Isai Scheinberg (Hebrew: ישי שיינברג; born 1946 or 1947) is the Lithuanian Jewish[1][2] founder of the PokerStars online poker site. Scheinberg previously had been a senior programmer for IBM Canada.[3]
Isai Scheinberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946/47 Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Nationality | Israeli-Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | Co-founder and former co-owner, PokerStars |
| Children | Mark Scheinberg |
Biography edit
In about 1986, Scheinberg left Israel, and moved to Toronto. He settled there in Richmond Hill, where in 2011 he still owned the house he had bought in 1988.[2]
In 2011, Scheinberg was indicted on five criminal charges related to Pokerstars under United States federal laws.[4] In September 2020, he 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]
Well known for his sense of personal privacy, he gave his first ever media interview to Lance Bradley in 2021.[7]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "The Incredible Rise of PokerStars Cofounder Isai Scheinberg". Forbes. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- ^ a b Freeze, 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 (22 April 2011). "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 19 April 2011.
- ^ CardPlayer.com: Poker Site Operator Gets Slap On The Wrist For Charges Stemming From Black Friday
- ^ Vardi, Nathan (12 June 2014). "Amaya Gaming In Deal To Buy PokerStars For $4.9 Billion". Forbes. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ Bradley, Lance (15 April 2021). "Isai Scheinberg: His Company, His Legacy, and How Black Friday Impacted Both". Pocket Fives.