PokerStars’ long-time communications chief Eric Hollreiser is striking out on his own and forming a marketing communications consultancy to serve regulatory entrepreneurs.

PokerStars has been and remains a ’super-important’ business for the island, says the online gaming giant’s former corporate communications boss.

The American has left the global operation to start his own consultancy firm in the island which he now calls home.

He said it was vital that the island continues to rise to the challenges faced in remaining a progressive jurisdiction for the e-gaming industry as it moves forward.

’I decided to base my new company here for a number of purposes but primarily because I do believe the island is a progressive place that fosters entrepreneurism, creating regulated environments in industries where there is disruption.’

Mr Hollreiser stressed that all the larger companies in the island are important. At the same time it is the island’s responsibility to ensure that there is the ’’next PokerStars’’, ’’the next Microgaming’’ in the same way as the ’’next big bank’’ and to always look to the future.

He said: ’That’s what gets me excited about the island. And of course I will always support PokerStars and wish them the best.’

For nine years Mr Hollreiser was the head of corporate communications at the global business which has been at the forefront of the island’s thriving e-gaming sector and which now plays an important role in the economy here.

Now Mr Hollreiser has moved on to launch Hollreiser A.C.E. (short for Amplify Connect Engage), a consultancy focusing on entrepreneurial and ’disruptive’ companies in sectors such as gaming, fintech, e-sports, AI (artificial intelligence), and blockchain.

The three letters A.C.E. and the link with poker playing are not lost on Mr Hollreiser. who believes he has found an ’ace’ to hold with his new business.

Speaking from his workspace at The Engine House in Castletown, Mr Hollreiser said he was happy to represent the PokerStars business during its period of growth and ’part of that was representing to a certain extent the Isle of Man which I was very happy to do’.

He said: ’It is important to look at why the company originally came here and looking at the factors which have been important in the island’s growth, particularly in e-gaming. That is having progressive legislation that brought the industry forward and a gold standard regulatory regime that brought greater legitimacy to the reputation of the industry.

’Those who come here wanting to operate under the e-gaming licence wanted to do so with a watchdog that was legitimate and one that believed in consumer protections so consumers could feel confident that the operators were legitimate and that there were levels of protection for them.

’That was one of the primary drivers as to why the business, PokerStars, came here originally.

’And then also there is the technical infrastructure and having the data centres and ability to be an online e-commerce business that could have the access to and reliability of technology and then increasingly the type of people, the skilled workforce that could support that type of a business.’

He also referred to the business friendly aspects of the Isle of Man and a government that ’is understanding of the challenges of a new industry’ and a tax regime that is helpful for the growth of companies’.

business friendly

All of this was smart for any growing jurisdiction such as the Isle of Man with the constraints of being a small island community where you have got to be entrepreneurial, be progressive and forward thinking about how you can stand out in this global competitive world that we are in.

Mr Hollreiser has lived and worked in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington DC and has been around the world with PokerStars and is keen to continue to ’fly the flag for the Isle of Man’ on his travels as he embarks on his new business.

spirit

He said he is attracted to ’the entrepreneurial spirit’ of the Manx people and those that come here.

’Look at the geography, you have to figure out a way to survive and thrive when you are distinct from the larger countries around you. The Isle of Man has always had that spirit,’ he said.

’Even as I decided to make the transition from PokerStars and decided to start my own business, thinking about the niche I could fill.â?¦ regulatory entrepreneurship is a great space to be in and is a natural business to base on the Isle of Man. I think more broadly there are challenges that the Isle of Man face, in ensuring that it remains the progressive jurisdction for the e-gaming space and I do believe there are a number of programmes that the government is looking at aimed at ensuring that does happen.’

He said the government’s digital agency was working to ensure the island remains ’fit for purpose’ for e-gaming businesses and looks at other digital businesses.

He said the government was helping other businesses in the regulatory environment to settle here including blockchain, crypto and e-sports along with the ’continued evolution of e-gaming.’

Mr Hollreiser said that generally for most of the business concerns he has been involved in he has been the ’words man’ and representing the companies and telling people what companies are doing.

He said that he had seen it in his nine years here just how ’super-important’ PokerStars has been for the island.

He said the online gaming business continues to change and evolve.

Mr Hollreiser is full of praise for the Engine House in Alexandra Road, Castletown, which offers working space to people involved in businesses of all types. Working with other people including entrepreneurs and different sectors was proving to be a real winner.

book

On his time at PokerStars based at Onchan Head, he said: ’There have been many chapters in the book of my time at PokerStars and you know, some day I will write that book.

’It has been such a dynamic period of growth at PokerStars, for the industry and for the company.

’Having spent a good part of my career in the reputation management business (he had previously been at Microsoft and Disney), I’m really proud of the role I played and the contributions I made in PokerStars and within the (online gaming) industry at a time when we were jointly challenged with improving the reputation of the company and the industry.

’I think the reality is there were lots of roles to play and I’m really proud of the role I played and the contributions I made in PokerStars and within the (online gaming) industry at a time when we were jointly challenged with improving the reputation of the company and the industry.

reputation

’I would like to believe that in some small way PokerStars helped with adding to the increased reputation of the Isle of Man.

’Reputation can be so easily lost - hard-earned reputation can take five minutes to lose and five years to rebuild.

’I had a fantastic run with PokerStars.

’I will continue to be a shareholder and I have high hopes for the future of the company and for the industry and for the various brands that will presumably be under Flutter (the planned mega-merger between PokerStars’ parent company The Stars Group and the parent company of Paddy Power).’

Mr Hollreiser said that he felt it was a good time to leave to look for the new challenge of running his own company.

He spoke of the ’wonderful array’ of celebrities and sports stars that have been recruited to promote Pokerstars over the years including tennis players such as Boris Becker, American comedian Kevin Hart along with soccer stars such as Christiano Ronaldo.

And Mr Hollreiser said he was happy to represent the company during its period of growth in the Isle of Man.

He said the island had a ’gold standard’ regulatory machine that was the envy of many.

But he is also looking forward to being able to play the odd game of poker with PokerStars.

He said he was ’part of the generation of PokerStars people where it was not a pre-requisite to play poker but it was pretty darned important’.

’As an employee I could not play on PokerStars.

’Now I am playing, not as much as I would like.

’I’m the classic casual player, I play for the fun of it. I would love the big win and I would not rule out a big win but I play for the sheer fun.’