Experienced online gambling exec to head Isle of Man regulator
News on 9 May 2013
News on 9 May 2013
The Isle of Man’s Minister for Economic Development, John Shimmin MHK, said Thursday that the government has selected experienced online gambling industry executive Peter Greenhill (60) as the regulatory jurisdiction’s new head of e-gaming development.
“E-Gaming is hugely important to the Island’s economy, representing around 8 percent of our national Income and directly employing around 800 people,” the Minister said. “The Island is well established as a world-leading centre of excellence for e-gaming and this appointment is a vital one to help maintain and grow our successes in this sector.
“I am very pleased we have been able to attract someone of the calibre and experience of Peter Greenhill to this key role. He will lead the implementation of a new gaming strategy that has been developed in conjunction with the private sector and which indicates this sector offers significant potential for further economic growth and job creation.
“Peter has over 17 years of experience within the gaming industry and has developed an extensive network of industry contacts around the world. He is joining the Department at an exciting time with the new strategy ready to be rolled out and many potential new businesses enquiring about setting up on the Island. His role will be key to exploiting these opportunities and enabling growth in jobs and of the Island’s profile as a leading international business centre.”
Greenhill said that he was pleased to have the opportunity to further develop the Isle of Man’s e-gaming infrastructure and regulations.
“The Island has an unrivalled reputation for the quality of its gaming legislation, its technology infrastructure and its “can do” attitude and I look forward to moving to the Island very shortly to take up this exciting position,” he said.
Greenhill will formally take up the role in June 2013. He was selected following a public recruitment process involving leaders from the Island’s e-gaming industry.
Born in London in July 1953, Greenhill holds a BA (Hons) degree in Banking and Finance and has wide management experience in banking, finance, consulting and online gambling.
In 2007 he made international headlines as CEO of Betex – a Chinese lottery firm – when he and his chief finance officer resigned amid fears of arrest if they ventured into China .
Shares in the AIM-listed company were suspended in April that year after three senior managers at one of Betex’s Beijing-based subsidiaries were arrested over alleged involvement in ‘gambling’ and ‘illegal operations’.
Greenhill and Stuart Barker, the finance director, both quit after Betex was unable to secure written assurances from the Chinese authorities that they would not be detained on their next monthly visit.
Greenhill’s experience covers many other companies and areas, however. He was for over four years an executive consultant for Pagasus Consulting Ltd, and was chairman of Mobile Sports Ltd for another three years. He also consulted for Camelot, the UK National Lottery operator, for Gala Coral & Leisurelink, and was md of TCS John Huxley Ltd Europe, based in London.
He was also md at Cyberview in the UK for 5 years, a company that specialised in document scanning and analysis products for the Lottery and UK Betting and Gaming Markets.
Between 1995 and 2000, Greenhill was based in Stockholm, Sweden, where he was executive vice president for marketing and sales at EssNet AB, a company in the lottery systems market sector.
Prior to his involvement in the gambling business, Greenhill worked in managerial capacities for UNiSYS Corporation, ARBAT, Internet Systems Corporation, Credit Lyonnais and the GE information services company, Geisco.
