Some Gambling News

Let's have a quick look at some gambling news that's hitting the headlines over the past few days.  Starting off, we'll pay our respects to Aaron Shaked one of the co-founders of 888 Holdings.  We'll also look at how the UK horseracing industry is planning to clean up its image and finally some news from the online casino world as Roxy Palace Casino Launches a new video poker challenge.

888 Co-Founder Dies
Aaron Shaked, one of the co-founders of gambling empire, 888 Holdings, passed away in Israel at the age of 58 after battling an undisclosed illness.

Shaked developed the idea of creating a casino online modeled on the business structure of a traditional bricks and mortar one, after attending a dentistry conference in Monte Carlo in the mid 1990s. Together with his brother Avi, Shaked examined the options available, visiting casinos to find out the very basics of what entails the creation of a gambling operation, and eventually mortgaging their homes to launch 888.

The success story of this casino, poker, bingo and sports betting group was eye-watering and by 2005, the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange, making the brothers over $250 million in profits each. Aaron, who remained a dentist, dedicated most of his life and wealth to philanthropic projects.

UK Horseracing Industry Plans to Improve its Brand

Punters in the UK are set to see some significant changes – at least on a trial basis only – in the coming months.

The industry linked Racing for Change body launched a report of 10 new measures that it hopes to introduce, in a bid to widen the attraction of horseracing in the UK and appeal to the younger generation. Some of the measures include the introduction of starting odds in decimal form, perks for jockeys to broaden their media appearances and discounts to racetracks for young adults. 

“British horse racing is the envy of the racing world with our abundance of outstanding horses,” said Chris McFadden, Chairman for Racing for Chang. “Yet the sport needs to work harder to connect with a wider public. This is, no doubt, a result of a significantly more competitive betting and leisure environment – so we have to raise our game.”

Roxy Palace Casino Launches Video Poker Challenge
Top Microgaming powered online casino, Roxy Palace announced the launch of new video poker tournament that will run until January 11th.

The Roxy Poker Challenge will award part of a huge prize pool to players who obtain the highest winning percentages by the end of the competition. To qualify, players need to deposit a minimum of $100 into their accounts and wager at least $2.5K on the video poker games at the site. The eCOGRA accredited Roxy Palace has hundreds of different game titles and is licensed in Malta.

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