PokerStars is an online poker room that was founded in 2001 by Isai Scheinberg and his son Mark Scheinberg. Initially, the company only offered free play poker games, but in September 2001, it began offering real money games. The company’s popularity skyrocketed in 2003, when Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker Main Event after qualifying through a PokerStars satellite tournament.
In 2006, the US Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which made it illegal for US banks to process transactions related to online gambling. Despite the passage of the UIGEA, Stars continued to accept US players until 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down the site and indicted its founders. In 2012, PokerStars settled with the US Department of Justice and acquired Full Tilt Poker, another online poker site that had been shut down by the US government. As part of the settlement, Stars paid over $700 million to the US government and agreed to exit the US market.
In 2014, the Scheinberg family sold PokerStars to Amaya Gaming Group for $4.9 billion. Amaya later changed its name to The Stars Group and became one of the largest online gaming companies in the world. In May 2019, The Stars Group was acquired by Flutter Entertainment, a UK-based gambling company. Flutter Entertainment owns several other gambling brands, including Paddy Power, Betfair, and FanDuel.
PokerStars has been a pioneer in the online poker streaming industry. The company launched its own streaming platform, PokerStars.tv, in 2008, which offered live and on-demand coverage of major poker tournaments and events. In 2015, Stars also began sponsoring professional poker players and online poker streamers, known as Team PokerStars Pro Online.
Team PokerStars Pro Online has included some of the biggest names in poker streaming, such as Jason Somerville, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Lex Veldhuis, and Fintan “easywithaces” Hand. The team members are sponsored by PokerStars and are expected to stream regularly on Twitch, provide expert commentary during major events, and promote the PokerStars brand.
Stars has also made significant investments in its YouTube channel, which features a variety of content, including highlights from major tournaments, educational videos, and player interviews. The channel has over 357,000 subscribers and is a popular destination for poker fans looking for high-quality video content.
Overall, PokerStars has established itself as one of the biggest and most innovative poker sites in the world, weathering legal challenges and ownership changes. Its investment in streaming and video content has helped to keep the brand relevant and engaging for new and existing players alike.
PokerStars