84 Gaming
until this point, have you spoken Farmville [from Facebook] is just
to any countries?
Countries no, but to partners yes.
Power
a community game and you have it in
Asia, as well. It’s just a matter of finding
These partners are from which
of the
the right way to get our brands in – you
countries?
attorney
wouldn’t have a World Series of Poker
Farm, because it doesn’t make sense.
Many countries. We won’t name You have to find a game people want to
them, but many countries. We’ll look at play in Asia translated properly and have
every country one at a time, and enter- the right partner that is already in that
ing countries where it’s a closed network market.
and you can get a license [The Philip-
pines, for instance], is a very appealing Studying the market
model for Harrah’s.
China, Japan and Macau are
How do you intend to get inside your priorities in asia. but beijing
the online gambling industry in asia? has started an online gambling crack-
We’re thinking through social net- down. Will that have any effect on
works, online gaming and physical your intentions?
poker tournaments. Actually having the China is also one of the most ad-
World Poker Series in Macau, Shanghai vanced countries in social networks and
or Tokyo. These are the discussions that multiplayer community games. So, we’re
we’re having, moving our brands outside not talking about gambling now, we’re
of just Las Vegas and London and mov- talking about social networks and multi-
ing them into some other countries and
getting the World Series of Poker to be
M
itch Garber is currently the
player games. We’re studying the market.
cEO of harrah’s Interactive
Entertainment, a subsidiary of
We won’t enter it without permission and
more widely played.
harrah’s Entertainment Inc. his
without a strong local partner.
company is responsible for the World
Which asian countries/territories
Series of Poker globally, as well as
Most of the countries you’re talk-
are on your list of priorities?
for pursuing harrah’s interactive
ing about have a lot of grey areas in
China, Japan and Macau. opportunities. their legislation. What are the possi-
Prior to joining harrah’s, he held
bilities of entering their markets given
Would you say it’s easier to get
senior executive positions at Terra
these grey areas?
into the online market in Macau than
Payments Inc (1999-2002), and was
There’s no way for us to operate in
in China?
the cEO of Optimal Payments Inc
them. We cannot operate in them and
I don’t know. We still need to talk.
(2002-2006) before becoming cEO
of PartyGaming Plc
therefore we have to encourage govern-
Fun and money
(2006-2008).
ments to license us (and others) to offer
he holds a Bachelor degree
our business in those countries. So, for
in Industrial relations from McGill
us, a grey market is an illegal market,
Given the entry problems for in-
University and a law degree from
we cannot operate in a grey market. We
stance, in China’s online market, how the University of Ottawa. can’t have any vague interpretation of
do you intend to do it?
Garber was a practicing attorney
laws or any questionable interpretation
We’re looking at some way of get-
from 1990 to 1999, specialising
of laws.
ting our brands into the market and
in gaming related matters. at this
we’re very patient. Whatever the law al-
moment, he is also a member of the
for gambling operators, enter-
lows us to do on the internet with our
International association of Gaming
attorneys. L.L.
ing online in these markets has to be
brands, even if it’s playing for fun and no combined with responsibilities. What
money at all, it’s another way to get our do operators have to give in return in
brand into the minds and the computers What will the role of social net- order to be able to operate in these
of people, and we keep on working to- works be in this strategy? countries?
wards legalisation or regulation in most It’s a way to use your brands, in It’s the same as the land-based
of these places. many countries, to make money from world; taxation, licensing fees, to be able
those brands in a non-gambling game to show the government that it will be
So, that would be your first step that gives millions of people the chance responsibly run.
to getting inside the online market in to use and touch your brand every day.
these places? That’s not easy to do in the physical So, operators have to prove their
It will definitely be a first step. world. Anytime you can have a million, commitment to governments?
The proliferation of these brands, even two, three, four or ten people playing I think the governments need to be
if the customers are playing for fun, is your game and seeing your brand, it´s taught, they need to be brought along
an excellent marketing tool, in antici- very beneficial to the company. into the conversation. Macau started to
pation of legalised real money online open licenses in 2001, it’s a long process
gaming. Like farmville, for instance? to get there.
March 2010
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