GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 10 - Sept 2009
GPWA Times :: Interviewwith IanDunning , Managing Director, Haydock Entertainment o finish off my Bodog brand founder and licens- ee story-writing extrava- ganza, I interviewed Ian Dunning,ManagingDirec- tor of Haydock Entertain- ment, BodogBrand.com’s Asia-facing brand licensee (www.Bodog88.com ). Haydock, themost recentaddition to theBodogbrand licens- ee family, is licensed in the Philippines and based inManila, a city that Ian loves and a city that I am dying to visit. OK, so let’sberealhere. Iwilladmit that Ididnot physically jumponaplane toManila to in- terview Ianbecause, tobehonest, it is far away. Alternatively, I was unable to lure Ian across the Pacific for a face-to-face meeting because, in true “Bodog” fash- ion, Ianworks around the clock to ensure thatBodogAsia isa success.Despite Ian’s crazy work schedule and the notorious time-difference hurdles, I was provided with the opportunity to interview him at length, andnow Icannotwait tomeethim inperson. From ourmany conversations, I find Ian to be a very friendly, capable, knowledgeable and “seasoned” gaming professionalwhobeganhis career at Lad- brokes before online bets were taken...or as Ian likes to say, “back in the daywhen youwere still inkindergarten.” Though British, Ian has always been intrigued by the Asian market and has developed a deep expertise in the complexities of theAsian gamingmarkets over many years. He firmly believes that the synergies between the Haydock team and the Bodog brand are “tremendous” and that the opportunity to license the Bodog brand was a “no brainer” for him and his team. Ian’s extensive gaming experience over the years brings an impressive pedigree to the Bodog brand family, and even though he may be the “senior statesman” of the licensees, Ian is a big supporter of the “work hard, play hard” Bodog ethic that we all know and love.Even furtherproving thispoint, from the sounds of it, this year’s Bodog88.com office party was a perfect example of the Bodog “work hard, play hard” slogan at work.Good toknow, Ian.Next year I fully expect apersonal invite... Where are you from? What did you study in school? How did you initially become interested in online gambling? Originally I am from Liverpool (the red half). I spent most of my childhood in Jamaica and Botswana so Ihavebeenexposed toa lotofdifferent culturesandexperiences.Likealotofkids, Iwas not really surewhat Iwanted to do after school, but I knew I didnot want to work 9 to 5 in an office. A friend ofmine told me Ladbrokes was recruiting for betting shopmanagers. Iwasno stranger to gambling as my dad always liked the odd bet, and the chance to work in a retail environment and catch up on the sports news every daywas appealing.My interest inonlinegamblingstartedwhenI worked for easyInternet café as Business DevelopmentDirectorandwehada lot of peoplecome toseeuswhowanted tostart onlinegamingbusinesses. Tell us about your experiences working for Labrokes. What did you do for them? Is it true that you worked for thembefore they started takingonlinebets? Wow,whenyouput it like that, itmakes it sound like I started working in the Dark Ages, but seriously, working for Ladbrokes in the betting shops was a great experience. Dealing with real people face to face every day made you understand the desires of the customers. Sure, peoplewant towin, but the real drive was for social interaction, entertainment and fun, the very things thatBodoghasbroughttotheonlineworld and makes Haydock’s association with them so exciting. Iworked for Ladbrokes in various positions for 14 years andmy final positionwas AreaManager inWest London.Onmy lastday Iwentback tomy firstshopandat leasthalfofthecustomers remembered me. For them, betting was an integral part of their entertainment, week inandweekout. When and why did you make the transition from Ladbrokes to Victor Chandler? What were some of the major differences between the two gaming companies? Just prior to leav- ing Ladbrokes I had completed anMBA and I felt it was time tomove on. After a periodwith easyInternet café, an oppor- tunityarose tobecomeOperationsDirec- tor at VC, and tobe honest, I hadmissed working in thebettingandgaming indus- try so I jumped at the chance. Ladbrokes was very good at what they did but they werea traditional corporatebusinessand VCwas anything but. Victor was a book- maker at heart and an entrepreneur by nature. I really enjoyedmy time at VC; it was anexcitingand rewardingperiod. You played a large role with Victor Chandler’s expansion into the Asianmarket.What exactly did you do to facilitate the process? What challenges did you face? How was the Asian-facing Victor Chandler different from theU.K.-facingVictor Chandler? If I knew before I arrived in Asia how much I didn’t know about the market, I don’t think I would have left Gibraltar. Luckily the company was smart enough to engage local marketing partnerswhogaveusa lotofsoundadvice over theyearsandwe learnedour lessons and endedupwith a successful business. There are many differences between AsianandEuropeanbettingmarkets, but thebottom line is that in thecashmarket, most of the young Asian punters want fun and entertainment. A strong brand trusted and respected is in my view the key requirement for success, which is why being a licensee of the Bodog brand is so important forus. How did you become interested in the Asian market? The sheer size and potential of the Asian market first attractedme to it. The region is growing so fast and the excitement you feel in every Asian country about the future is invigorating. I am ashamed to admit I T Bodog shooting for the stars
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