The Washington Capitals professional hockey franchise joined the National Hockey League in 1974 and has reached the Stanley Cup finals just once, losing to the Detroit Red Wings in 1998. The team was founded by Abe Pollin, the late owner of the Washington Wizards, and plays host at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Monumental Sports & Entertainment, a holding company formed in 2010 and controlled by Ted Leonsis, owns the Caps franchise along with the Wizards, the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, and the Verizon Center.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is the organizing body for women's golf, overseeing development and promotion of the game and its star players. It operates the LPGA Tour consisting of about 30 events a year. In addition to its high-profile golf tournaments, the organization runs the LPGA Teaching & Club Professional Division, which is the golf education and development subsidiary for its 1,200 members. The LPGA was founded in 1950, making it one of the oldest women's sports organizations in the world.

Michigan Bureau of State Lottery, better known as the Michigan Lottery, operates games of chance offering payouts to winning players while returning money to state education coffers. Lottery games include both instant-win and number games. Michigan Lottery also oversees club games (Club Keno and Pull Tabs) offered at bars and restaurants throughout the state. Proceeds from lottery games are used for the School Aid Fund, which finances a number of public education programs. Michigan started its lottery in 1972.

International Speedway Corporation (ISC) doesn't believe in slow and steady. The company is the top motorsports operator in the US with more than a dozen racetracks hosting more than 100 events annually. Its race facilities include Daytona International Speedway (home of the Daytona 500), Talladega Superspeedway, and Michigan International Speedway. In addition, ISC operates the Daytona 500 EXperience theme park and museum and it owns 50% of motorsports merchandiser Motorsports Authentics with rival Speedway Motorsports. Former CEO James France and his family own about 70% control of the company. Events sanctioned by NASCAR, also controlled by the France family, account for about 90% of sales.

Starhotels was founded in 1980 by Ferruccio Fabri and is now headed by his daughter Elisabetta. Starhotels offers an authentic Italian experience, whether you're in Rome, Paris, or New York. The family-owned company owns and operates 20 luxury hotels in Italy, as well as The Michelangelo in New York and the Castille in Paris. Starhotels are located in urban areas and feature regional d�cor and cuisine true to each area of Italy. (The Michelangelo's restaurant, Insieme, and the Castille's restaurant, The Assaggio, both feature popular dishes from all over Italy). Starhotels are tailored for the upscale traveler and business executive. Hotels average about 200 rooms each, and some properties have residences for long-term stays.

The Florida Marlins professional baseball franchise joined Major League Baseball as an expansion team in 1993 and boasts two World Series titles. Under the deep-pocketed ownership of former Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, the Marlins quickly rose to success and won its first championship title in 1997. A second Fall Classic victory followed in 2003, two years after the franchise was sold to Jeff Loria, who formerly owned the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals). The team plays host at Miami's LandShark Stadium.

DreamNex knows how to combine business and pleasure. The French company operates SexyAvenue.com, a leading European adult-content Internet site offering erotic photos and videos, lingerie and sex toys, and an online dating service. Its Belgian subsidiary, Enjoy, hosts Europe's largest network of erotic Webcams. DreamNex offers its Web site in five languages and claims nearly 50 million visits per month and 3,000 transactions per day. Photo and video distribution accounts for the more than three-quarters of the company's revenue. About half that revenue comes from French customers. Founder, chairman, and CEO Patrice Macar and other members of management hold about 54% of DreamNex.

High Hotels wants to be at the top of the list for places to stay. The company develops, owns, and operates about 10 hotel and motel properties in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York. The company operates its hotels under the Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, and Hilton Garden Inn banners. The company's hotels are located in tourist areas and many offer special packages like Amish tours, Civil War packages, Hershey Entertainment's Hersheypark tickets, and shopping excursions. High Hotels was founded in 1988 by its parent company High Industries, as part of its real estate group.

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., The Marcus Corporation is a leader in the lodging and entertainment industries. Marcus Theatres® is the seventh largest theatre circuit in the U.S., with locations in major markets in the Midwest. Marcus Hotels and Resorts owns and manages a distinctive portfolio of hotels, resorts and other properties that are unique in their markets. The Marcus Corporation is included in the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index and the Russell 2000 Index and other indexes. The Marcus Corporation was founded in 1935 with the purchase of a single movie theatre in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Portsmouth City Football Club operates Portsmouth FC, a professional soccer team that plays in the Football League Championship. Established in 1898, the club boasts two FA Cups, its last in 2008, and two first division championships. Portsmouth FC's home ground is at Fratton Park; the football team is known to supporters as Pompey. Portsmouth City Football Club was placed into administration in 2010 citing heavy debt loads. The club has also been plagued by ownership questions: Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai in early 2010 became Portsmouth's fourth controlling shareholder since Alexandre Gaydamak sold his share of the company in 2009.

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