We want to see more markets regulate but that regulations need to be sensible and proportionate – Kevin Reid
Kevin Reid joins 1X2 Network as Chief Executive Officer following Sean St. John’s decision to take a reduced role after 20 years at the helm
Congratulations on being appointed CEO of 1X2 Network. What is it like to step into the top job?
Thank you. It is a real honour to have been appointed CEO of 1X2 Network and to be given the opportunity to lead the company and the incredible team that we have built into the next chapter of its story. I have had the pleasure of working closely with Sean St. John for several years now, and over that time he has taught me a great deal about leadership and the responsibilities that come with the role. His shoes are big ones to fill, but I am excited by the challenge and feel confident that with the team behind me, we can continue to achieve great things.
Have you always worked in the gambling sector, or have you held positions in other industries?
I actually started my working life in the research department at Sky TV. I then moved into finance, first providing trading desk support and then moving to the middle office of Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley. Those experiences undoubtedly shaped my career to date and there were plenty of lessons learned. I then made the move into the gambling sector and I have been at 1X2 Network group since then in a variety of roles.
The 1X2 Network family is actually a family. What is it like working with your father and brother?
On a personal level, I am extremely close to my brother and have been since we were very young. We also have a very close relationship with our father and, in many ways, we are just as much friends as we are father/sons. This definitely allows us to work closely together without it affecting us outside the office. We respect each other as colleagues and also as people which mitigates any big issues that might arise.
When working, we all know our place and having Sean as a co-founder and up until now, CEO, has certainly helped to balance this. The respect that Sean and my father have for each other has been key to the business getting to where it is today. We also try to replicate this respect and family bond with each and every member of the 1X2 Network team – many of whom feel like family and some of whom have been around long enough that they might as well be!
How do you feel about how your career has progressed so far?
I am going to use a football analogy to answer this one. I see myself as a player that has played at the same club from League 2 all the way up to the Premier League. I have held pretty much every position within the company – outside of coding as that really is not my forte – and feel confident that I can hold my own in any of those roles. This really helps me to understand and support the people that currently hold those positions and, as CEO, I think this is vitally important.
How has the industry changed during the time that you have been working in it?
Many of the responses I read to questions like this put to people in my position are around regulation and so too will my answer. This is an industry that is becoming increasingly regulated and this brings more challenges for all stakeholders to overcome. But I totally back it and believe it is a force of good. I think I can speak on behalf of most genuine operators and suppliers when I say that we want to see more markets regulate but that regulations need to be sensible and proportionate.
There is always a risk of over-regulation and that will ultimately push licensed operators and suppliers out of such jurisdictions to the benefit of the black market. To avoid this, I think we need to work from both sides of the argument with multiple opinions to meet somewhere in the middle where players are properly protected but markets remain viable for operators and suppliers. Right now, points scoring goes on too much in these situations.
SiGMA 2022 :
After the exciting set of conferences that was Malta Week 2021, the SiGMA Group plans to take the world by storm with the golden steeples of Kiev and the snowy city of Toronto being hubs to draw the best and brightest of the iGaming world together. Our next expo takes us to cutting-edge metropoli of the United Arab Emirates for three days of networking, panel discussions and festivities. Stay up to date with the latest and greatest through SiGMA News.
