button in SafariWhat Is the PokerStars Network? David Lappin Explains Shared Liquidity and External Partners
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Online poker has spent the last decade splintered by regulatory walls and ring-fenced markets, that's according to PokerStars Ambassador David Lappin.
Well, PokerStars thinks it has found the answer.
Fresh off discussing EPT Barcelona’s record numbers and operational fixes, Lappin is shedding light on the company's newest structural overhaul: the PokerStars Network (PSN).
Built with the aim of uniting fragmented player pools across Flutter's global footprint, the initiative aims to solve online poker's eternal truth, that liquidity is king.
The First Step on the PokerStars Network Journey
With different countries treating poker in different ways, PokerStars and its parent company Flutter have made the decision in recent years to withdraw from certain territories, with liquidity taking a hit as a result. The PokerStars Network (PSN) model aims to remedy this by operating flexibly across varying legal landscapes.
"It's no secret that over the last few years, perhaps a decade or more, poker has become more fragmented"
"It's no secret that over the last few years, perhaps a decade or more, poker has become more fragmented," says Lappin. "Ring-fenced territories across Europe, losing American online poker and then Australians as well. All of this has made it more complicated for PokerStars in different ways, whether it's different regulatory systems or companies having different frameworks for tax."
Lappin says that the PSN is the first step on a journey which will change how UK-based players enjoy their online poker, with greater liquidity and hopefully larger guarantees.
More players should lead to fuller tables, larger tournament prize pools, shorter wait times, and a wider variety of stakes. Rather than functioning as a brand-new concept, the PSN represents a new model built to unite fragmented player bases under a unified regulated framework.
Network Model Not Just for the UK
Depending on local laws, the PSN deploys in distinct setups:
- The Global .Com Pool: Bringing together players from licensed international markets, including UK brands like Betfair, Paddy Power, and Skybet.
- Shared Regional Pools: Combining markets where legally permitted, such as the Southern European liquidity pool across France, Spain, and Portugal.
- North American Shared Liquidity: Linking players across states like Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in partnership with PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel.
- Ring-Fenced Markets: Operating single-market closed pools in strictly segregated jurisdictions like Italy (alongside SNAI and Sisal).
"If you can create a network model where companies that are part of the Flutter family can join in from places where PokerStars aren't and essentially pool the liquidity back together again, it's almost like bringing the pieces of the puzzle back and getting everyone back under the one roof, which is really important," Lappin explains.
Liquidity is King
Lappin reiterates that from a player's perspective, liquidity remains the bottom line.
"Everybody knows that," he says. "Players want to go where the biggest games are. With the PSN, we hope to have a bit of a bounce with the games growing over the next couple of years thanks to this."
Crucially, the proposition offers flexibility for incoming partners. Operators can integrate via white-label "Access" setups or choose to franchise the PokerStars brand directly depending on local market equity. This flexibility allows external tier-one brands to retain their local presence while plugging directly into global liquidity pools where regulations allow.
"It's probably not my business to project into the future, but I think it's massively important," Lappin concludes. "There's so much potential and it's a very important step to bringing poker players from all these different countries back under one sort of umbrella."
