| Born | 1946/47 Vilnius, Lithuania |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Israeli-Canadian |
| Occupation | Co-founder and former co-owner, PokerStars |
| Children | Mark Scheinberg |
Isai Scheinberg (Hebrew: ישי שיינברג; born 1946 or 1947) is the Lithuanian Jewish[1][2] founder of the PokerStarsonline poker site. Scheinberg previously had been a senior programmer for IBM Canada.[3]
Biography[edit]
Isai Scheinberg Wikipedia
In about 1986, Scheinberg left Israel, and moved to Toronto. They settled there in Richmond Hill, where in 2011 he still owned the house he had bought in 1988.[2]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Igal) Mark Scheinberg (born 1973) is an Israeli-Canadian businessman and investor with investments in various sectors including real estate and luxury hospitality. He is the co-founder and former co-owner of the online gambling company PokerStars, which was sold in 2014 to Amaya Gaming for $4.9 billion. The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has announced that PokerStars co-founder Isai Scheinberg has pled guilty to a single charge of operating an illegal gambling business in. Isai Scheinberg has surrendered to federal authorities in New York City after avoiding them for nine years. The founder of PokerStars denies charges of operating an illegal gambling business. Scheinberg, a 73-year-old Israeli-Canadian businessman, posted a massive $1 million bail fee and surrendered his passport.
In 2011, Scheinberg was indicted on five criminal charges related to Pokerstars under United States federal laws.[4] In September 2020, Scheinberg was sentenced to pay a fine of $30,000 with no jail time.[5]
Scheinberg sold his stake in Pokerstars to Amaya Gaming in 2014 for $4.9 billion.[6]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'The Incredible Rise of PokerStars Cofounder Isai Scheinberg'. Forbes. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- ^ abFreeze, Colin (22 April 2011). 'A look at the mysterious Canadian founder of PokerStars'. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
- ^Walsh, Dominic (4 January 2006). 'Family stand to net $2bn from their online gamble'. The Times. London. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^Bharara, Preet (2011-04-22). 'Press release: Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges Principals of Three Largest Internet Poker Companies With Bank Fraud, Illegal Gambling Offenses and Laundering Billions in Illegal Gambling Proceeds'(PDF). United States Attorney Southern District of New York. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2011-04-19.
- ^CardPlayer.com: Poker Site Operator Gets Slap On The Wrist For Charges Stemming From Black Friday
- ^Vardi, Nathan (Jun 12, 2014). 'Amaya Gaming In Deal To Buy PokerStars For $4.9 Billion'. Forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
Table Of Contents
Isai Scheinberg waited almost a decade to get a slap on the wrist.
At long last, the U.S. government has finished dispensing its brand of justice for those who continued operating online poker businesses after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Its final target was arguably the biggest name of all, PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg, but he didn't exactly get hit with a decade worth of pent-up fury.
Instead, a federal judge sentenced Scheinberg to time served and a $30,100 fine, the Inner City Press reported.
Payoffs Wind Up Paying Off
Scheinberg's lawyer contended he deserved a lenient sentence because PokerStars had stepped up and righted the devastating wrongs of its rivals, who had failed to segregate player funds leading up to Black Friday. PokerStars provided the money that enabled Full Tilt and Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker players to ultimately receive their frozen balances.
Apparently, that was a persuasive argument.
Isai Scheinberg Hendon
'I don't condone what you did but the world is made of fallible people,' the judge reportedly said. 'It was a big mistake but should not ruin what remains of your life.'
He proceeded to hand down the sentence of time served and the fine. Scheinberg had been detained in January, when he surrendered in Switzerland for extradition. He initially faced up to five years in prison but was expected to serve far less given that many of the other defendants from Black Friday served little, if any, time.
As for the fine, given that Scheinberg sold the company for $4.9 billion in 2014, it's unlikely to cause him much discomfort.
Scheinberg's Statement
Isai Scheinberg Net Worth
It seemed Scheinberg was fine with how things went in wrapping up the decade-long drama. He provided a statement to Online Poker Report:
Isai Scheinberg
I am pleased that Judge Kaplan has determined today not to impose a prison sentence in my case.
PokerStars played an important role in creating today’s global regulated online poker industry by running an honest and transparent business that always treated its players fairly. I am particularly proud that in 2011, when PokerStars exited the United States, all of its American players were made whole immediately. Indeed, PokerStars reimbursed millions of players who were owed funds from other online companies that could not or did not repay those players.
The Stars Group owns a majority shareholding in iBus Media, PokerNews' parent company.
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Isai ScheinbergPokerStarsPoker and the Law