PokerStars, one of the industry's leading online poker companies, is reportedly taking the route of an IPO, rather than an all-out sale. And the price tag of a publicly-traded PokerStars? It's expected to run over $2 billion. Currently, about three-quarters of the online poker business is shared between PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg and Israeli businessman Pinchas Shapira. The majority of the remaining shares are owned by PokerStars employees.

It is believed that PokerStars, which had previously explored the option of going up for sale, is now in talks with investment banks, such as HSBC and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, which would ultimately help see them through the London listing. Until deciding to float, PokerStars had commissioned the aid of NM Rothschild in planning a possible trade sale. What role, if any, Rothschild's will play in the pending float is currently unclear.

Source: Poker777 Staff

Monday, 17 April 2006