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Find out all the information about the new PokerStars Rewards Program launching on January 22


PokerStars is committed to improving the poker experience for our players, and one of the most important aspects of that experience is ensuring players feel valued for the frequency and volume of play they give to us.

That’s why our Rewards program is getting a makeover in 2024.

Here we’ll break down those changes and share the new details with you.

REMOVING WEEKLY CHALLENGES

Let’s start with the news that PokerStars is removing its Weekly Poker Challenges.

It’s a big change, but one we think is crucial for transparency and fairness.

These challenges did not work as well as we’d hoped, with 75% of the players who opted into challenges failing to complete them. This resulted in players having their progress bars reset, no matter how close they were to completing them. The end result was that those players’ efforts were simply not rewarded.

There was also a lack of clarity in the system. Player targets were set based on the individual’s playing habits, but fluctuating targets resulted in confusion.

Customer feedback showed us it was one of the biggest areas of dissatisfaction across our entire impacted player base, so a change was clearly needed.

This is why PokerStars is removing these challenges and moving to a transparent, fairer, and easier-to-understand program.

We’re aware that some players who benefited the most from the previous system – primarily those who complete the Weekly Challenges – will be sad to see them go.

But overall, this will be a far better program that benefits a greater number of players and offers more in rewards.

POKERSTARS REWARDS PROGRAM CHANGES

With the new PokerStars Rewards Program, every player will know exactly how much they will be rewarded based on how much they play.

It’s volume-based, allowing players to plan their play accordingly to hit whatever targets they set for themselves. No longer will there be an all-or-nothing challenge to complete.

Not only will it be easier to understand and offer greater flexibility, but it will also be more generous.

For those who play on PokerStars regularly, we’ve raised the minimum requirements to earn a Rewards Chest, but we’ve also increased the maximum level of rewards on the base program from 25% up to 40%, and all rewards will now be given as cash.

This change provides regular players with higher-value rewards that have a greater immediate impact on their ability to use cash rewards on a larger variety of games.

In a nutshell, this means our program rewards high volume and/or spend more generously.

But rewarding recreational players who only play casually based on their volume isn’t fair, as we found out with the Weekly Challenges. They don’t play as often as regular players and previously found it difficult to earn rewards.

That’s why recreational players (those who fall in the bottom two levels of our Rewards Program – Bronze and Blue Levels) will be rewarded on this new program based on their frequency, as well as their volume.

PokerStars is making the daily reward of a $0.50 Power Path ticket a fixed feature of the program. Players will be rewarded every day they play, allowing them to begin their journies towards the biggest PokerStars events. Instead of waiting until they’d raked $3.33 to receive a $0.50 reward, players now receive a $0.50 ticket every day regardless of how much they spend, on top of any Chests earned.

As for players who spend the most on PokerStars, we’ve introduced new levels of our program that are exclusive to those who play the highest volume.

INTRODUCING POKERSTARS SELECT

Frequent flyers get perks such as free upgrades and exclusive access to airport lounges.

So, for our own frequent flyers – i.e. the players who play the highest volume and generate the most in rake – we’ll ensure that playing on PokerStars is a first-class experience.

We’re introducing new levels on top of our base program for top-raking players. These levels – called Select and Select+ – are exclusive with restricted access, so only those fulfilling the necessary criteria can join.

Each player will have a designated personal account manager to be their point of contact with PokerStars and will have access not only to increased rates of Rewards (receiving up to 60%) but also exclusive promotions.

If you fulfilled the criteria in the previous 12 months, sit back and relax – you’ll be automatically onboarded. There are two different versions based on how much a player generates in rake across a year at the tables:

PokerStars Select:

  • Players who rake $/€50,000 or more within a rolling one-year period will automatically move to PokerStars Select
  • PokerStars Select players will receive 50% of their rake from poker games back directly into their account as cash on a daily basis

PokerStars Select+:

  • Players who rake $/€100,000 or more within a rolling one-year period will automatically move to PokerStars Select+
  • PokerStars Select+ players will receive 60% of their rake from Spin & Go and Zoom games back directly into their account as cash on a daily basis
  • PokerStars Select+ players will receive 50% of their rake from other poker games back directly into their account as cash on a daily basis

We don’t want anybody to miss out. Players who can demonstrate the volume required and would like to be considered for Select or Select+ can contact select@pokerstars.com and an account manager will review your case and extend an invitation if appropriate.

QUESTIONS AND MORE DETAILS

In this article, we’ve outlined the main headlines of the new program, but naturally, there are questions you might have.

For example, “What happens to my old Chests?” or “What happens to my progress bar?”.

For the answers and more information, you can visit our FAQ page.

CONCLUSION

Our goal is to offer a transparent and clear program that benefits the vast majority of PokerStars players.

The new PokerStars Rewards Program is far more generous than our previous model and offers up to 40% in Rakeback to the vast majority of players (up from 25%) and up to 60% for the top rakers.

As always, we’re open to feedback so if you have any questions, you can contact us via our Live Chat.

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  • iOS and Android apps: Account → Help → Help Center → Contact Us

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