PokerStars Launches Next Generation Online Poker Mobile App

PokerStars has launched a new “next generation” mobile app for customers just as the online poker site is picking up momentum in 2020.

The company operates online poker in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, two of the four states where online poker is legal in the United States (Nevada and Delaware are the others).

PokerStars is introducing the revamped app, which includes an optional biometrics log-in, after a long testing period in various market, according to a Poker Industry Pro story.

With the biometrics log-in on the PokerStars app, users can choose to sign in with their fingerprints or via facial recognition.

PokerStars Part of Online Poker Growth

The news about PokerStars’ app comes at a promising time for the online poker industry.

In 2019, The Stars Group – the Canadian parent company of PokerStars – agreed to a merger deal with UK powerhouse Flutter Entertainment. Under that deal, PokerStars resides under the same corporate umbrella as PaddyPower, Fox Bet, Betfair, Full Tilt Poker, FanDuel and horse racing network TNG.

Later in 2019, PokerStars established a partnership with Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, about 100 miles north of Philadelphia, to offer its online product in the Pennsylvania market. It became available to the public in November of last year.

And this year, the presence of online poker is growing stronger.

In Pennsylvania, where PokerStars is the only legal online poker option available, Mount Airy has had its two best months for online poker in April and May. The state set a record with $5,253,304 in revenue (rake and tournament fees) in April and came close to that mark in May with $4,596,418, its second-best haul. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, PokerStars has been responsible for $21,408,994 of revenue in Pennsylvania through May, according to financial figures reported by the state.

The story has been similar in neighboring New Jersey, where the state drew $5.2 million in online poker revenue in April 2020 compared to $1.57 million in April 2019.

With more poker tournaments scheduled at brick-and-mortar casinos either being canceled or moved online, those who prefer to play the game on their mobile devices — or are doing so for the first time in light of new social distancing norms — are seeing a slew of options to participate in tournaments.

PokerStars held its inaugural Pennsylvania Spring Championship of Online Poker this year, modeling it after a tournament with the same name in New Jersey that has been happening for a few years.

The World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker have similarly created new online poker tournaments over the past few months or moved existing events from physical casinos to online venues.