New General Manager Wagering appointed

Press statement

New General Manager Wagering appointed

November 26, 2009

A former head of Ladbrokes’ international operations, Martin Saunders, has been appointed General Manager Wagering at New Zealand Racing Board.

Martin, who took up his new position this week, has had a life-long involvement with the industry, starting with his reading out of the Form Guide to his late father who in the early days, held a bookmaker’s licence.

Martin later went on to Nottingham University to gain a degree in zoology, then a Masters degree in equine studies from the University of Wales.

He began his working life as a trainee betting office manager for Ladbrokes in 1986, followed by stints in Head Office as commentator and broadcast studio manager. Positions in the greyhound and horse racing trading department were next, before heading up the Bet Acceptance Centre and working closely with the retail division.

In 1994 he moved to Gibraltar where Ladbrokes had a small unit, initially providing telephone betting services for thoroughbred racing, later football and eventually the whole sports product. As the business and team grew, he took on wider management responsibilities and, in 2001, became Managing Director of Ladbrokes’ International.

Under his stewardship, as Ladbrokes online gaming services were developed, he oversaw the move into casino, poker and bingo and the team grew from 15 to 100.

Martin joined 32Red Plc, a Gibraltar - based gaming company, as Trading Director in October 2006, where his duties included sports book management and new business development, before taking up his current position at NZ Racing Board.

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