spokesperson told SBC Americas. “This reflects a broader shift to a more locally focused operating model, as the business responds to an increasingly complex regulatory and competitive landscape across many of the markets in which it operates.
“While we have sought to minimize the impact on colleagues, including through opportunities for redeployment, the proposals will unfortunately result in a number of roles being affected. We are communicating with those impacted as part of the process and will provide them with the support they need throughout.”
PokerStars, which is now a FanDuel product in North America rather than a distinct and separate entity, will continue to operate across all of its markets with no changes to licensure or market presence.
Pivots at PokerStars
Flutter acquired longstanding online poker brand PokerStars in 2020. Earlier this year, the parent company united its two U.S. facing gaming brands with a retooled ‘PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel‘ product, complete with a shared player pool across three states:
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
PokerStars already pooled players from Michigan and New Jersey under the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), but added Pennsylvania to the shared liquidity upon relaunching with FanDuel.
The previous U.S. platform shut down on March 31 and the new rolled-in FanDuel version hit the market on April 1. The integration placed PokerStars within the same platform as FanDuel Casino and FanDuel Sportsbook in its North American markets, with users able to share a wallet across the verticals.
It subsequently also relaunched as a FanDuel product in Ontario in June after some delays, including almost a month of offline time in the Canadian province between the old platform ending play and the FanDuel version going live.
PokerStars on FanDuel competes with other multi-state online poker brands in the U.S., such as BetMGM Poker, BetRivers Poker and WSOP Online.
Flutter has reevaluated PokerStars’ operations in recent years amid headwinds such as local regulatory changes and intensifying competition. It positioned the new layoffs as part of the next phase of its transformation, with a focus on aligning PokerStars’ organizational structure and moving to a regional, localized model.
PokerStars cuts follow FanDuel exits
The downsizing comes on the heels of significant internal personnel changes at FanDuel, including that company’s own round of layoffs.
After CEO Amy Howe left abruptly in mid-May and was replaced in the role by FanDuel President Christian Genetski, the U.S. sports betting and casino giant confirmed to SBC Americas in early June that it underwent a round of job cuts that reportedly affected hundreds of staff.
Shortly afterward, FanDuel’s Managing Director of Casino Asaf Noifeld announced plans to step down after more than a decade with Flutter, first at PokerStars and then at FanDuel.
Meanwhile, Flutter implemented a series of job cuts of its own in India last November.
The various changes come amid Flutter lowering its full-year revenue guidance for 2026 after company-wide global net income fell 38% in the first quarter.
