Vegas Poker Pro and Sportsbettor Steve “Penny” Prentky Dies

Poker player Steve Prentky, aka Steve Penny and perhaps better known to some for his sportsbook activities, died late last month, leaving questions behind about his offshore betting activities...

Prentky’s death at the age of 52 was reported by Gambling911, who stated that the Vegas pro “died...in a local hospital”, having been declared “brain dead and on life support”.

Known to be “diabetic and overweight”, the site claims “a family member gave doctors the order to ‘pull the plug’ and remove the life-sustaining equipment that he was connected to.”

Well-known in the poker community, Prentky has a short Hendon Mob tournament resume that shows winnings of just over $70,000, his latest cash of close to $16k at the 2018 WSOP Main Event.

Preferring cash games to tournaments, Prentky had reportedly “won about $60,000 in a cash game two weeks ago,” according to his unnamed friend.

Prentky was perhaps better known for his sportsbetting and sportsbook activities, with his untimely death causing some consternation.

Prentky was apparently the main agent for Vegas-based bettors looking for higher limits and less scrutiny on offshore accounts based in Costa Rica and the Caribbean.

Gambling911 quote the same family friend as stating:

“The whole offshore betting scene in Las Vegas has been disrupted. Nobody knows who is owed money and who owes money. There are no records. Steve was the only one who knew. The shit is really going to hit the fan next week when accounts need to be settled.”

Prentky was caught up in a 2007 investigation into a “multimillion-dollar illegal Internet bookmaking operation with ties to Las Vegas.”

That investigation saw raids take place that led to “$145 million in assets, 23 luxury vehicles, 19 racehorses belonging to gambler Ralph DePiero, $8 million in cash, 120 bank accounts and more being discovered,” according to the LVRJ at the time.

Prentky, whose home was searched, was never charged with any crime connected to the raids.

Upon hearing of Prentky’s passing, the FB page for Now Place Your Bets documentary, exploring the back story to sportsbetting in the USA wrote:

“Steve Penny is now gone and his legacy is now history.”