Shay Ben-Yitzhak, cofounder of Gibraltar-based online gaming provider 888 Holdings, died May 2 in the crash of a small private plane. The accident took place shortly after takeoff from an airfield in in Sharon, Israel.
Ben-Yitzhak, 52, was accompanied on the flight by his 11-year-old son, who survived and was airlifted to a hospital in serious condition.
Ben-Yitzhak and his brother Ron were the original founders of 888, originally known as Casino-on-Net. In 1997, they joined with Aaron and Avi Shaked, also brothers, and formed what would later be 888 Holdings.
Traded on the London Stock Exchange, 888 is now one of the largest online casinos in the world, expanding into multiple verticals including poker, casino and sports betting.
