Flutter Entertainment has announced job cuts within its PokerStars team, impacting various regions, including North America. The layoffs were communicated to employees on July 7, although specific regions affected have not been disclosed.
A representative from PokerStars confirmed the organizational changes are part of an ongoing transformation aimed at better integrating the online poker brand with Flutter’s broader portfolio. This shift aims to adapt to the evolving regulatory and competitive environment across multiple markets. "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." The spokesperson assured that support would be offered to those impacted during this process.
Despite the layoffs, PokerStars will maintain its operations in all existing markets without any changes to licensing or market presence. The brand underwent a significant transition recently, relaunching as a FanDuel product in North America. Flutter had acquired PokerStars in 2020 and recently consolidated its U.S. operations by introducing a revamped product titled ‘PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel.’ This new offering allows for a shared player pool across Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Previously, PokerStars had combined player liquidity between Michigan and New Jersey under the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) and expanded this shared pool by adding Pennsylvania at its FanDuel relaunch. The transition to the new platform commenced after the prior U.S. version closed on March 31, with the FanDuel iteration launching on April 1. This integration aligns PokerStars with FanDuel Casino and FanDuel Sportsbook, permitting users to manage a shared wallet across the various gaming formats.
In June, PokerStars also relaunched in Ontario, Canada, after facing delays, which included a gap during which the previous platform was offline. In the U.S., PokerStars now competes with other multi-state online poker operators like BetMGM Poker, BetRivers Poker, and WSOP Online.
The layoffs at PokerStars follow a series of staffing changes at FanDuel, which also saw substantial internal personnel reductions. After the abrupt departure of CEO Amy Howe in May, FanDuel President Christian Genetski assumed her position. Following this leadership change, it was reported that hundreds of staff were affected by layoffs in early June. Soon after, FanDuel’s Managing Director of Casino, Asaf Noifeld, disclosed his plans to leave the company after more than a decade.
Last November, Flutter also executed job cuts in India as it reassessed its operations in light of various challenges, including regulatory changes and increased competition. Additionally, Flutter recently lowered its revenue forecast for 2026, following a 38% drop in global net income for the first quarter. In the U.S., however, revenue rose by 6% year-on-year to $1.76 billion, with iGaming growth reported at 19%. Pokerfuse estimated that PokerStars on FanDuel recorded approximately $2.74 million in gross revenue from its tri-state network in April, marking the first month of the new operational model.
