The Island’s first e-gaming seminar, held on 26th June, attracted over 100 guests to the Mount Murray Hotel.
The breakfast seminar was sponsored by Hamblin eGaming Recruitment in association with the Department of Trade and Industry.
Speakers were DTI head of e-gaming development Garth Kimber, Gill Baker and Alastair Ross of Microgaming, Paul Telford and Kerron Christian of PokerStars and Boonlong Koh of Cube Limited.
Following a welcome by Hamblin Employment Group chairman Frank Newton and director Jerry Linehan, the seminar was introduced by DTI Minister David Cretney, who referred to the Island’s e-gaming industry as ‘the fastest growing sector in the Island’s economy’, one that presented a wide range of employment opportunities.
Garth Kimber gave a local and global perspective of the industry, explaining that the number of e-gaming sites had grown from one in 1995 to an estimated 2500 worldwide in 2009. Mr Kimber added: ‘In 2008 the gross gaming yield was $20.3billion; estimates predict that figure to rise to $29.1 billion by 2012’.
The audience heard how e-gaming in the Isle of Man was regulated through the Gaming Supervision Commission. Currently, there are 16 licenceholders in the Island, with a further six recently approved, three applications being processed and 12 more in preparation.
An overriding theme of the seminar was the diverse career opportunities presented by an industry that employed 230 people in 2006, 460 in 2008 and would employ an estimated 640 by the end of 2009.
Roles were being created in sectors including treasury, trading, accounts, sales, HR, compliance, risk, and sales.
It was, said Microgaming’s Alastair Ross, an industry ‘international in scope’, while his colleague Gill Baker stressed the industry’s ‘fleet of foot’ nature.
PokerStar’s Paul Telford emphasised operators’ commitment to social responsibility and exceptional levels of customer service, and he spoke of the industry’s appeal to ‘blue chip’ professionals seeking to transfer their skills.
The Isle of Man had attracted the attention of Asia-based Cube Limited, a sportsbetting website operator. The company’s chief financial officer Boonlong Koh said the Island had provided an environment conducive to setting up a European base that now employed 50 people locally.
Trust, combined with robust compliance and KYC procedures were vital to attract and retain customers. He said a quality customer experience ‘was critical’ and that his company would be recruiting locally in the areas of relationship management and customer service.
Hamblin eGaming Recruitment’s Sue Cook said ‘We were delighted to host the Island’s first e-gaming seminar. Such is the scale and scope of e-gaming that business opportunities continue to grow between 20 and 30 per cent each year and an estimated 180 new jobs are expected to be created in the Isle of Man this year.
‘As e-gaming recruitment specialists we have in-depth knowledge of this dynamic and fast-growing industry.
However, through our dealings with candidates it became clear that for many, e-gaming was very much an unknown quantity, so we were keen to promote the wide range of career options – from business analysis to project management, account management to software development and many other areas - presented by this exciting industry.
‘Promoting the career opportunities presented by e-gaming also demonstrates our commitment, as an Isle of Man Freedom to Flourish Champion, to providing practical advice to help individuals reach their full potential.’
Pictured: Seminar hosts Hamblin Director Jerry Linehan at lecturn, with Hamblin Employment Group Chairman Frank Newton to his right. Seated: speakers Garth Kimber, DTI Head of e-Gaming Development and Alastair Ross of Microgaming. Standing (l-r): Paul Telford of PokerStars; Boonlong Koh of Cube Limited; DTI Minister David Cretney; Gill Baker of Microgaming; and Kerron Christian of PokerStars.
