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Pokerstars countries guide (2026 Update)

Table of contents

PokerStars: where to roll?
PokerStars restricted countries list
PokerStars Europe
PokerStars Asia
PokerStars USA and Canada
PokerStars LatAm
PokerStars CIS
What should I do if I move to another country?
Future prospects
FAQ

Pokerstars countries guide (2026 Update)

Author

Vargoso

Published

7/29/2023

Updated

7/29/2023

Have you ever wondered if you can join Pokerstars? Look no further: our Pokerstars country guide is everything you need to know about where to roll.

PokerStars: where to roll?

Pokerstars is literally known worldwide and it would seem that you could play on PS anywhere. However, this is not the case. And the question of "Where can I legally play at Pokerstars?" is a very relevant one.

To save you time, we've compiled an up-to-date list of the countries where Pokerstars is now allowed.

Remember that as Pokerstars is a licensed online poker room, there are restrictions on underage gambling (18+, and in some countries there may be higher age limits).

✅Albania
✅Algeria
✅Andorra
✅Angola
✅Argentina
✅Armenia
✅Austria
✅Azerbaijan
✅Belarus
✅Belgium
✅Bermuda
✅Bolivia
✅Bosnia and Herzegovina
✅Botswana
✅Brazil
✅Bulgaria
✅Cabo Verde
✅Cambodia
✅Canada
✅Chile
✅Costa Rica
✅Denmark
✅Dominican Republic
✅Ecuador
✅El Salvador
✅Estonia
✅Faroe Islands
✅Finland
✅France
✅French Guiana
✅Germany
✅Greece
✅Greenland
✅Guadeloupe
✅Guatemala
✅Hungary
✅Iceland
✅India
✅Indonesia
✅Ireland
✅Italy
✅Kazakhstan
✅Lebanon
✅Liechtenstein
✅Lithuania
✅Luxembourg
✅Madagascar
✅Martinique
✅Mauritius
✅Mexico
✅Moldova
✅Monaco
✅Mongolia
✅Nicaragua
✅Panama
✅Paraguay
✅Philippines
✅Portugal
✅San Marino
✅Seychelles
✅Slovakia
✅Slovenia
✅South Sudan
✅Spain
✅Sweden
✅Switzerland
✅Thailand
✅Trinidad and Tobago
✅Turkmenistan
✅Ukraine
✅United Kingdom
✅Uruguay
✅Uzbekistan
✅Venezuela
✅Vietnam

PokerStars restricted countries list

Real money poker is prohibited in the following countries and territories:

❌ Europe: Aland Islands, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Holy See (Vatican City).
❌ Asia: Afghanistan, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Georgia, Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Palestinian Territories, North Korea, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia, China (including Macau), Taiwan, Bahrain, India (States: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Odisha, Sikkim and Gujarat).
❌ Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mayotte, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Congo, Democratic Republic.
❌ Americas: American Samoa, Anguilla, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Peru, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Falkland Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Martin (French Part), Sint Maarten (Dutch Part), Suriname, U.S. Virgin Islands, USA (except where locally licensed).
❌ Oceania: Bouvet Island, Cook Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Palau, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Australia.

PokerStars Europe

Europe is very heterogeneous when it comes to gambling legislation.

Poker reservations of Italy, France, and Spain (Europool).
Regional sites. In countries with regulated gaming markets, Pokerstars is available via a local domain. These countries have their own payment methods, rules, and restrictions. For example, in Denmark and Germany
PokerStars.eu with license in Malta. Countries where there are no clear gambling laws and restrictions on Pokerstars.

PokerStars Asia

Pokerstars is banned in China, Israel, and all Muslim countries in the Middle East.

Most Asian players are from:

India, excluding states Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Odisha, Sikkim and Gujarat.
Japan
Thailand

PokerStars USA and Canada

As of 2026, PokerStars is available for real-money play in three US states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. All three are members of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which enables shared liquidity across participating jurisdictions - boosting traffic and supporting larger tournament schedules.

Canada is a different story. After Ontario introduced a provincially regulated iGaming market, PokerStars Ontario launched in April 2022 under a separate licence with a ring-fenced player pool. Outside Ontario, players generally access PokerStars through pokerstars.com, as online poker isn’t banned at the federal level in Canada (subject to local rules and operator terms).

PokerStars LatAm

This is currently the most promising region for expansion. Gaming legislation is still in its infancy in most countries.

In Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, and Argentina it is possible to play on pokerstars.com. Colombia and Peru are the only countries where PokerStars is not available.

Even if the local authorities legalise online poker in the future, Stars will do its best to stay in this market.

PokerStars CIS

PokerStars does not operate in Russia, Georgia, Tajikistan, and the Baltic countries

The site was forced to withdraw from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania following the legalisation of gambling. It is likely that Pokerstars did not obtain a local licence for commercial reasons.

The PokerStars Sochi site was closed in March 2022.

What should I do if I move to another country?

For professional poker players relocating to another country may offer advantages in terms of better quality of life, tax status, and access to online poker rooms.

If you already have a Pokerstars account registered in another country, you will need to provide clear copies or photos of the following documents:

A government-issued photo ID with your name, date of issue, and date of birth (national ID card, passport, driver's licence).
A utility bill showing your full name, current address, and billing date (no older than 3 months).
A copy of a bank statement showing recent transactions in your new country of residence.

You can upload documents via the desktop client, mobile app or the Pokerstars website. Access to your account will be restored once document verification is complete.

Future prospects

Over the past few years, PokerStars management has sought to work within the legal requirements of each jurisdiction and to obtain licences wherever possible.

We believe that in the coming years, PokerStars will seek licences in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and all US states where online poker is legal.