Flutter Entertainment, the gambling giant behind PokerStars, Paddy Power, Betfair and FanDuel, is preparing to cut up to 1,400 jobs across its UK and Ireland business. The announcement follows earlier redundancies at PokerStars, the departure of long-serving Flutter CEO Peter Jackson and a major restructuring of how the world’s best-known online poker room operates.
The latest cuts, announced on October 20, could affect almost 16% of Flutter’s UK and Ireland workforce. For an online poker industry already dealing with shrinking markets, security scandals and growing operating costs, it is another uncomfortable development.
Flutter Blames UK Gambling Tax Increases
In its official announcement, Flutter confirmed that employees in Leeds and Dublin would be affected, alongside UK and Ireland division staff based in Porto, Portugal, and Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
The proposals remain subject to consultation, meaning 1,400 is the maximum expected number rather than a final redundancy count. Flutter has not identified how many of those jobs, if any, belong specifically to PokerStars.
| Flutter restructuring | Details |
|---|---|
| Proposed redundancies | Up to 1,400 |
| UK and Ireland workforce | 9,000 |
| Percentage potentially affected | 15.6% |
| Worldwide employees | 28,500 |
| Estimated restructuring cost | $80M–$90M |
| Expected completion | End of 2026 |
Flutter says the cuts are necessary following substantial increases in British gambling taxation. Remote Gaming Duty increased from 21% to 40% in April 2026, while online sports betting duty is scheduled to increase from 15% to 25% in April 2027.
For poker players, Remote Gaming Duty is particularly relevant. It applies to an operator’s taxable remote gaming revenue, including applicable poker revenue, rather than directly taxing players’ winnings.
Flutter estimates the UK tax changes will reduce its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation by approximately $540 million in 2027 before mitigation. It expects previously identified measures to offset $201 million of that impact.
Flutter UK and Ireland CEO Kevin Harrington said:
“We cannot fully absorb a rise of this magnitude without reducing our fixed cost base and therefore must restructure our business.”
PokerStars Already Suffered Job Cuts in July
This is not the first redundancy announcement involving Flutter’s poker operations in 2026.
As Poker Type reported in July, PokerStars confirmed plans to reduce staffing across its international operations, with affected teams reportedly spanning North America, Europe, Britain and Ireland. At the time, PokerStars said it was moving towards a more locally focused business model while integrating its poker product with other Flutter brands. The company did not disclose how many employees would lose their jobs.
Those earlier cuts and the newly announced 1,400 proposed redundancies are separate developments. Flutter has not disclosed whether any overlap exists between the restructuring programmes.
The sequence of events is revealing.
| Date | Flutter and PokerStars development |
|---|---|
| May 6 | FanDuel CEO Amy Howe leaves Flutter |
| July 7 | Worldwide PokerStars redundancies confirmed |
| August 5 | Flutter announces Peter Jackson’s departure |
| October 1 | Dan Taylor becomes Group CEO |
| October 7 | UK PokerStars players move to Betfair |
| October 20 | Up to 1,400 additional job cuts proposed |
Flutter’s CEO Change Adds Another Layer
Poker Type also covered Peter Jackson’s departure following a difficult second quarter in August. Jackson had led Flutter since 2018, overseeing its transformation into one of the world’s largest gambling businesses. He stepped down as Group CEO on September 30, although he is remaining as an adviser until the end of 2026.
His successor, Dan Taylor, took charge on October 1 after previously running Flutter’s international division. The leadership transition followed several disappointing financial updates, increased competition for FanDuel in the United States and further investment in defending the company’s market position.
The new restructuring was announced less than three weeks into Taylor’s tenure. Although Flutter primarily attributes these latest cuts to taxation, the company was already changing its management, technology and operating structures long before October.
What Happens to PokerStars and Its Players?
For UK poker players, one of the biggest changes has already happened.
On October 7, PokerStars completed the migration of its British players to the PokerStars on Betfair platform. This followed the PokerStars Network restructuring that Poker Type examined earlier this year. Instead of operating several competing poker products, Flutter is bringing its players together through a shared poker network. Betfair is already connected, with Paddy Power and Sky Poker expected to follow.
The intention is to create larger player pools, more running cash games and bigger tournament fields while reducing duplication across the business.
For now, there has been no announcement that the latest redundancies will reduce PokerStars tournament guarantees, change its rake or result in further closures. However, the wider restructuring raises legitimate questions about staffing levels, customer support, software development and how much Flutter intends to invest in poker compared with its more profitable gambling products.
The company’s withdrawal from Alberta in October is another example of how regional regulation can change where players are permitted to play.
Misery Loves Company in Online Poker
Misery loves company, as the old saying goes, and online poker has certainly had its share of bad news recently.
The problems extend well beyond Flutter.
Poker Type recently investigated CoinPoker’s controversial rake increases, including maximum cash-game rake caps rising by as much as 233%. The decision drew criticism from professional players and raised questions about the long-term profitability of certain games.
Security concerns have also dominated the industry. The Jurojin poker software attack investigation identified 92 malicious update windows connected to a suspected high-stakes cheating operation, further damaging confidence in third-party poker tools.
These are separate problems involving different companies, and there is no evidence connecting them to Flutter’s redundancies. Together, however, they illustrate the financial, regulatory and trust issues now confronting online poker.
What Does This Mean for the Online Poker Industry?
The concern is not simply that one major company is reducing its workforce. Flutter’s restructuring offers a glimpse of how the economics of regulated online gambling are changing.
Three developments deserve particular attention.
- Higher operating costs: Operators facing increased taxes have less room to absorb costs while maintaining existing margins.
- Poker network consolidation: Shared technology and liquidity can reduce duplicated expenses, but may also mean fewer independent poker products and operational teams.
- Pressure on players: If companies eventually respond through higher rake, reduced rewards or smaller guarantees, the cost of playing could increase. None of those consequences has been announced as part of Flutter’s latest cuts.
There is another side to the argument. Larger, better-connected poker networks could improve game availability and tournament prize pools, particularly in smaller regulated markets. Flutter’s PokerStars Network strategy is explicitly designed to achieve that.
Rival operators may also find opportunities to attract players dissatisfied with changes elsewhere, although those competitors face their own regulatory and financial challenges.
Flutter remains a substantial global gambling business, and nothing in its October announcement suggests PokerStars is about to disappear. Its established tournament brands, international player base and shared-network technology remain valuable assets. But the direction of travel is clear. The industry is moving towards consolidation, with operators looking for ways to run their businesses more cheaply while retaining customers and protecting profit margins.
For poker players, the test will be whether those savings translate into stronger games and better liquidity, or eventually arrive as another reduction in the value they receive at th
