PokerStars Ontario Review

This PokerStars Ontario Review was made to check if this online betting platform is worth your attention. What if it is the perfect choice for you? To help you decide, we created this in-depth PokerStars guide. Read along as we dive into the full details.

Is PokerStars Legal In Ontario?

PokerStars is one of the leading poker sites to launch in Ontario after the province legalized online casino betting and sports betting.

The gambling site is operated by TSG Interactive Canada Inc, a company registered in Ontario and licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario under license no. OPIG1232716.

PokerStars Ontario Overview

Features	Details
PokerStars license number	OPIG1232716
Types of casino games	slots, table games, live dealer games, instant wins, game shows, online poker
Betting markets	moneylines, spreads, totals, prop bets, futures
Number of sports	Over 25 sporting events and numerous betting markets
Live betting	Yes
Customer support	e-mail, live chat, FAQ section
Mobile application	iOS and Android

When it comes to online betting, there are only a few brands that can compete with PokerStars.

This operator has been in the business for over two decades, offering high-quality gambling services to casino fans and sports betting lovers.

As this PokerStars Ontario review shows, the casino section features a selection of slots, table games, and poker in a wide variety. Each game is categorized and sub-categorized, allowing players to choose with a single click.

As usual, slots make up for the majority of the selection with several jackpot slots to engage players looking for a real challenge. The table game section features a stunning mix of blackjack, roulette and baccarat, including exclusive titles that are a rare sight at other casinos.

All these offers plus the live dealer, poker, races, and instant win casino games make PokerStars a well-rounded casino where players will find unending fun.

As for sports betting fans on the site, it only gets better.

Sports betting options include the major sporting events and leagues in North America. Each sports event features a wide variety of betting markets and special betting options designed to boost players’ experience and winning chances.

User Reviews

In this PokerStars Ontario review section, we’ll take a look at what other players have to say about the betting platform:

Positive Reviews 

Everything seems to be working out smoothly for Nick P on PokerStars as he had this to say about the platform on Twitter:

“Delighted to see a HORSE tournament offered and drawing well on Day 1 and hoping to see 8-game in the near future” - @Nick P

We’re quite impressed to see this encouraging comment about PokerStars from a Twitter user, Nick P. This clearly indicates that PokerStar is meeting up to the expectations.

Just like Nick P, Jason is sure having a swell time on PokerStars. Here’s his comment on Trustpilot:

“Along with ggpoker they are the biggest poker sites worldwide with million of users.I never won any big tournaments but I enjoyed playing Sunday million tournaments. good layouts&colours.” - @Jason

Looking at this comment, we’re certain that PokerStars is a fun-filled betting site for Ontario players. 

Negative Reviews

EricWebbwood is certainly having a tough time gambling on the PokerStars Ontario platform. Here’s what he had to say on Twitter:

“@PokerStarsON switched over and their is literally no one seated in any games. This is awful for pokerstars and if this doesn't improve, i'm closing my account of almost 20 years #pokerstars #ontario #wtf” -@EricWebbwood

Barely 10 minutes after posting, PokerStars Ontario replied EricWebbwood’s tweet. This is a clear indication that the support team is working round the clock to meet the needs of their players. 

For Leo Angie, gambling is almost impossible on PokerStars. Here’s what he had to say about the platform on Trustpilot:

While we can’t vouch for the authenticity of this information, we believe the team at PokerStars would reach out to Leo Angle privately.   

How To Use PokerStars In Ontario?

PokerStars casino section features an enormous selection of online casino games.

There are more than 2,000 casino games for players to choose from including the likes of slots, table games, live casino, instant wins, races, and poker. Despite its massive gaming library, PokerStars still manages to maintain an impressive graphical display across all its games.

Players can read up on the features of the games, including its bet amounts, RTP and paylines. This helps you to quickly decide if a slot is worth your time without even playing it.

We' compared the available slots' RTP to help you choose the best possible experience:

Casino Game	RTP	Features	Progressive Jackpot
Big Blue Bounty	96.9%	Free Spins, Free Rounds	No
Diamond Stars	94.08%	Massive multipliers	Yes
Papa Paola's Pizzeria	94.35%	2,000 Paylines, Free Spins, Free Rounds	No
Book of Dead	94.25%	Free Spins, Expanding Wilds, Free Round	No
Goddessy Gold	96.04%	243 Paylines, Free Spins, Free Round	No
Gates of Olympus	95.51%	Free Spins, 500x Multiplier, Cascading Reels	No

PokerStars slots games offer a relatively high RTP. However, there are many other legal Ontario online casinos where you can play these kinds of games with a high Return-To-Player ratio. Click and see which online slots payout the most in Ontario.

Overall, the casino game selection is worthy of an operator with over two decades of experience in the industry. PokerStars leaves players spoiled for choice and easily edges out the competition. 

PokerStars Ontario Tournaments Review

Tournaments like the Ontario Platinum Series, Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP), Daily Bigs and Hots, and the Sunday Schedule are designed to keep poker players winning and entertained.

Let's get dive into some details:

Ontario Platinum Series

The Ontario Platinum Series was the first tournament run by PokerStars Ontario when it launched into the Ontario market. There was a whopping CAD $1 million in guaranteed prizes to win at this tournament.

Hopefully, the Ontario Platinum Series will return to PokerStars and be even bigger than before. 

Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP)

PokerStars Ontario review reveals that it has a long tradition of hosting online championship events in every market it offers its services. As it occurs, the Ontario market is no different.

The Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP) comes with a massive prize pool in 7 figures. 

Daily Big and Hots

Daily tournaments still remain impressive at PokerStars.

Players will find various Big and Hot tournaments which have always been with the operator since it established its name.

Big tournaments feature a deep and slow tournament schedule offering players various buy-in from as low as CAD $2.20 up to CAD $109.

Hot tournaments, on the other hand, are turbo games that end pretty fast but still possess the same generous prize pools as other tournaments.

Unlike other international tournaments, these daily games are local and available to only Ontario players which means, there are only a handful of players on these games at a time.

Cash Games 

Our PokerStars Ontario review confirms that cash games are another place where players can experience the best of poker.

Unlike the selection offered in the tournaments, the cash game tables at PokerStars are not very extensive.

You can play the likes of Ho-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, 6+ Hold'em, and not to forget, the unique Tempest format. Cash games offer a layout of full ring tables with stakes as low as 0.02 Canadian dollars up to a max of 100 Canadian dollars. Ontario players might want to get started with the CAD $1/2 tables which are where most of the fun actually happens.

How To Play At PokerStars Casino?

Playing at PokerStars casino is a fun experience thanks to its vast selection of games. The impressive design and organization of the site make it easy for you to find the games you want to play and have a great time.

Here’s how to get started at PokerStars Casino:

1. Fund Your Player Account

   With your account created, you will have to fund your player account. Use any of the deposit methods to fund your account to start betting.

2. Choose your casino game

   Go to the casino section and choose your preferred game. You can select slots, table games, instant win, game shows, poker, or live dealer games.

3. Start Playing

   Once you’ve selected your preferred game, you can start playing. Ensure to read through the game rules which will give you an idea of your winning chances.

PokerStars Ontario Sportsbook Review

While PokerStars started out mainly as a poker casino site, it has since added a sports betting section to its services.

As we've analyzed, PokerStars Ontario sports betting section gives you access to hundreds of leagues from leading sports all over the world.

There are about 25 sports events to bet on, each offering several leagues and international competitions. Each sporting event comes with a long line of betting markets, giving players numerous ways to bet and win.

The top sports and leagues are detailed on the main sports section menu for players to easily place their bets on the available games. Bettors that want to access other leagues and sports can click on the “All” tab to select from the sports offering. 

Below are the most popular sports we/ve reviewed and compared at PokerStars sportsbook:

Hockey

At PokerStars, bettors can wager on the preseason, regular season, and Stanley Cup playoffs. Within this sport event and league are a wide selection of hockey betting markets.

Pre-match odds give you betting options of moneylines, point spread betting, totals, futures, and prop bets on teams and individual players. A regular NHL season has 82 games with four divisions, so bettors will always have something to bet on.

Basketball

Betting online on basketball at PokerStars goes beyond the NBA. Bettors will find betting options for the WNBA as well as several leagues from regions like Australia, Bolivia, El Salvador, New Zealand, Thailand, Uruguay, and multiple international competitions.

Baseball

Betting markets are also available for other competitions in the US including the MLB. While MLB remains the top baseball league in North America, bettors will find other exciting leagues to bet on. PokerStars offers betting options on leagues from Japan, Mexico, and South Korea.

Football

Betting markets in this sport are just as extensive though you will find more competitive odds in the spreads, moneyline and total points. Checking the USA, you can choose from the NFL, NCAA, and the USFL. There are more betting markets in the NFL including several prop bets which aren't regular in CFL games.

In case you've missed it, check out our How To Bet On NFL In Canada guide!

Soccer

PokerStars allows you to bet on hundreds of leagues and competitions from about 20 different countries in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.

Canadians that prefer to bet on North American options will find the MLS in the US very eventful. As it came out during our analysis, PokerStars Ontario also offers international competitions like the FIFA Cups, UEFA Cups, and Copa.

Live Betting At PokerStars

PokerStars joins the list of leading Ontario sportsbooks that offers live betting action across a wide range of sports.

There are more sports and leagues to bet on in the live section than several other leading sportsbooks in the industry.

The addition of Futsal, Volleyball and several other niche sports gives PokerStars an edge over market leaders like Bet365 that concentrate mainly on the leading sports events and leagues. 

PokerStars Odds Margin

There would be no solid PokersStars Ontario review without a quick glance at bookmakers odds margin. Here’s a quick comparison of PokerStars odds margin against other popular betting platforms in Ontario:

	PokerStars	Bet365	Unibet	Royal Panda
Football (NFL)	8.45%	9.72%	18.39%	4.61%
Hockey (NHL)	-4.56%	-9.53%	3.40%	-15.08%
Baseball (MLB)	15.67%	32.58%	37.79%	-3.04%
Basketball (NBA)	7.12%	-3.69%	2.63%	0.36%
Soccer (EPL)	-12.34%	0.03%	-6.50%	-18.08%

How To Sign Up At PokerStars Ontario?

When we tried to register an account at PokerStars Ontario, it turned out to an easy process that only takes a few minutes. You will be required to provide your personal and contact information to set up and protect your account.

As we/ve reviewed, the following steps should guide you on how to create an account at PokerStars:

1. Visit PokerStars Ontario

   In your browser, visit the PokerStars Ontario website and click on the Join Now button.

1. Enter your details

   Confirm your country and set your login details – email, password, and username. Then add your phone number to the account.

2. Agree to the terms and register

   Enter your date of birth and tick to confirm that you’re at least 19 years of age. Agree to other terms and conditions and click “Create Account”.

3. Verify Your Account

   Once created, you will be required to verify your email address, your mobile number and your identity. Check your device for a text message and an email. For the email, you might want to check your spam box.

1. Make a deposit and play

   Once verified, you’re fully registered and can go ahead to make a deposit to enjoy full access to PokerStars gambling services.

PokerStars Ontario Mobile App Review

Downloading and installing PokerStars for Android and iOS devices is an easy process that only takes about a few seconds.

After that, you can log in and access thousands of casino games, table games, live dealer games, poker, instant win, game shows, and unending sports betting entertainment.  

PokerStars Payment Methods Comparison

Payment Provider	Deposit	Withdrawals	Minimum
Apple Pay	Yes	Yes	C$10
Direct Bank Transfer	No	Yes	C$10
Visa/MasterCard	Yes	No	C$10
InstaDebit	Yes	Yes	C$10
Instant Check	Yes	Yes	C$10
Interac	Yes	No	C$10
MuchBetter	Yes	Yes	C$10

PokerStars offers a nice selection of payment methods for both deposits and withdrawals.

Finding the likes of Interac (check our expert Interac guide here), Visa and Mastercard which are the most popular payment methods, does give Ontario players some ease.

However, you will notice that these methods are only available for deposits but not withdrawals. Regardless, you can use other methods to withdraw from your player account.

Withdrawals via Instant eChecks and Direct Bank Transfer take some time to process at PokerStars. You need to wait for 3-10 business days after your withdrawal to see your funds appear in your account. Withdrawals via MuchBetter and InstaDebit are processed in an hour and you will get your funds immediately.

How To Withdraw Money From Pokerstars?

To make a withdrawal request: 

• Login to your PokerStars Account and visit the Cashier
• Select the "Withdrawal" button 
• Enter the amount you would like to withdraw and click "Submit"
• You will be sent an email notification to confirm your withdrawal

PokerStars Ontario Customer Support Review

PokerStars is no newbie in the gambling industry. It has been around for about two decades, so it should know all the right features to keep bettors interested.

However, its performance can be described as average in terms of customer service. Looking through the helpline options available, we found several ways to reach out:

Users Security At PokerStars Ontario

PokerStars is a licensed operator which means it meets all the rules and regulations of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Some of these rules require that the operator provides 100% safety to their users. PokerStars meets these requirements which we confirmed when we tested the platform when writing this PokerStars poker review.

Our research shows that there is an active SSL encryption on the site to ensure that your personal and financial information doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

Also, PokerStars has never been hacked since its inception which gives assurance that it is a safe and secure gambling hub.

Responsible Gambling

PokerStars is one of those few gambling hubs that prioritize player safety and offer different ways to ensure player protection.

As this PokerStars Ontario review shows, the platform empower players to stay in control of their gambling habits through the use of resources like self-exclusion tools and deposit limits:

Self-exclusion 

Players can exclude themselves from betting for various periods of time.

You can self-exclude your PokerStars account or exclude yourself from a certain category of game.

The self-exclusion feature allows you to set time-out periods of 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, and 90 days. You could also choose to be self-excluded for 180 days, 1 year, and 5 years.

Self-exclusion can also be made permanent or extended. During the period of exclusion, you won't be able to make bets or play games until it elapses. 

Set Limits 

Players can also set limits on their deposits to control their spending.

In addition, they can set game limits to block themselves from playing certain casino games.

You can also set daily, weekly, or monthly limits on your losses to control your betting habits.

Alongside these features, PokerStars offers guides to organizations that can help problem gamblers to overcome their addiction. The site also educates players to recognize the risks and symptoms, and take action before it is too late.

Summary

FAQ

How To Play For Real Money On PokerStars?

To play for real money on PokerStars, you will have to create your player account and make a deposit.

Then you can head over to the casino section or sports section, choose a game, make your bet, and start enjoying PokerStars real money betting.

Is PokerStars Rigged?

No. PokerStars uses a Random Number Generator (RNG) on its games to ensure fairness and transparency.

In addition, it is licensed and regulated by the AGCO to ensure fairness in its sports betting section for Ontarians.

How To Delete A PokerStars Account?

To delete or close your PokerStars account. Go to the help section. Press “Contact Us”. Enter “Close my account” and follow the instructions.

How To Download PokerStars On Macbook?

To download the PokerStars Poker app on Macbook, go to the PokerStars website.

Click on “Poker” in the main menu, and then click “Download PokerStars”.An installer will be downloaded.

Run the installer to install the PokerStars real money app. Once installed, agree to the terms and launch the app to play.