Entry #6 Mukku NAKAMURA's case
Introduction
This is the 6th article in a series of entries in which crew members=JUNGLER will tell you about the attraction and company culture of JUNGLEˣ and talk about their encounter with JUNGLEˣ and motivation for joining.
This article is by Mukku NAKAMURA at JUNGLEˣ. Please take a look.
Encounters with UK bookmakers
My name is Mukku NAKAMURA. I am currently working in the Content Coordinator (Content Production Department).
15-16 years ago, when the company I had set up with acquaintances was at a crossroads and we were looking for what to do next, we were approached to help fund a company that had obtained a UK government-licensed bookmaker's licence and was developing online services for Japan.
I originally loved sports and I also love gambling. Whenever I travelled abroad, I would always play baccarat and poker, and if I couldn't, I wouldn't go anywhere I couldn't play, so naturally I knew about bookmakers.
In October 2022, the National Police Agency and the Consumer Affairs Agency announced their official position that it is a crime to bet cash in online casinos in Japan, although the situation was still loose at the time.
However, I had enough insight to know that there was no way I could suddenly make a living betting cash on a personal level, so I went on a trip with a British gentleman I knew called Robin Gibson to visit bookmakers in the UK and Ireland in February 2006, just out of curiosity.
I went to a bookmaker's shop, which is like WINS in Japan, and thought I would be satisfied with a real betting experience, but Robin Gibson's assistance gave me the opportunity to talk to William Hill and the overseas strategy department of PaddyPower in Ireland (the predecessor of Flutter, which is now the number one selling sports betting company in the USA since sports betting became legal). I was also given the opportunity to visit the street shops, call centres and the odds co-ordination department, and I still remember being struck by how much leeway the Brits had.
The last place I was looking forward to visiting was Betfair, which Robin Gibson told me was interesting because it is a rare innovation in sports betting and has won a number of awards (it has also merged with the aforementioned Paddy Power and is now Flutter).
My first encounter with bookmakers was when Betfair told me just before my visit that they were unable to meet me because they had decided on a partner to work with in Japan, and I returned home without knowing who that partner was. The upshot of the trip was that at the time, around 2006, it was not that difficult to obtain a UK government-approved bookmaker's licence (the criteria are completely different now). (The criteria for assessment are very different from today.)
Encounters with Panja
On returning home, I saw the following.
I started working on the licence as a spinal reflex.
I think it was around 2007. (Again, the criteria for assessment are very different from today.)
We have a licence but no plan for what we are going to do with it.
I just wanted to somehow bring that enthusiasm to Japan. It was with this desire alone that I came across Panja.
According to him, "I'm going to do betting, I'm going to be a casino king".
Even the word 'betting' is looked at with a certain amount of suspicion, but the aura he exudes, his ability to talk about the future, and the fact that he will definitely achieve something.
My first impression was strong.
As a gambler
After a relationship of staying together, he JOINED the JUNGLEˣ with the Purpose of "GOOD BETTING GOOD LIFE".
We believe that we can contribute to Panja's vision by JUNGLE-ising our perspective as gamblers, and have been experiencing all kinds of bookmaker services and products as a user since our first encounter with the UK bookmakers.
From paper and pencil and phone to PC and then mobile.
The main battlefield has naturally changed online with the times, but the structure of betting methods has remained the same.
Betting methods/features such as Exchange, Multi Bet and Odds Boost are those that allow people to earn more returns with smaller amounts.
Features such as Early Payout are designed to get people betting more.
The audience we are looking at is the high roller, high return-seeking segment.
It is a regular part of gambling, and it is impossible to keep winning, so naturally gambling addicts are sometimes a social problem.
I wonder what children think when they see adults disappointed by a hassle.
The opposite of this is the case.
Create sustainable betting that can be enjoyed with children and grandchildren for generations to come, enriching the lives of those involved and inspiring someone else.
JUNGLEˣ, one of Panja's sayings: 'The best welfare is work colleagues'.
We hope to play a part in creating a revolution through betting.
Conclusion
How was this article?
This was Mukku NAKAMURA's entry into the group.
If you feel you fit the description of "someone who wants to change betting" after reading this entry, please also visit our corporate website.
Thank you for reading till the end.
Responsibility for the text: Mukku NAKAMURA
Introduction and Conclusion Responsibility: Mukku NAKAMURA