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Visa Debit PokerStars Casino Review
Here at Casino Hawks we follow a step-by-step process to review casinos. This makes sure we cover all aspects of the sites, from licences and bonus offers to how to open a new account in the first place. Here is what you’ll find in this PokerStars Casino review:
- Licences: An online casino’s license is key to judging whether it is one to be trusted.
- Bonuses and offers: Every player wants to know what kind of bonuses they will get when first joining a casino, not to mention the offers they can get if they continue playing
- The process to open a new account: How easy is it to register a new account and start playing?
- Deposit methods: A casino needs to allow for a variety of methods through which to deposit money in your account
- The game selection: While PokerStars is indeed all about poker, does also offer the variety of games expected in a respectable online casino?
- Withdrawals: Eventually you will want to withdraw your winnings. How easy is it to do this, and what methods are available?
- What to do if you run into issues: We finally check how helpful the casino can get should one run into trouble or issues.
- The overall experience: The final opinion on playing at PokerStars
PokerStars Licensing, Safety and Trustworthiness
A casino’s trustworthiness is a top priority for any player – and rightly so, considering they are sharing their personal and payment data with them. As such, one should always check that their online casino of choice has a license with one of the major licensing authorities. In the case of PokerStars the licence comes from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which is one of the most trusted and well-respected in the world.
PokerStars – Complete list of licences
UKGC licence number 39108
What makes PokerStars safe
While the licence is a mark of a trustworthy casino, the site still needs to do more to ensure the player feels safe. Here is how PokerStars does in this regard:
- Safety of funds is guaranteed through to use of well-known payment providers, as well as the latest SSL 128-bit encryption.
- The Privacy Policy details how PokerStars uses your personal data. You can find a link to this at the bottom of each page.
- Third-party testing authority Gaming Labs International regularly audits PokerStars for game fairness.
PokerStars awards and recognitions
PokerStars holds multiple awards to its name, with the most recent being Poker Operator of the Year at the 2021 EGR Operator Awards. It also won two awards in innovation categories at the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2020, specifically in the Innovation in Poker and Innovation in Casino categories.
| PokerStars is as safe as it gets |
|---|
| As mentioned above PokerStars is licensed and regulated by the UKGC, which covers all gameplay and transactions and deems them safe. As such, it should be a name to be trusted by players both old and new in the UK. |
Welcome offers and promos – Grab a bonus at PokerStars
Bonuses are one of the treats one can get when joining an online casino. PokerStars has quite a few of these on offer, so let us guide you through them.
PokerStars New Player Bonus
PokerStars’ casino welcome offer brings both bonus funds and free spins. Join the casino using our link and get 100 free spins. Make a first deposit of £20 or more with the code “FIRST500” and you stand to receive a 100% first deposit bonus of up to £500 + and an additional 50 free spins.
In addition, as soon as your PokerStars account is verified you will get 100 free spins. The first 20 free spins will be sent instantly, followed by the rest within 72 hours. These spins can be used on select slots and do not have a wagering requirement. That said, the spins have a 7-day expiry, while the maximum bet can reach £5 per round.
PokerStars Free Spins Offer
There are a couple of ways through which players can get themselves more free spins at PokerStars. First, there is the Spin of the Day. This is a prize wheel that awards you with tokens. Collected tokens can then be redeemed for prizes that can include free spins as well as cash bonuses.
Next up, every Sunday you can get yourself up to 100 free spins through the Spins Odyssey. For every £60 you wager on slots on that day you unlock 20 free spins. You can do this up to five times each Sunday, bringing you a maximum of 100 free spins. The free spins can be used on select slots, and will expire 48 hours after being credited. In addition, the spins have no wagering requirement or withdrawal restrictions.
Read our roundup for the online casino free spin offers.
PokerStars No Deposit Bonus
PokerStars’ welcome bonus is in part a no deposit bonus, since you get the free spins after verifying your account, without need to first make a deposit.
PokerStars Cashback Bonus
Wednesdays at PokerStars mean cashback bonuses through the Apollo 20% Cashback offer. Every Wednesday you can get back 20% of any losses from playing 100 spins of any of the casino games on offer. You have 24 hours to complete this mission, while the cashback can reach a maximum of £20.
PokerStars Promotions and Tournaments
PokerStars players can expect plenty of tournaments. For instance, there are weekly Drops & Wins tournaments organised with Pragmatic Play. These have monthly prize pots that can reach up to £2,000,000 in the form of cash, multipliers, and free spin to be played on the provider’s slots. There are also daily cash prizes to be won by spinning up the leaderboard!
PokerStars VIP program
While PokerStars doesn’t have an official VIP program, it does have a Rewards program that claims “more value, more transparency, and more ways to win rewards.” Once you opt-in you can earn reward points every time you play real money games or your bets are settled, and once you get enough points you can unlock chests containing personalised rewards. Chests come in 6 different levels – Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Black – and the higher the level the greater the reward inside.
| Plenty of promotions to go around |
|---|
| PokerStars’ selection of promotions should have something for everyone – from free spins to cashbacks and regular promotions! Then there’s the Rewards program, where one can collect points to exchange for prizes such as PokerStars-branded swag. |
How to register a new account with PokerStars
Joining PokerStars casino is as simple as it gets, and can be done using any device. Creating a new account first requires pressing the green “Join” button found on the upper right-hand corner of the screen, before following the instructions in the two-step application. Accept the terms and conditions and confirm your identity and you’ll be ready to head to the races!
Documents and information you need to share with PokerStars to open an account
Like any online casino, you will need to prove your identity to play at PokerStars. You can do this with any of these documents:
- Current passport
- Birth certificate
- Identity card
- Full or photo driving licence
- Utility bill from the last three months
- Current council tax bill
- Bank statement from the last three months
- Mortgage statement from the last year
- Solicitors letter from house purchase or land registry
- Tenancy agreement
- NHS medical card
- Benefit book
- HMRC tax letter from the current financial year
| It’s quick and easy to open a PokerStars Casino account |
|---|
| There’s very little friction in the new account process with PokerStars. The “Join” button can be found on the top of every page, while the registration process is quick and requires limited info – perfect for players who might be worried about handing over too much personal data to an online casino. |
PokerStars payment methods
You will be pleased to know all familiar payment options are available at PokerStars, including debit cards and popular e-wallets. The full list is as follows:
| Payment Method | Min Deposit | Max Withdrawal | Average Deposit Time | Average Withdrawal Time |
| Visa debit | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 3-5 working days |
| Mastercard debit | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 3-5 working days |
| Skrill | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 1-2 working days |
| Skrill 1-tap | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 1-2 working days |
| Neteller | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 3-5 working days |
| PayPal | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 3-5 working days |
| Maestro Card | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | n/a |
| Direct Bank Transfer | n/a | £5,000 | n/a | 3-5 working days |
| Wire transfer | n/a | £5,000 | n/a | 3-5 working days |
| MuchBetter | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 3-5 working days |
| Local bank transfer | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | n/a |
| Apple Pay | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 3-5 working days |
| Paysafecard | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | n/a |
| Neosurf | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | n/a |
| PokerStars TopUp | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | n/a |
| Google Pay | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | 3-5 working days |
| Trustly | £10 | £5,000 | Instant | n/a |
| PokerStars has plenty of payment options! |
|---|
| As you can see in the table above, PokerStars has just about all the payment options a player can wish for. Many online gamblers will be pleased with the choice of e-wallet options, while more traditional players can go for debit cards and even wire and bank transfers. |
Cryptocurrency available at PokerStars
Cryptocurrency is currently not available at PokerStars Casino.
Games you can play at PokerStars Casino
Clicking on “Casino” on top of the PokerStars website takes you to – you guessed it – the casino section, and all the games it has on offer. You can access these titles through a clean and simple interface that’s divided in different sections such as Game of the Week, New games, and jackpot slots, among others
Exclusive Games and Branded Tables
Head to the slots section and you will find a category dedicated entirely to PokerStars-exclusive slots. There are over 140 of these at the time of counting, Top exclusive slots include the Egyptian-themed Tomb of Ra, the explosive action of Pacific Boom II, and the whale-tastic Big Blue Bounty.
Recommended slots to play at PokerStars
The selection of slots available at PokerStars is massive and divided into just 5 categories – Popular, New, Jackpot, Exclusive, and Megaways. Readers will surely be familiar with the classic likes of Rick Wilde and the Book of Dead, Big Bass Bonanza, and Legacy of Dead, while heading to the New section will reveal recently launched slots to those looking for something fresh. As such, slot fans should be more than satisfied here!
Live dealer tables available in PokerStars
Clicking on “Live Casino” in the header takes you, well, to the live casino page and its selection of live dealer games. Like the slots these are divided into different categories, which in this case are Popular, Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat and Sic Bo, Poker, and Game Shows. The game selection also includes a number of exclusives, such as Spin & Win Roulette, PokerStars All Bet Blackjack, and PokerStars Roulette.
Game Shows you can play in PokerStars
You can access the variety of game shows available at PokerStars from the Live Casino section of the games page. A number of favourites can be found here, such as Crazy Time, The Money Drop, and Spin A Win, as well as branded games that included Deal Or No Deal, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Roulette and Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt Live.
Game Providers
Some of the biggest names in the industry provide the slots available at PokerStars, including Stars Studio, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Blueprint, Red Tiger, iSoftBet, Skywind, and Playtech. The live casino games come from Playtech Live and Evolution, while Instant Win Gaming brings a selection of lottery and scratch card titles.
| A Game Selection from the Industry’s Finest |
|---|
| An online casino is nothing without the games on offer, and PokerStars passes this test with flying colours. The slot catalog has some interesting exclusives as well as some of our all-time favourites, while the live casino section allows you to play classic table games without leaving the comfort of your home. These games are further enlivened by the Races, daily and weekly tournaments where you can face other PokerStars players for a chance at big prizes! |
Time to collect your winnings? Here’s how to withdraw your money from PokerStars
Withdrawals from PokerStars are both safe and easy, but do note that any funds deposited to your Stars account or received via transfer from another player need to be wagered before you can withdraw them.
Step-by-step guide on how to withdraw from PokerStars
- Visit the Cashier section of your Stars Account.
- Select the “Withdrawal” option.
- Choose your payment method.
- Input the amount you’d like to withdraw.
- Select “Submit”
An email notification from PokerStars will confirm the transaction has taken place.
Other important information to know when withdrawing
In order to enhance security and protect you from fraud, withdrawals are first processed back to the method used to deposit, before they are applied back to your oldest deposit first and your most recent deposit last. Withdrawals exceeding the total amount deposited are converted to the currency of your last deposit.
| Straightforward withdrawals with PokerStars |
|---|
| You can use nearly all deposit methods for withdrawals at PokerStars, making the process as painless as it gets. That said, keep in mind the casino has the right to use further Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures to determine your withdrawal options. |
PokerStars Customer Support
| Contact: | Average Answer Time | |
| n/a | n/a | |
| phone | n/a | n/a |
| live chat | Via website | 2 minutes |
| @PokerstarsUK | n/a | |
| @PokerStars | n/a |
There is just one way of contacting PokerStars customer support directly, and that is through the “Contact Us” button found in the bottom of the help page. This will pop up a chat window through which you can talk to a customer support agent. The help page does include a fairly extensive selection of articles covering topics such as deposits and withdrawals, special offers, and technical issues, together with a list of the 6 most viewed articles.
| PokerStars’ customer support is unfortunately limited |
|---|
| It has to be said that is difficult to contact PokerStars’ live chat, especially when you’re a new visitor who failed to notice the small green “Contact Us” button found in the bottom of the help page. In case one would rather help themselves the articles found in the help page should cover most issues, but a human touch is preferable when it comes to problems involving one’s money. |
The overall play experience in PokerStars
PokerStars has been around since 2001, and while its focus remains on poker it still knows what one needs to make a great casino. The site, with its striking red and black design, is clean and easy to navigate, with a top menu allowing one to go where they need to quickly. The homepage also lists recommended games and current promotions such as jackpots and Casino Races. In all, it makes for a great user experience.
The mobile experience
There are two ways through which to access PokerStars on your smartphone or tablet – either your device’s browser or the casino’s own mobile app. The mobile casino site is optimised for mobile devices, at least judging from our testing. Meanwhile the app is only available for Android devices, and provides the same online casino experience with touch-optimised controls. You can even make withdrawals and deposits from your mobile device using the Web Cashier function.
| No PokerStars app for iOS users |
|---|
| There is no native iOS PokerStars app, forcing iPhone or iPad users to stick with the browser version. Good thing this works pretty well on the mobile versions of both Safari and Chrome! |
Responsible Gambling
The link to the Responsible Gaming section of the PokerStars website is set prominently right next to the casino’s logo in the upper left-hand corner of the header. The casino provides a full set of tools to help players take control of their gambling, including player verification, risk identification, guidance on responsible gameplay, and self-exclusion tools. They can also control their gaming by setting deposit limits and reminders letting them know how long they have been playing casino games.
| Easy access to responsible gaming options |
|---|
| The prominent location of the “Responsible Gaming” link on the PokerStars homepage makes it easy for users to seek help should they feel they are at risk of problem gambling. |
Awards and Recognition
PokerStars holds multiple awards to its name, with the most recent being Poker Operator of the Year at the 2021 EGR Operator Awards. It also won two awards in innovation categories at the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2020, specifically in the Innovation in Poker and Innovation in Casino categories.
Not Just for Poker Players!
While PokerStars remains a destination of choice for poker fans, its casino offering should more than satisfy fans of all kinds of games! The game collection is as great as ever, payment options are plentiful, and the slick website proves a joy to use. The operator does lose points for its limited customer support options, but other than that, this is as great as online casinos can get.
Other casinos to play at if you like PokerStars
Take a look at these reviews of other top casino brands if you enjoyed PokerStars.