Italian cooking and casual dining are two things that excite this company. Fired Up operates and franchises more than 140 Carino's Italian Grill restaurants in more than 25 states. The full-service eateries offer pizza and freshly prepared pasta along with beef, chicken and pork dishes inspired by the cuisine of Southern Italy. The company owns about half the restaurants and franchises the rest; a handful of franchised Carino's units are located in Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates. Fired Up was founded in 1997 by partners and former Brinker International executives Norman Abdallah and Creed Ford. The company is backed by private equity firm Rosewood Capital.

The New Mexico Lottery Authority isn't spilling the beans, but they do offer money prizes to consumers through scratcher tickets, an online raffle, an in-state lottery draw, and the multi-state, mega-jackpot lotto game, PowerBall, which accounts for about one-third of the authority's sales. More than half of its total sales go to winner payouts; roughly a quarter go to public college tuition programs and scholarships. Since 1996, the New Mexico Lottery Authority has raised more than $300 million for education in New Mexico.

Colhoc Limited Partnership owns and operates the Columbus Blue Jackets professional hockey franchise. The club joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team in 2000 along with the Minnesota Wild. Columbus plays host at Nationwide Arena. The late John H. McConnell, founder of steel processing giant Worthington Industries, helped bring the hockey franchise to Columbus, Ohio. His son, John P. McConnell, continues to lead the Blue Jackets ownership group which includes The Columbus Dispatch publisher The Dispatch Printing Company.

Wolfgang Puck Catering, part of the celebrity chef's culinary empire, provides catering services and event planning and coordination, in more than a dozen major US markets. It also has foodservice operations at several well-known destinations and cultural centers, such as the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. In addition, Wolfgang Puck Catering operates at selected sports stadiums and entertainment venues through a partnership with Levy Restaurants, a unit of UK-based foodservice giant Compass Group. Wolfgang Puck established the catering unit in 1998 and owns 10%, while Compass Group controls the remaining 90% stake in the venture.

Clipper Ventures would never try to circumvent circumnavigation. The seaworthy Clipper Ventures organizes around-the-world yacht races. Its Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is staged in alternate years. Its 5 Oceans solo grand prix (cosponsored by window-manufacturing firm Velux and formerly known as the Around Alone race) is run every four years. Clipper Ventures owns the National Zapcat Championships, which is a race run by smaller powerboats. The company also charters its fleet for corporate events or private use. Chairman Robin Knox-Johnston started the firm in 1995.

Kentucky Lottery operates a variety of instant-win and numbers games for the benefit of state educational programs. The lottery offers scratch-off and pull-tab games, as well as Pick 3, Pick 4, and Win for Life lotteries. In addition, Kentucky Lottery is part of the Multi-State Lottery Association and participates in that organization's multi-state Powerball drawing. Proceeds from the games go to a variety of programs, including the College Access Program, the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship Program, and the Kentucky Tuition Grants Program, as well as Kentucky's General Fund. The Kentucky Lottery was established in 1989.

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK), based in San Diego, is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Jack in the Box® restaurants, one of the nation’s largest hamburger chains, with more than 2,200 restaurants in 18 states. Additionally, through a wholly owned subsidiary, the company operates and franchises Qdoba Mexican Grill®, a leader in fast-casual dining, with more than 500 restaurants in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

The Illinois Department of the Lottery runs numbers games, including Pick 3 and Pick 4, and participates in the dozen-state Mega Millions game in which players can win jackpots starting at $12 million (odds of winning: 1 in 175 million). It also offers instant-win scratch-off games. Of the money collected from ticket sales, about 60% is paid in prizes and some 30% goes to the state's Common School Fund, which helps finance K-12 public education. The rest covers retailer commissions and expenses. The Illinois Lottery operates through more than 7,500 retail businesses. For every ticket sold, retailers receive a 5% commission.

Full House Resorts, Inc. was founded in 1987. Full House Resorts, Inc. (Full House) develops, manages and invests in gaming-related opportunities. The Company is involved in several gaming projects, including the FireKeepers Casino near Battle Creek, Michigan, with the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi (the Michigan Tribe) and Harrington Raceway and Casino (Harrington Casino), a racino in Harrington, Delaware. The Company also owns the Stockman’s Casino in Fallon, Nevada, and has an agreement with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana for the development and management of a gaming facility in Montana.

The not-for-profit zoo occupies 55-acres in Hermann Park at the heart of Houston's cultural district. It is home to more than 4,500 animals from about 800 species and hosts about 1.5 million visitors per year. Facilities include the McGovern Children's Zoo, Kipp Aquarium, the tropical bird house, Texas Wetlands, and the Wildlife Carousel. The zoo participates in programs that oversee the breeding of more than 40 endangered animal species. Several of its facilities may be reserved for private functions and private tours are offered "behind the scenes." The Houston Zoo was founded in 1922 to house a bison donated by the US government.

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