Recently, one of the founders of the famous poker room PokerStars was sentenced. Isai Scheinberg will not go to jail and will just pay a $30,000 fine. He was the last person accused by the US of running illegal gambling, which eventually led to the event known as Black Friday in poker.
Black Friday was named April 15, 2011, when the owners of online poker rooms were charged with organizing illegal gambling, bank fraud and money laundering.
At that time, 11 people were prosecuted, and all of them have long figured out the law, except for Isai Sheinberg, who fled the country. After nine years of wandering, he was detained in Switzerland and eventually agreed to stand trial in the United States.
Now, perhaps, he regrets that he did not return earlier, because the punishment turned out to be completely fearless. The judge decided that by the time of the verdict, Isai Sheinberg, who was arrested in January 2020, had already served his term and could be released. Plus, he was fined $30,000. Here is how he commented on the situation:
I'm glad that Judge Kaplan today ruled not to give a prison term in my case. PokerStars has been instrumental in creating the modern global regulated online poker industry by running a fair and transparent business that has always treated its players fairly.
I am particularly proud that in 2011, when PokerStars left the US, all of its American players received their money immediately.
