The Board of Gaming Realms is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Blandford as a Non-Executive Director. He joins the Board with immediate effect.

Mark was the owner of a traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ bookmaker’s chain for over 15 years, then recognised the potential of the internet in the mid 1990s. In 1998 he founded Sportingbet.com, and in 2001 floated the company on AIM. Mark stepped down from the Board of Sportingbet in 2007 before its eventual sale in 2013 for £485m, with the assets being split between William Hill and GVC. In 2002, Mark was awarded AIM Entrepreneur of the Year.

Since stepping down from the board of Sportingbet, Mark has become an active, successful and widely-followed investor in the digital pay2play entertainment space.

Michael Buckley, Non-Executive Chairman of Gaming Realms, said: “We are delighted that Mark has agreed to join the Company. He has significant Board experience in public companies and the online gaming industry. We welcome him and greatly look forward to working with him.”