Independent, The (London): Maccaba gambles on MoneyGaming

Hot on the heels of this week's pounds 5bn float of PartyGaming comes another fledgling online gambling company with a director once involved in a sex scandal.

Brian Maccaba, a wealthy Jewish businessman who was at the centre of an 'indecent proposal' slander trial last year, has emerged as chairman of the soon-to-be-launched MoneyGaming Corporation.

The technology entrepreneur, who was landed with costs of more than pounds 2m after losing his case against a rabbi he alleged had called him a 'pervert' and a 'sex pest', hopes to cash in on the booming business of internet gambling. He is an investor in MoneyGaming, which has raised pounds 1m of capital and is working on raising a further pounds 3m. It is to launch in early July and hopes to float on the stock market within four years.

Mr Maccaba, an Irishman brought up as a Catholic before converting to Judaism, shot to notoriety last year in a High Court battle that became the longest-running slander trial in British history. The court heard that Mr Maccaba had become infatuated with Nathalie Attar, a married Jewish woman, allegedly offering her husband $1m to leave her and harassing her when she rebuffed his advances. He accused his local rabbi, Dayan Lichtenstein, who had counselled Mrs Attar, of spreading slandering him by calling him a sexual predator. Rabbi Lichtenstein denied these claims, and Mr Maccaba failed to convince the jury.

Mr Maccaba's latest venture may see his standing in the Jewish community lower, however, as Judaism frowns upon gambling.

MoneyGaming was the idea of Liad Shababo, a former personal assistant to Mr Maccaba. Mr Shababo said he had asked Mr Maccaba, who founded Cognotec, a technology provider for foreign exchange trading, to become chairman because of his City contacts.

MoneyGaming plans to offer 'skill' games, such as chess, backgammon and bridge, rather blackjack or roulette. The site will not offer poker or traditional casino games where the punter bets against the 'house'. Rather, it will host games where players bet directly against each other.