Few people know the name Flutter. Many, however, have already used its brands: PokerStars, Betfair and Paddy Power. In our series, this time it is the turn of the largest gambling group in the world, and for Austrian players it is above all the poker offering that is of interest.
Two bookmakers became a global group
The roots lie with the Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, founded in 1988 by several betting shop operators, and with the British betting exchange Betfair from the year 2000, which invented the idea of customers betting against each other instead of against the house. In 2016 the two merged, and in 2019 the group gave itself the name Flutter. The biggest step came in 2020 with the takeover of the Stars Group, which includes PokerStars, the largest online poker network in the world. After that, further brands were added, from the US market leader FanDuel to providers in Italy, the Balkans and South America.
One roof for PokerStars, Betfair and Paddy Power
Flutter Entertainment plc is a listed company based in Dublin and, since 2024, primarily listed on the New York stock exchange. In 2024 the group turned over more than 14 billion pounds, employs over 27,000 people and is active in around 100 countries. In Austria, PokerStars in particular is widespread, which alongside poker also operates an online casino with slot and table games. Added to this are the betting exchange Betfair, the bookmaker Paddy Power and the casino brands Sky Vegas and Sky Casino. The poker and casino offerings for Austria run on a Maltese licence, and none of these brands holds an Austrian licence.
Poker and casino: what counts in Austria
In Austria, not only the online casino but also online poker for real money is gambling that requires a licence. Neither PokerStars nor the casino brands of Flutter hold an Austrian licence. Under the settled case law of the Austrian Supreme Court (OGH), the gaming contract is therefore void, and losses from poker as well as from the casino can in principle be reclaimed, in some cases going back many years. Pure sports bets via Betfair or Paddy Power remain exempt from this and are assessed separately.
How we assess a case against a Flutter brand
Unlike many purely offshore providers, the parent group is based in the EU, and Flutter is a solvent, listed company. A judgment won can realistically be enforced against such an opponent. Why this difference is so important is explained in the article Why some online casinos are practically impossible to sue. Whether a reclaim of your poker or casino losses is worthwhile, we assess free of charge. You can read more about this on the page Online casino and gambling.
How we proceed
The assessment of your case is free of charge. The proceedings against the provider are conducted by cooperating lawyers at our cost, and no upfront payment for lawyers is due from you. If successful, R. M. Prozessfinanzierung GmbH retains from 35 percent of the amount won, and the remaining amount is paid out to you. A condition for working together is that you stop playing with these providers. More on this on the page Online casino and gambling.
Player protection and help
If you feel that you no longer have your own gambling behaviour under control, you will find anonymous counselling and concrete points of contact among the support services of the Federal Ministry of Finance. This help is independent of any reclaim.
Note
The information on companies, brands and figures in this article comes from publicly accessible internet research. We accept no liability for its accuracy or completeness.
Sources
- Flutter Entertainment plc, company and brand information, flutter.com
- Malta Gaming Authority, licence register (PokerStars companies)
- Compatibility of national restrictions on online gambling with Union law · Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) · C-440/23