My name is James Holloway, and I’m the managing editor at HzO.me. I work side by side with Ethan Cole, making sure that everything we publish is accurate, clear, and truly useful for players. My background is in journalism and gambling reporting, and my job today is to bridge Ethan’s hands-on testing with careful editing, fact-checking, and structure.
Background And Early Career
I started my career in my early twenties as a staff writer at a regional business newspaper in the UK. At first I covered general business news, technology launches, and financial stories. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it taught me two things that still define how I work today:
facts matter, and clarity matters even more.
A few years later, I joined an online magazine focused on digital entertainment. That was my first contact with the gambling industry. I began writing articles about online casinos, sports betting, and regulatory changes. I interviewed affiliates, operators, and players, and I saw how much confusion there was around bonuses, terms, and licensing.
Over time, gambling went from a side topic to my main beat. I specialised in long-form pieces about casino products, new regulations, and player safety. I learned how to read licensing documents, bonus terms, and payout policies the same way I used to read financial reports.
Shift Into Gambling-Focused Editing
Before joining HzO.me, I worked for several iGaming publications and content agencies as an editor and content lead. My role was to take rough drafts from writers and turn them into articles that were both accurate and readable.
I spent a lot of time:
- double-checking every figure and claim against primary sources,
- comparing terms and conditions with what marketing pages promised,
- cleaning up vague language around risk, odds, and RTP,
- making sure disclaimers and responsible gambling notes were not just an afterthought.
That work made me extremely picky about details. If a bonus is listed as 100% up to a certain amount, I want to know the real wagering, the game restrictions, and the payout caps. If a casino claims to be licensed, I want to see the licence number and verify it on the regulator’s site. I brought that mindset with me to HzO.me.
My Role At HzO.me
At HzO.me, Ethan is usually the first person to touch a casino. He deposits, plays, tests the bonus, and writes the initial review. My job starts from that point.
I read every review as if I were a player seeing the casino for the first time. Then I:
- check all factual details against the casino’s own terms and official sources;
- verify bonus amounts, wagering, limits, and restricted games;
- confirm licence information and payment options;
- make sure any timelines for withdrawals reflect actual testing, not just claims;
- tighten the structure so the most important things are easy to find.
I also edit for tone and clarity. If something sounds like marketing, it doesn’t stay. If a sentence can be shorter and clearer, I cut it down. If a risk is mentioned too softly, I make it more explicit.
Alongside that, I help plan content, brief our writers, and review their work. Ethan and I discuss every major update, every new review format, and every change to how we present information. The final version that goes live is always the result of a joint effort.
Why Accuracy Matters To Me
I’ve seen too many articles where “almost true” was treated as “good enough”. In gambling, that’s not acceptable. A missing line about max cashout, a skipped note about country restrictions, or a vague warning about wagering can make a huge difference for a real person with a real budget.
That’s why I enjoy working at HzO.me. Here, testing and editing are treated as two halves of the same process. Ethan brings the practical side from deposits and withdrawals. I bring the editorial rigour that makes sure every claim stands on solid ground and every risk is visible.
Contact Me
If you spot something that looks unclear or you think a detail needs a second look, you can reach me at [email protected]. I read this inbox myself, and I treat good questions and corrections as part of the job.