Sportingbet
Blandford was one of the earliest offline bookmakers to see the potential for sports betting online. Previously the owner of a traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ bookmaking operation for over 15 years, Mark recognized the potential of the internet in the mid 1990s and sold his chain to Tote Bookmakers in 1997. In October 1998 he launched Sportingbet and in January 2001 the Company floated on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market in a landmark transaction for the online gaming industry. With Sportingbet, Blandford went on to be voted AIM Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002 and later earned the company the honour of AIM Transaction of the Year in 2005. Blandford left day to day operations at Sportingbet in 2006 and now works as a venture capital investor.
Read more about this topic: Mark Blandford (Entrepreneur)