"Dusk till Dawn" Poker Club In Nottingham Diary (by Rob Yong)

[Div]

Surely DTD has to have a unique selling point in that it is likely to attract people from outwith the area to Nottingham - not just from other parts of the UK, but abroad too.

That must be a clear differentiator from the mainstream casinos which have a very local customer base, and would make DTD a clear asset to the local economy.

[Jim-D]

I have every faith that the right people will make the correct decision in allowing this fantastic venture to be fulfilled.

Really looking forward to seeing the place Rob and all the best for you and your team.

[robyong]

But do we know the grounds that they will seek the adjournment?

You have stated that you do not want to have casino tables in the club, this is an extract from the gambling commission information site:

Q. What powers will the Commission have?

It may impose conditions on the licences it grants, and it will issue codes of practice.

If you were to offer that a condition be imposed on your gaming license preventing roulette, blackjack etc., would this help your cause and negate any opposition from the casinos on the grounds of competition? Hopefully this is worth looking at.

Thats an interesting point.

Also I think you should stand up and tell the magistraites exactly the honest facts, as you tell us, (ie 90k invoices with no income!!), and that you're not a multi national company, and we've now come to a do or die situation .

This is the sik thing, we have submitted plans for our layout, fixtures and fittings, showing 70% of the space for poker tables etc That is the layout that got excepted for our casino building regulations licence AND by the UK Gambing Commission (we could NOT run a casino EVEN if we wanted). DTD is poker club - but the casinos don't want us to open, thats the facts

I have bent over backwards, tried to contact all the objectors and negotiate an amicable soloution, but the bottom line is that EVERY poker player that plays poker OUTSIDE of a casino LOSES them money (ie. average casino games spend per poker player decreases).

Its a simple business issue for them, they want poker players IN casinos, end of story, and they will do whatever it takes to ensure this happens. There is nothing I can do to persuade them otherwise............I was just laughed at in court when I tried to talk to them.  The big 4 (Gala, LCI, Stanleys and Govesnenor) have 86% of the UK casino market, and 100% of the "legal" poker market..........and this is the way they want it - and who can blame them ? (however, I will in the case based on the law of averages that something has to go right for me in the DTD venture lol).

Cheers for your question, Rob

[robyong]

I'm pretty busy at the moment, probably trying to do to many things and having too many people to deal with. The problem with a mix of different types of companies is how to manage them, and allocating the correct amount of time to each. Also, people always think their area is the most important, and needs the resources now, whether those be financial or time..............however, having different interests has one upside, as one company goes tits up, another normally does okay, and balances things out

We are just finishing the re-fit of my pub, I've renamed it "The Nuthall", and the opening night is this Saturday August 11th 2007, I'm gonna have a little party, most of the DTD guys will be there, so please feel free to come along for a couple of beers. Its on Nottingham road, just off J26 of the M1, and was previously called "The Browtowe". The common view is that I've made a bit of cock up with the pub, as I am currently over £300,000 in the hole after the re-fit, but it looks good, and I can really see the potential! (to eventually scrape to break even).

My Group Finance Director, Rebecca, who has been with me for over 10 years, just doesn't understand my mentality sometimes, DTD has really hacked her off, every month she pays the bills and gets little revenue in, and hears me tell her "it will come good.......blah blah". This worked for the first 6-9 months, but after over 2 years of shelling out, its hard to keep telling her "keep the faith".

I am sure there is a point when I have to say "enough is enough" for DTD, but I do not know when this will be, I think I may just wake up one morning and say, "that's it, I've done my best". Who knows? This is just the way I am, I work day to day, change my mind freqently, and will make U turns following a dream that I had the previous night. This is the way I do things, but I never feel scared or worried, as long as I can pay peoples wages, and look after my family, I'm pretty happy to follow my insticts, wherever they take me.

I have been reading my birthday present, a book called "Tycoon" , by that plonker Peter Jones (who made his money in IT and mobile phones), off the TV programme, Dragons Den. What a load of crap IMO, he tells people that the way to be a successful entreprenneur is to "unlock your imagination", "realise your potential", "write down a list of your dreams", "lie back and imagine being rich" blah blah blah. He forgets to mention the biggest and most important factor - "be lucky!"

Have I been lucky in business? Yes, massively to date, until DTD, where I believe I have had some elements of bad luck. If I had just built a poker club, opened up, charged what I wanted, I probably would have a chance that I would still be trading and in a much better financial position, but I would always have the stress of being shut down when the September 2007 Gaming Act comes into place (and the worry about 80 peoples jobs).

I decided to do avoid this "uncertainty", and go through the pain of trying to be legal, which of course meant breaking the monopoly of the big 4 casinos (who have 87% of the UK casino market). I admit, it has been tougher that I thought, things have not gone exactly according to plan, so it is time to use all my business skills and experience ie."be lucky" lol

Maybe see some of you Blondites in the "Hunt the Pros" comp tonight on DTD, I love busting that donkey MPOWER

Cheers Rob

"tomorrow is a new day"

[TheChipPrince]

Very honest, very open posting as always, thanks Rob...

[Bainn]

Good luck with the re-launch of your pub, Harmony and I will have to pop down and see how it has changed.

We also wish you all the very best.

Bainn & Harmony.

[Woody502]

Good luck with the new pub mate!

That used to be one of my locals when I was a young Eastwood lad (have a mate who lived around the corner). I'm back home for Christams (from Brisbane) so I will pop in for a festive pint (or 2) to see how the place has changed.

Also fingers crossed for DTD and the court date.

We are just finishing the re-fit of my pub, I've renamed it "The Nuthall", and the opening night is this Saturday August 4th 2007, I'm gonna have a little party, most of the DTD guys will be there, so please feel free to come along for a couple of beers. Its on Nottingham road, just off J26 of the M1, and was previously called "The Browtowe". The common view is that I've made a bit of cock up with the pub, as I am currently over £300,000 in the hole after the re-fit, but it looks good, and I can really see the potential! (to eventually scrape to break even).

Cheers Rob

"tomorrow is a new day"

[robyong]

If anyone was planning on coming along for a drink at my Pub on 4th August, the opening party has now been delayed to Saturday the 11th August due to objections from Gala, Stanleys and London Clubs Casinos (only joking, the brewery can't come and re-fit the draft beer pumps till next week, haha)

Cheers Rob

[bobby1]

If anyone was planning on coming along for a drink at my Pub on 4th August, the opening party has now been delayed to Saturday the 11th August due to objections from Gala, Stanleys and London Clubs Casinos (only joking, the brewery can't come and re-fit the draft beer pumps till next week, haha)

Cheers Rob

lol, with your attitude it will all come right Rob.

[kinboshi]

[Robert HM]

Gullible me uttered the c word (plural) then I read the rest.

[Pelham Boy]

If anyone was planning on coming along for a drink at my Pub on 4th August, the opening party has now been delayed to Saturday the 11th August due to objections from Gala, Stanleys and London Clubs Casinos (only joking, the brewery can't come and re-fit the draft beer pumps till next week, haha)

Cheers Rob

 

  lol

  Post of the week.

[bobby1]

Gullible me uttered the c word (plural) then I read the rest.

careful Rob, you know what those legal ones are like, he will charge you about 15k for 'speaking on your behalf'

[Tractor]

If anyone was planning on coming along for a drink at my Pub on 4th August, the opening party has now been delayed to Saturday the 11th August due to objections from Gala, Stanleys and London Clubs Casinos (only joking, the brewery can't come and re-fit the draft beer pumps till next week, haha)

Cheers Rob

 

[Robert HM]

Gullible me uttered the c word (plural) then I read the rest.

careful Rob, you know what those legal ones are like, he will charge you about 15k for 'speaking on your behalf'

Nah Rob can have that one gratis.