Well-known online betting pioneer Vincent Caldwell has two reasons to celebrate this month.

The CEO and chairman of Virtual Live Racing, who lives in Onchan, was inducted into the SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame, in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the industry and Virtual Live Racing has become an Associate Member of WoTA (World Tote Association).

This is the global organisation that brings together leading pari-mutuel/Tote operators.

Belfast-born Caldwell said: ’It’s been a very exciting month. Personally, it’s a huge honour to be inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame - and professionally it’s great to see the Virtual Live Racing brand taking its place alongside other leading businesses in WoTA.

’As an Associate Member we’re looking forward to bringing a unique insight to WoTA from our perspective as a product innovator.’

SBC, the global gaming news, media and events business, launched the Sports Betting Hall of Fame in 2016 to honour the outstanding accomplishments of personalities who have made significant and lasting contributions to the industry.

Announcing Caldwell’s induction to the Hall of Fame, SBC highlighted his contribution as a pioneer of internet betting, most notably as the founder, chairman and CEO of betinternet.com.

The business was launched in 1998 and, only 18 months, later it was valued at £50million when it became the first online betting company to list on the London Stock Exchange (AIM).

Today, Caldwell’s success in the industry continues with Virtual Software, the Isle of Man-based company behind the Virtual Live Racing brand.

Launched last year, VLR was the first in the world to develop, distribute and go live with a unique suite of virtual live racing thoroughbred, harness and greyhound products.

The company uses award winning software developers and special effects experts from the movie and TV industry to create bespoke computer generated real-time, pari-mutuel wagering races.

Its products use high-definition graphics and realistic race commentary - combined with results based on anonymised past performance data - to recreate all of the excitement and emotion that fans experience from betting on real life races.