Pronet Gaming’s CEO is bullish on the Philippines, as the country provides the opportunities and talent pool best suited for its Asian expansion. Alex Leese says the group is actively recruiting in the region, and aims to use the ASEAN Gaming Summit as a springboard for its regional efforts, leveraging the panels and networking opportunities of the unique event.
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We’re joined today by Alex Leese, the CEO of Pronet Gaming, thanks for being with us.
Pleasure.
Now, it hasn’t been that long since we’ve talked. But we do have a couple exciting things coming up, which we’re gonna get to in a minute. But looking at Pronet Gaming itself, what current advantages are you’re looking for within the biggest booming market which is the Philippines? How are you capitalizing on what’s changing there, how it’s evolving? And what opportunities are showing up for you?
In terms of the kinds of operations that Pronet Gaming will be locating in the Philippines is very much more towards the business process outsourcing type of arrangements, with the slight exception that we will also be having a trading risk management team over there. So, what that means is, is that we are in the process now of applying for the special class of BPO accreditation. And actually, that was one of the major factors behind our decision to locate ourselves in the Philippines: to support the operation of the business that will be facing the Asian market. And that it already has a preexisting and robust infrastructure.
That’s obviously been the case now for some time. But we also like some of the most recent changes that have been brought in by PAGCOR’s new chairman, Al Tengco.
Quite clearly that seems to be working. We’ve all seen the news of late with regards to 188BET’s move into the Philippines. And I think that was a really supportive act for the PAGCOR licensing regime. So, there are many benefits to being based over in the Philippines.
There is also the aspect of talent. And I think with having looked around the Asian markets and the various jurisdictions, we just felt that the Philippines was able to offer a sufficiently wide talent pool, to be able to recruit effectively across all the disciplines that we needed, whether that be support staff, or IT operations, traders, risk management, and also some of the commercial and account management roles. So, for us, all in all, very much a one stop shop, and we’re hugely excited to be opening up there in the coming months.
Speaking of industry talent, we’re actually going to be having a lot of those gathering very, very soon at our own event, which is going to be the ASEAN Gaming Summit. Are you excited about that? It’s going to be happening March 19th. How are you feeling?
What we found with it is it’s more of networking-based show. So, some good panels, some good discussion.
And we found that the interaction with the panels was also really good. And that’s what we want with it. It’s not a broadcast show. We don’t just want people set up on the stage, giving a speech to the audience. Gaming is an industry with a lot of passionate individuals within it, each with their own views, way to doing things. And that’s all to the benefit really of shows like this. So that’s what I found great last time. So, I’m obviously interested to see whether that persists.
I myself will be taking part in a number of panels as well during the events and that always represents a great opportunity to reconnect with a few familiar faces. But also to meet with some new people as well, whether that provides opportunities to attract people to come and work with us, or whether that be future clients or simply friends within the industry. It is it is very much that kind of game.
It does feel now as it has been a bit of a re-invigoration in the Asian market in general. And that coinciding with some of the regulatory moves that we’ve seen in the Philippines, like with their changes, but also rumors of potential ones to come in the likes of Thailand and Vietnam, it does feel like the right time to all get back together again, face to face. So, I mean, that is something that I’m very much looking forward to.
I mean, you’ve mentioned a couple of very strong points of why you should be coming to the ASEAN Gaming Summit – just had to throw in that plug real quick. What would be the primary thing that you think is the main draw to bring you back year in and year out?
If I’m speaking selfishly, from the point of Pronet Gaming, that event is essentially helping to build our brand presence over in the Asian region. It is the opportunity to utilize some of the panels, but also to utilize like the [exhibitor] space and just make it more of a regular and consistent presence, not just across the ASEAN Gaming Summit itself, but also on the wider media inventory with Asia Gaming Brief.
In terms of why other people should actually attend the event, I think now there’s gonna be a lot of coinciding events at the same time. And it’s really around which ones the senior executives and the industry movers and shakers are going to choose. And I think, as I said before, with the fact that the Philippines is now much more open to gaming, and has very much led the way across the region, I think it represents the perfect opportunity for everyone to get together.
Very true. Well, I mean, I’m really looking forward to it. I’m going to be flying out there relatively soon. March 19th to 21st, we’re going to be having the ASEAN Gaming Summit at the Shangri-La The Fort. Thank you for being with us. And I’ll be seeing you very soon and I definitely look forward to the panels.
Will see you there!
Thanks again for your time, Alex Leese, CEO of Pronet Gaming. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
