Calvin Ayre
Swift development of IT technologies influences practically all spheres of human activities. Gambling business is not an exception. Now one can play club poker, make
bets on the results of sporting events via the internet without leaving home. The pioneer of online gambling was Calvin Ayre. Calvin was born in 1961 in Canada. In student years he worked up selling fruit. Having thus earned 10 thousand dollars, he organizes a company that specializes in IT technologies.
Perhaps, now he would also be engaged in developing, for instance, software, if once upon a time he came across an article that described business that accepted bets via telephone. After reading it Calvn decides to change the profile of his enterprise. In 1994 he creates "Bodog Entertainment Group". Believing in the potential of the computer network Internet, he starts to develop his business specifically in this area. With the help of web portal bodog.com for the first time people were able to bet online, and then play in casino and club
poker. In March 2006 Calvin's photo appears on the cover of "Forbes", he becomes the first online casino games businessman who made his way into this prestigious magazine. According to "Forbes", Calvin managed to earn 44 million dollars, with this sum he occupies the 746th place in "Forbes" world rating.
Stanley Ho
The wealthiest representative of gambling industry in Asia who for more than 30 years was the single ruler of this industry in Macao. Stanley was born in 1921 in Hong Kong. His great-grandfather was a Dutch Jew who married a local woman. The Ho family was one of the most renowned and influential in Hong Kong. But Stanley was not able to make use of the wealth of this family. His father went bankrupt, when Stanley was a student. Due to financial break-down his two brothers committed a suicide, and his father renounced his family and left Stanley with two sisters and mother. Despite all hardships, he successfully graduated from Hong Kong university and mastered three languages. Stanley started his career in a trade company, located in Macao. Outstanding business skills and proficiency in several languages allow him to become a shareholder of the company at the age of 21. Ho received his first fortune as a result of a very unpleasant accident. Stanley was responsible for sea trade. During one of the voyages the ship with Stanley, who carried a great amount of money, aboard was subject to an armed attack. Stanley, practically on his own (many of his fellow employees were killed) stands against the gang and returns both the money and the ship. The company duly appreciated the courage of their employee and rewarded him a bonus of one million! In 1943 Ho invested his million into construction industry, his new company is located in Hong Kong. At this time the city undergoes a real construction boom, and Stanley receives very decent dividends from his business. But his ambitions are not limited to construction business, together with his partners he wins the tender for the monopolistic right to open gambling institutions in Macao. Stanley won the tender with the sum of only 410 thousand dollars. For many years Ho's company becomes the monopolist of Macao gambling market. Stanley invests all his money and skills in this company. By 1972 he owns 9 casinos, including casino-hotel "Lisboa", one of the most beautiful casinos of the world.
In the 90-ies Ho extends beyond the borders of Macao and opens 9 casinos on the Philippines, however, as a result of a conflict with the president of this country, he had to renounce his Philippine business. Apart from the casino, Ho owns many betting operators and totalizators. In 2003 the budget of Macao by 30% consisted of revenues from the activities of the companies that belonged to Stanley. His business provides work to more than 10 thousand people. In 1998 Ho becomes one of the first living inhabitants of Macao, in whose honour the local street was named. But earlier or later everything comes to an end. Ho's idyll ends in 2000, when Macao authorities decide to cancel monopoly for gambling industry. Since 2002 Ho has to share gambling industry with American "sharks" - Wynn and Adelson, who immediately used the chance to become familiar with Asian market. Presently
Stanley Ho's fortune is 6.5 billion dollars, he has the 84th position in the "Forbes" world rating.
Kirk Kerkorian
This figure of gambling industry can be without exaggerations called the most experienced and sophisticated. He is the living legend, one of the "
fathers of Las Vegas". Kirk was born in 1917 in the town of Fresno (California) in the family of Armenian emigrants. In his youth he was actively engaged in boxing and participated in single combats, but at the age of 22 all of a sudden he decided to quit sport - the desire to learn to fly captivated his entire personality. During WW II Kirk became a pilot of British royal air force. Upon returning to his homeland, in 1947 he paid 60 thousand dollars and bought a small air company that specialized on charter flights between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He abandoned this business only in 1968, having sold it for 108 mln dollars. Frequently visiting Vegas, he realizes the huge potential of this city. In 1962 Kirk buys 80 acres of land on the famous The Strip, not far from the legendary casino "Flamingo". The land at that time cost him 960 thousand dollars. The investment was not vain, approximately at this time there started the gambling boom and many companies became interested in gambling industry. The renowned casino "Caesars Palace" is built on his land, which he grants on lease. In 1969 he sells it, having thus earned more than 9 million dollars.
In 1967 Kirk buys 82 more acres of the "precious" land and builds "International Hotel", which was the biggest hotel in the world at that time. In order to make the hotel popular and attract potential players, Kirk hires Elvis Presley for concerts. At that time he also buys the casino “Flamingo”, which he resells in 1970 to the corporation "Hilton". 1973 was crucial for Kirk. He invested most of his assets into buying the film studio "MGM" and builds the casino-hotel "MGM Grand" under the brand of his new company. Now this hotel becomes the biggest in the world. At the moment Kirk Kerkorian owns the corporation "Tracinda", which has the controlling stock of "MGM Mirage" (casino in Nevada, New Jersey, Macao etc). Kirk's interests are not limited only to gambling industry. He owns 10% of the shares of "General Motors". All this allows him to be number 53 in the «Forbes» world rating, having the fortune of 8.7 billion dollars.
Related: Las Vegas casinos lost $1.3 billions in 2013
Posted on 11/17/2014 by Λολα
