GameAccount has a booming business on account of the games people play. GameAccount Global Limited operates a network of Web sites, the GameAccount Network, which plays host to people who pay to play against each other in such skill-based games as backgammon, gin rummy, and poker. Players from more than 130 countries (with the exception of the US) participate in games on the network, which operates in 14 languages and 25 currencies. GameAccount takes a commission from the money players ante up; it also licenses its gaming software to other sites, such as Sportingbet and Gala Coral Group. GameAccount was founded in 2001 by David McDowell and Kevin O'Neal with backing from the Smurfit family of Smurfit Kappa Group fame.

Atlanta Hockey Club owns and operates the Atlanta Thrashers professional hockey team, which joined the National Hockey League as an expansion franchise in 1999. The young club finished dead last in its first season but has improved steadily; the Thrashers clinched a playoff spot for the first time at the end of the 2006-07 season. Philips Arena, which is owned by parent Atlanta Spirit, serves as home to the Thrashers and sister sports franchise, the Atlanta Hawks. The Atlanta Spirit investment group acquired both the teams from media titan Time Warner in 2004.

Ocean Properties is a private, family-owned company founded by Thomas Walsh, who built Maine's first franchised Holiday Inn in 1969. Ocean Properties has plenty of sea views. One of the largest privately held hotel operating and development companies in the US, Ocean Properties operates more than 120 hotels across the US and Canada, primarily under the AmeriSuites, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Marriott, and Sheraton brands. Ocean Properties luxury resorts include the Marriott Delray Beach Florida Hotel. The company also has shopping centers, restaurants, and other real estate holdings, such as the Pete Rose Ballpark Cafes in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach, Florida.

APEX Restaurant Group manages two casual dining restaurant chains with a handful of locations operating under the banners Blue Chalk Cafe and Left at Albuquerque. It also provides marketing, consulting, and administrative support services to third-party restaurant chains. CEO Mark Bromberg, formerly chairman of Metromedia's restaurant division, and partner John Todd formed the company in 2002.

The California State Lottery Commission operates several games of chance offering big prizes while collecting money for the state's education budget. Players can choose from scratch tickets and daily numbers games, as well as the twice-weekly SuperLOTTO jackpot game. In addition, the California State Lottery produces a weekly TV show called The Big Spin offering more ways for contestants to win prizes. California also participates in the multi-state Mega Millions game. Created in 1985, the lottery contributes at least 34% of its proceeds to cover public education costs.

InterContinental Hotels Group (ICH) is truly that. The company is the world's largest hotel company by room count, with more than 4,400 properties in more than 100 countries. Its mainstay chain, Holiday Inn, offers mid-market accommodations at more than 1,300 locations in the US, Europe, and Asia, along with some 2,000 limited-service locations operated under the Holiday Inn Express brand. ICH also serves the upscale market with its Crowne Plaza and InterContinental chains, while its Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites brands offer extended stay services mostly in the US. The company's newest brand, Hotel Indigo, targets mid-market travelers with upscale appointments.

Tarsadia Hotels operates about a dozen mostly upscale hotels in California (in Anaheim, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, San Diego, and San Francisco), including the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. The company's brands (such as Marriott, Hilton, and Doubletree), are in high-end tourist areas and are a cut above the usual limited-service establishment. Tarsadia Hotels also offers sales, marketing, IT, HR, and accounting services to hospitality companies. Tarsadia Hotels was founded in 1976 when B.U. Patel and his sons Mike and Tushar acquired the 20-room Dunes Motel in Anaheim in 1976.

Contours Express caters to the ladies. Contours Express franchises a chain of women-only fitness facilities that offers weight-bearing equipment (rather than hydraulic equipment) especially designed to fit women's bodies. Contours Express claims that its CardioFit 29-minute workout decreases the risk of osteoporosis and provides faster results than standard gym equipment. There are currently more than 750 Contours Express fitness centers in the US and about 30 additional countries. Contours Express was founded in 1998 by fitness center veterans Daren Carter and Charlie Woodward.

The world’s leading hotel manager and market leader in Europe, Accor operates in 90 countries with 145,000 employees. The Group offers to its clients and partners nearly 45 years of know-how and expertise. Accor provides an extensive offer including about 15 complementary brands—from luxury to economy—that are recognized and appreciated around the world for their service quality: Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, ibis, all seasons, Etap hotel, hotelF1, Motel6, as well as Thalassa sea & spa and Lenotre.

Specialty Restaurant Group (SRG) operates about 10 casual dining restaurants under the banners American Cafe and Silver Spoon. The eateries offer a variety of regional favorites, such as barbecue ribs and Cajun-style dishes, as well as sandwiches, burgers, and steak. The company was formed in 2000 when CEO and former Ruby Tuesday executive James CarMichael led a buyout of American Cafe and Tia's Tex-Mex (sold in 2004) from Ruby Tuesday. SRG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2007.

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