The Cincinnati Bengals professional football franchise traces an elite heritage, having been formed by Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown in 1968 as part of the American Football League (AFL). Cincinnati joined the National Football League in 1970 when the AFL and NFL merged and went on to make two trips to the Super Bowl (losing both times to the San Francisco 49ers). The team plays host at Paul Brown Stadium, which opened in 2000. Brown's family, led by his son Mike Brown, continues to control the Bengals.

MLB oversees the game of professional baseball in North America that includes 30 franchises in 28 cities across the US and in Canada. The teams operate as a separate business but each is regulated and governed by MLB. The league sets official rules, regulates team ownership, and collects licensing fees for merchandise. It also sells national broadcasting rights and distributes fees to the teams. (Regional broadcast rights are held by each franchise.) MLB was formed when the rival National and American Leagues joined together in 1903.

GEORGIA LOTTERY MISSION STATEMENT: To maximize revenues for specific education programs by providing entertaining lottery products and quality customer service to our retailers and players, while maintaining the integrity of the Georgia Lottery Corporation and its games. The Georgia Lottery was created in November 1992 by the people of Georgia to enhance educational funding. The Lottery for Education Act created the Georgia Lottery Corporation (GLC) to oversee and operate the lottery.

Too busy to go out to pig out? Steak-Out Franchising will bring the burgers, shrimp, steaks, and more, to your door. The company operates a chain of more than 25 franchised Steak-Out restaurants that provide home meal delivery in Alabama, South Carolina, and about 10 other southern and Midwestern states. The cookeries offer a menu of lunch and dinner entrees including steak and seafood, along with a variety of appetizers and side dishes. Some locations offer online ordering. David Martin started the chain in 1986; president Don Harkleroad acquired the company in 1995.

La Quinta...Spanish for "Next to Denny's?" LQ Management is owner of the La Quinta (which is Spanish for the villa) hotel brand. The company has hotels throughout the US (about 45 states), Canada, and Mexico under the La Quinta Inns and La Quinta Inn & Suites brands. LQ Management franchises the majority of its properties. The growing company has more than 750 hotels, which encompass some 65,000 guest rooms; in addition, it has some 250 properties in the development pipeline. La Quinta hotels operate in the limited service, midscale segment. It targets a mix of corporate and leisure travelers. LQ Management is owned by investment firm The Blackstone Group.

This company is pinning its hopes on the flavor of the Big Island to draw a few mainlanders into its restaurants. Kona Grill operates about 20 upscale casual-dining restaurants offering both seafood and American dishes with an island twist. The restaurants serve both lunch and diner menus, and they offer a wide selection of sushi. In addition to dining, each location typically has a bar area for happy hour with margaritas and martinis. The restaurants are typically found near upscale shopping areas in Arizona, Texas, and about 20 other states. Former chairman and CEO Marcus Jundt and his family own about 20% of Kona Grill.

Grévin & Cie operates the Parc Astérix (also the firm's former name) amusement park just north of Paris. Based on Astérix, a legendary French comic, the park offers a variety of attractions including a scale-model park France Miniature, wax museum Grévin, St-Malo's Grand Aquarium, and magic entertainment venue Bagatelle. In addition to its flagship location, Grévin & Cie has expanded aggressively and now owns about 20 parks in France, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK. Ski resort operator Compagnie des Alpes owns the company.

After many dark and dreary seasons, the Ravens no longer just ponder a Super Bowl victory. Named in honor of the Edgar Allan Poe poem, the Baltimore Ravens Limited Partnership owns and operates Baltimore's National Football League franchise, which won its first Super Bowl following the 2000 season. The team was created in 1996 when former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell relocated his franchise to Maryland. As part of the deal, Modell agreed to give up all rights to the Browns' name, colors, and history. The team plays host at M&T Bank Stadium. Stephen Bisciotti, a local businessman who founded staffing firm Allegis Group, acquired control of the team from Modell in 2004.

You might say people queue up for dining and billiards at these restaurants. JCB Entertainment Holdings is a leading operator of restaurant and entertainment complexes with about 15 Jillian's Billiards Clubs in 10 states. Aimed at adults and families, the fun centers offer casual dining and drinks along with such game room venues as the 9 Ball Lounge, Hi-Life Lanes (bowling) and Amazing Games (interactive and video games). The restaurants serve mostly traditional American fare, along with full bar service and beer on tap. The Jillian's chain was started in 1988. JBC Entertainment is owned by private equity firm Gemini Investors.

Aruze Gaming America, Inc., a global gaming corporation since 1983, designs, develops and manufactures slot machines and gaming devices for the global casino market. The corporate office is located in Las Vegas with subsidiaries and branches in Australia, South Africa, Macau, Japan and the Philippine. Aruze Gaming America is a leading manufacturer of casino gaming machines for markets in the US and overseas. It makes mechanical reel slots and video slot machines, as well as multi-player games based on such casino favorites as blackjack and roulette. The company has international subsidiaries in Australia, China, Japan, and South Africa. Tokyo-based Pachinko manufacturer Universal Entertainment (formerly Aruze Corp.) sold Aruze Gaming America to CEO Kazuo Okada in 2009. Okada also serves as chairman of Universal Entertainment and is vice chairman of Wynn Resorts.

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