PROFILE WHO’S WHO:
How did you first get involved with the gaming industry? In 2003 I founded
Bettingjobs.com, and I’ve been working in the gaming industry ever since.
What attracted you to this sector? As an ambitious 24-year-old, I was desperate to start my own business. At the time, the betting industry relied on the Racing Post to advertise all roles and it was offline only. I saw a big opportunity in creating an online job function for the industry and thus
Bettingjobs.com was born (albeit after a lot of hard work in terms of securing funding, quitting my job and working from a spare room in my flat).
What were you doing prior to the gaming industry? I trained as a technical recruitment consultant in London, working for what was the fastest growing private recruitment business in the UK at the time, the S3 Group.
What are you responsible for in your current position? Overseeing the launch of
findmyexpert.com into our first market, which is the iGaming industry. On top of this we are pouring investment into tech which requires constant attention. The challenges facing any new business are ensuring customer satisfaction and to robustly test your thoughts and processes, and this is what I am focussed on at the moment.
Movie: Scent of a Woman
Band: Notorious B.I.G
This month:
findmyexpert.com’s CEO David Copeland
What have been the biggest industry changes you’ve seen in your time? I have seen it all (although you can never really see it all, can you). The biggest changes are UIGEA and then Black Friday almost sounding the death knell for the industry, as well as the UK allowing TV adverts for gambling products. This, in turn, prompted enormous growth. The most innovative product I have seen over the years is the Betfair exchange.
What are the biggest positive factors for your sector right now? In terms of gaming I would say there are many tailwinds. The prospect of the USA opening its doors to legal online gambling and sports betting is huge. In addition, the general maturity and quality of management now in place across many operators gives me great hope for the future. From a recruitment industry perspective, remote working and flexible workforces provide tremendous opportunities.
And the negatives ones – the obstacles to growth? With the right attitude obstacles can be overcome, except those made by the government to entirely stifle commerce. Hopefully we won’t see this. That said, even Brexit and the likely limit on cross border human capital movement can be overcome by remote working. There is always a solution to a problem.
Book: Skin in the Game
TV Show: NFL Redzone
Looking at your entire career, what do you think was your smartest move? Starting
Bettingjobs.com when I did. The timing was perfect and it gave me the chance to grow up with the industry that I love.
And dumbest one? There have been a couple of other businesses that we invested into that perhaps didn’t have the greatest of outcomes. One of which was
Superlobby.com, an aggregator for the US daily fantasy sports. It was a great and fun business to run at the time, but ultimately the market imploded on us.
What do you think the egaming space will look like in ten years’ time? It will be dictated by technology. A host of new devices will be available to consumers, with virtual reality leading the way and offering incredible experiences.
If you’d never embarked on this career, what other line of work would you have liked to pursue? I would have been the centre forward for Partick Thistle, leading us to Champions League glory.
Food: Anything Vegan (curry)
APRIL 2018 65
Favourite…
Past time: Looking after the kids
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