The Betting Startups Podcast: Recent Episodes
BettingStartups.com
Interviews and conversations with the founders & CEOs of the most promising startups competing for a piece of the $100+ billion sports betting industry
Ep. 221 features Frank Li, Co-founder of ESX, to discuss building a next-generation sports prediction market for technical bettors. Frank shares how his background in quantitative trading led him to prediction markets, why ESX is focused on live sports trading, and how content, community, and customer feedback have fueled the company's early growth.
Hear them discuss:
- Frank's journey from quantitative sports betting and prediction markets to co-founding ESX, and the inspiration behind creating a trading-first sports betting platform.
- How ESX differentiates itself by targeting technical and semi-professional bettors with live sports trading tools, social features, and an exchange-style experience.
- Why Reddit, customer interviews, and more than 10,000 user conversations have been central to shaping the product and identifying real customer pain points.
- ESX's content-first growth strategy, generating millions of social media views and building an engaged community that converts into active users.
- The company's early traction, including rapid month-over-month volume growth, bootstrapping with $100,000, and plans to raise $2 million to accelerate expansion.
- Why Frank believes sports betting and financial trading are converging, and how prediction markets could reshape the future of sports wagering.
- Lessons learned as first-time founders, the value of mentorship, and how programs like Zero Labs have helped the ESX team navigate the startup journey.
- ESX's long-term vision to become one of the most recognized brands in prediction markets alongside industry leaders like Kalshi and Polymarket
Applications for the 2026 Affiliate Draft are now open until August 16th. Eligible startups are encouraged to apply here: https://www.alphahub.tech/programmes/affiliate-draft-2026/
Learn more 👇
➡️ ESX website
➡️ Frank Li on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 220 features Neil Dillon, Founder of Solas Compliance, to discuss how AI is transforming marketing compliance for regulated industries. Neil shares his journey from Betfair and Flutter to launching Solas, explains why compliance remains one of the biggest bottlenecks for operators, and offers practical insights into building enterprise-grade AI products for the betting industry.
Hear them discuss:
- Neil's career journey from Betfair and Flutter to founding Solas Compliance after identifying a long-standing pain point in marketing and legal workflows.
- How Solas Compliance uses AI to review marketing assets before they go live, helping operators reduce risk while dramatically speeding up compliance reviews.
- Why enterprise AI requires far more than a simple ChatGPT wrapper, including the importance of consistency, audit trails, security, and regulatory readiness.
- Early traction with tier-one operators, solving real-world compliance challenges during major events like the FIFA World Cup, and expanding across multiple regulated markets.
- The realities of enterprise software sales, aligning legal, compliance, and marketing teams, and driving adoption across large organizations.
- Neil's fundraising journey, securing early venture backing, raising £670,000, and preparing for the company's next investment round.
- Common misconceptions about AI, why bigger models aren't always better, and the value of specialized models built for specific enterprise tasks.
- Balancing life as a first-time founder and new father, and how both experiences have shaped his perspective on building a business.
- Solas Compliance's vision to become the global standard for AI-powered marketing compliance across betting, financial services, pharmaceuticals, and other regulated industries.
- Neil's advice for founders embracing AI, building customer trust, and creating products that solve real operational problems in highly regulated markets
Applications for the 2026 Affiliate Draft are now open until August 1. Eligible startups are encouraged to apply here: https://www.alphahub.tech/programmes/affiliate-draft-2026/
Learn more 👇
➡️ Solas Compliance website
➡️ Neil Dillon on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 219 features Edward Lyttel and Rob Fulforth from Flutter to discuss the company's AlphaHub innovation program and the 2026 Affiliate Draft. They explore how Flutter collaborates with startups, what they're looking for in this year's applicants, and why community, AI-powered fan tools, and betting innovation are shaping the future of sports betting.
Hear them discuss:
- How Flutter's AlphaHub helps startups build partnerships with leading brands like FanDuel, Betfair, Paddy Power, and Sky Bet
- The goals of the 2026 Affiliate Draft and what startups can expect from the application process
- Why community-driven products continue to be one of the biggest opportunities in sports betting
- How AI-powered fan tools can improve the betting experience through better insights, visualization, and personalization
- Why Flutter believes betting is evolving into a broader entertainment experience beyond traditional sportsbooks
- Lessons from last year's Affiliate Draft and what made Verdict the winning startup
- The importance of building products that solve real fan problems before focusing on monetization
- Why niche audiences and passionate communities often create stronger startup opportunities than broad, general-purpose products
- What founders can expect from the two-day Dublin event, including mentorship, investor access, networking, and pitch coaching
- Advice for startups looking to partner with major operators and how Flutter evaluates innovation across the betting ecosystem
Applications for the 2026 Affiliate Draft are now open until August 1. Eligible startups are encouraged to apply here: https://www.alphahub.tech/programmes/affiliate-draft-2026/
Learn more 👇
➡️ Flutter website
➡️ Edward Lyttel on Linkedin
➡️ Rob Fulforth on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 218 features Devon and Tejas, Co-founders of Blitz, an AI-powered sports intelligence platform transforming how broadcasters, analysts, content creators, and sports organizations access and utilize sports data.
Hear them discuss:
- How two Duke graduates turned sports betting profits into a sports data startup
- The PrizePicks strategy that grew a small bankroll into tens of thousands of dollars
- Why they spent countless hours building and validating their own sports data infrastructure
- The challenges of cleaning, normalizing, and connecting fragmented sports datasets
- How Blitz evolved from a betting-focused product into a B2B sports intelligence platform
- Building a “ChatGPT for sports” used by broadcasters, analysts, and content creators
- The power of combining historical sports data with betting market information
- Creating real-time insights and automated content generation across multiple sports
- Why sports data remains one of the biggest challenges in AI-powered sports products
- The importance of “deterministic data, generative voice” in AI applications
- Lessons learned selling to broadcasters and media professionals
- How AI is enabling small teams to build sophisticated sports technology companies
- Why deep sports knowledge remains critical when building sports-focused AI products
- The current state of betting edges, prediction markets, and automated trading
- Blitz’s vision for becoming the intelligence layer powering the future of sports media and fan engagement
Learn more 👇
➡️ Blitz website
➡️ Devon Sinha on Linkedin
➡️ Tejas Srinivasan on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 217 features Nick Meader, Co-Founder & CEO of SpeedLabs, joining Jesse Learmonth to discuss the company's $6.5 million seed round, the creation of "Momentum Markets," and why he believes the next generation of sports betting products will be built around live narratives rather than traditional betting markets.
Hear them discuss:
- Nick’s journey from college bookmaker and betting entrepreneur to venture capital investor and founder of SpeedLabs
- How a conversation with poker legend Phil Hellmuth and industry veteran David Woodley helped spark the creation of SpeedLabs
- The concept behind Momentum Markets and why SpeedLabs is building live, narrative-driven betting products instead of traditional microbetting markets
- How AI, proprietary modeling, and real-time game analysis power dynamic markets based on the storylines unfolding within each game
- Why prediction markets may be better positioned than traditional sportsbooks to adopt innovative betting products and experiences
- SpeedLabs’ dual go-to-market strategy, including B2B partnerships and a new consumer-facing gaming product set to launch later this year
- The company’s $6.5 million seed round, led by gaming-focused investors with deep ties to companies like FanDuel and PrizePicks
- Nick’s fundraising lessons, including why team quality, humility, and founder likability matter more than spreadsheets at the earliest stages
- His perspective on the evolving relationship between sportsbooks and prediction markets, and why he believes the two are already converging at the user-experience level
- The roadmap ahead for SpeedLabs, including launch partners, NFL season plans, and the long-term vision of making Momentum Markets a mainstream betting product
Learn more 👇
➡️ SpeedLabs website
➡️ Nick Meader on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 216 features Jackson Erminio, Founder of Spina, joining Jesse Learmonth to discuss building a skill-based gaming startup, solving the liquidity challenge, and creating a marketplace where players can compete head-to-head in games they already know and love.
Hear them discuss:
- How Jackson went from selling sneakers and running a marketing agency to founding Spina, a real-money skill gaming platform built around familiar games like Connect 4, 8-Ball Pool, and Tic-Tac-Toe
- Why Spina pivoted from betting on anything between friends to live, head-to-head skill games with matchmaking and optional voice chat
- The startup's dual go-to-market strategy, combining a direct-to-consumer app with B2B partnerships for casinos, gaming platforms, and influencers
- The liquidity challenge facing all multiplayer gaming marketplaces and the creative tactics Spina is using to ensure players can find opponents quickly
- Early traction metrics, including strong repeat-play rates, growing organic app downloads, and surprising demand for Connect 4 compared to other games
- Partnerships with companies like BetOpenly and Hub88, plus opportunities to power custom gaming experiences for influencers and content creators
- Finding a technical co-founder through TikTok, and validating the concept before investing heavily in development
- Why Jackson believes skill gaming is one of the industry's most overlooked categories and how it may benefit from a more favorable regulatory landscape than other gaming verticals
- Lessons learned from bootstrapping, moving quickly, testing ideas in public, and focusing relentlessly on solving the most important problem first
- Spina's vision for the future, including cross-platform liquidity, expanded distribution, and becoming the leading marketplace for real-money skill-based competition
Learn more 👇
➡️ Spina website
➡️ Jackson Erminior on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 215 features Travis Geiger, Co-Founder & CXO of WagerWire, joining Jesse Learmonth at SBC Fort Lauderdale to discuss the company’s transformation into its vision for building a regulated prediction market ecosystem. Fresh off securing a license-in-principle in Gibraltar, Travis shares how the company is positioning itself at the intersection of gaming, finance, and innovation.
Hear them discuss:
- Why WagerWire evolved into Wire Markets and how prediction markets became the company’s next major opportunity
- The challenges startups face integrating with sportsbooks, and why innovation often struggles within the regulated betting ecosystem
- Wire Markets’ Gibraltar licensing milestone, regulatory approach, and plans to build a compliant, responsible prediction market platform
- Creating a builder-friendly ecosystem where founders, startups, and innovators can launch products and access new distribution opportunities through Wire Markets
- The role of Starties and Betting Startups in supporting entrepreneurship and fostering a stronger betting innovation community
- Responsible gaming, addiction concerns, and why prediction market operators must borrow best practices from both gaming and financial services
- Gibraltar’s growing importance as an international hub for gaming, fintech, and prediction market businesses
- The company’s fundraising plans, investor interest, and roadmap toward launching ahead of the next NFL season
- Why Travis believes prediction markets represent a larger cultural shift than previous industry trends like DFS, microbetting, and sweepstakes
- His vision for building a global, regulated financial marketplace around real-world events and information
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ WagerWire website
➡️ Travis Geiger on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This bonus episode features Andrew Gonzalez, Founder & CEO of ParlayX, joining Jesse Learmonth moments after winning the SBC Summit Americas First Pitch competition in Fort Lauderdale.
Hear them discuss:
- Winning the SBC First Pitch competition, and what it means to him
- Andrew’s entrepreneurial story, including leaving his market-making career, navigating multiple pivots, and betting on himself as a founder
- The challenges institutions face with blockchain, compliance, and fragmented market access, and how ParlayX aims to solve them
- Launch plans, institutional partnerships, and the growing opportunity at the intersection of prediction markets and financial infrastructure
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ ParlayX website
➡️ Andrew Gonzalez on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 214 features Alec Gehlot, Founder of PlaySignal, a responsible gaming platform helping operators intervene earlier, reduce self-exclusions, and create healthier player experiences.
Hear them discuss:
- The inspiration behind PlaySignal and why rising self-exclusion rates reveal a growing industry challenge
- How PlaySignal’s traffic-light system helps identify at-risk behavior and intervene before players reach a crisis point
- Why Alec believes responsible gaming should move from a back-office compliance function to a player-facing experience
- The concept of “RG 3.0” and how behavioral science, player psychology, and real-time engagement can reshape responsible gaming
- Balancing player protection and retention by helping operators act proactively rather than reactively
- The pressures facing regulated operators, including higher taxes, tighter regulations, and competition from offshore markets
- Why responsible gaming may become the strongest differentiator for licensed operators in the years ahead
- How prediction markets and platforms like Kalshi are approaching self-exclusion and responsible participation
- Alec’s decision to bootstrap PlaySignal and his approach to building a lean startup in the gaming industry
- The entrepreneurial lessons he’s learned from boxing, resilience, and getting “punched in the face” while building a company
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Play Signal website
➡️ Alec Gehlot on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 213 features Gregory Tolmochow, Founder & CEO of Trendline Labs, a startup building what it calls the “Bloomberg Terminal for prediction markets.”
Hear them discuss:
- Gregory’s journey from sports betting analytics and The Betting Insider to founding Trendline Labs
- Why prediction markets represent a major evolution beyond traditional sports betting
- The pivot from an AI-powered sports analytics tool to a unified prediction market terminal
- Building a platform that aggregates pricing, liquidity, and data across multiple prediction market exchanges
- How Trendline’s Optimus AI model helps users understand market pricing and identify opportunities
- The company’s vision to become the trusted information source for prediction markets
- Monetization plans through premium subscriptions and transaction-based trading fees
- Regulatory considerations, including obtaining an Introducing Broker (IB) license to enter the U.S. market
- The ongoing debate around prediction markets, sportsbooks, market makers, and retail traders
- Trendline’s roadmap, fundraising plans, and long-term goal of democratizing access to market intelligence
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Trendline Labs website
➡️ Gregory Tolmochow on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 212 is the official First Pitch preview episode, where we will meet the 5 startups selected to present at SBC Summit Americas on June 11 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
In this episode, you will hear from the five finalists:
- Javier Troncoso, InsightPlay.ai
- Matt Bresler, Odditt
- Matt Paulton, OddsBlaze
- Andrew Gonzalez, ParlayX
- Robert McCall, The Sharps
SBC First Pitch brings together some of the most exciting startups within the betting and gaming industry to compete for a chance to win an exclusive prize package, valued at over $100,000 to assist in the winner’s development and growth plans.
Listen to Business of Betting, the premier podcast covering the business of the sports betting industry featuring host Jeff Edelstein, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube
If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for 30% off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 211 features Filip Michalsky from Soap Payments, an AI-native orchestration layer designed to simplify the complex payments stack for real-money gaming operators.
Hear them discuss:
- Filip’s path from professional squash in the Czech Republic to Harvard AI data science and Fidelity Investments.
- The "iceberg" of payments: Navigating the hidden layers of issuing banks, acquiring banks, and convoluted funds movement.
- Using AI agents to slash payment onboarding times from months to a single week.
- How unified stablecoin rails enable "instant settlement," allowing operators to receive funds in five seconds.
- Protecting operators against "bad actors" with specialized defenses that maintain a 0.2% chargeback rate book-wide.
- The "vibe coding" vs. review approach: Scaling to 30+ customers with a lean, seven-person team.
- Moving beyond gaming: Early traction and expansion into the massive online health vertical.
- Strategic funding from Antler, AeroPay, and Astralis Capital ahead of an upcoming larger seed round.
- The five-year vision: Becoming a global payment orchestrator alongside category leaders like Stripe.
Listen to Business of Betting, the premier podcast covering the business of the sports betting industry featuring host Jeff Edelstein, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ SOAP Payments website
➡️ Filip Michalsky on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 210 features Matt Kelley from FastDraft, a fantasy sports platform recently merged with FantasySpin that focuses on high-velocity, mobile-first gameplay.
Hear them discuss:
- Matt’s transition from building a million-dollar stats business to launching a platform for the 60M+ fantasy gamer market.
- Why the "attention deficit economy" needs 5-minute drafts instead of the traditional hour-long commitment.
- The origin story of FastDraft and how it grew out of the underserved dynasty and rookie draft subcultures.
- Details on the merger with FantasySpin and combining skill sets to create a "Voltron" marketing and product team.
- How they built and licensed a regulated gaming app for $2M by leveraging "OG entrepreneur" experience.
- The philosophy of "DFS 3.0" and why prioritizing social play over spreadsheets is the industry's next frontier.
- Integrating a unified wallet and cross-app features to optimize for wallet velocity.
- Their long-term vision to become the "go-to second screen" for sports fans through a blend of stats and gaming
The dedicated Startup Zone at SBC Summit Americas gives real-money gaming startups a platform to showcase to 10,000+ attendees — including investors, operators, suppliers, media, and key industry players. Spaces are limited, secure yours now through https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-americas-2026
If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for 30% off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ FastDraft website
➡️ Matt Kelley on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 209 features David and Kavin from Hydrastack, a startup using AI to transform how casino games are developed, converted, and distributed across channels.
Hear them discuss:
- The origin story of Hydrastack and how industry pain points around game distribution sparked the idea
- Why converting casino games from land-based to online can take 6–8 months and how Hydrastack cuts that down to weeks
- How their proprietary AI models ingest and transform existing game code instead of requiring full rewrites
- The massive inefficiencies in the current gaming supply chain and how they impact manufacturers, operators, and players
- Why “re-authoring” games from scratch is the industry’s biggest bottleneck
- How Hydrastack’s platform integrates directly into existing developer workflows (like Unity)
- The importance of combining deep industry experience with an outsider perspective to build better solutions
- Early traction, including pilot partnerships with major manufacturers and strong inbound interest
- Their business model: platform licensing + per-game conversion fees
- Insights from participating in programs like Zero Labs, Rice Business Plan Competition, and Booth’s New Venture Challenge
- How AI is being adopted across gaming and why most companies still struggle to extract real value from it
- Their long-term vision to become the core platform for casino game development and distribution
The dedicated Startup Zone at SBC Summit Americas gives real-money gaming startups a platform to showcase to 10,000+ attendees — including investors, operators, suppliers, media, and key industry players. Spaces are limited, secure yours now through https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-americas-2026
If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for 30% off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Hydrastack website
➡️ David Dimas on Linkedin
➡️ Kavin Kaviarasan on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 208 features Nathan Thomas and Brett DeBari, the founding team behind GridGorilla, a digital platform that evolves the classic Super Bowl squares format into a year-round, player-stat-based prediction experience.
Hear them discuss:
- Brett’s journey through tech sales at Dell and AWS to previous gaming startups, and Nathan’s 20-year engineering career ranging from biomedical startups to database architecture
- How the team identified the "mass market" appeal of Super Bowl squares and adapted it into a year-round digital product
- Moving beyond final scores to create player-performance grids involving stats like points and rebounds across an x and y axis
- Why they opted for a free-to-play, ad-supported model to lower barriers to entry and onboard non-bettors.
- Leveraging AI-simulated matchups (e.g., LeBron James vs. the '86 Pistons) to keep users in the app for multiple sessions per day
- Nathan’s experience navigating the complex, one-year process of securing a software patent for their predictive grid system
- Why the three-person team chose to remain self-funded and the "leap of faith" required to build the company without meeting in person
- How Nathan operates as a one-person dev team by leveraging tools like Cursor AI, Flutter, and Golang to write nearly 97% of the app's code
- Seeing success with Meta ads under a $2 CAC and partnering with influencers and brand ambassadors to scale to 10,000 users
- Future plans for pay-to-play mechanics and a B2B licensing play to offer embeddable grid widgets for other brands and apps
The dedicated Startup Zone at SBC Summit Americas gives real-money gaming startups a platform to showcase to 10,000+ attendees — including investors, operators, suppliers, media, and key industry players. Spaces are limited, secure yours now through https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-americas-2026
If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for 30% off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ GridGorilla website
➡️ Nathan Thomas on Linkedin
➡️ Brett Debari on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 207 features Yaniv Spielberg, founder of LuckyDraw, a B2B platform bringing prize draws and raffles into the modern gaming ecosystem.
Hear them discuss:
- Yaniv’s journey from lottery businesses to building and scaling Bragg Gaming Group into a public company listed on the NASDAQ and TSX
- The origins of LuckyDraw and identifying the gap in raffle-based gaming despite its global resurgence
- How prize draws work, including raffles, instant wins, and scratch cards, and why they offer more flexibility than traditional betting products
- Positioning prize draws as a horizontal layer across sportsbooks and casinos for acquisition, retention, and engagement
- Early traction, including launching with a first operator via aggregator integrations and initial use cases like reactivation campaigns
- The business model behind LuckyDraw and why a SaaS approach was chosen over traditional revenue share
- Key startup lessons, including why distribution beats product and the importance of constant customer feedback
- The roadmap ahead, focusing on scaling integrations, validating product-market fit, and expanding operator adoption
- Long-term vision to become the default prize draw infrastructure layer for gaming operators worldwide
The dedicated Startup Zone at SBC Summit Americas gives real-money gaming startups a platform to showcase to 10,000+ attendees — including investors, operators, suppliers, media, and key industry players. Spaces are limited, secure yours now through https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-americas-2026
If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for 30% off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ LuckyDraw website
➡️ Yaniv Spielberg on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 206 features Jason White, founder of TallyUp, a free-to-play global game show platform blending casual gaming, wagering mechanics, and the attention economy.
Hear them discuss:
- The TallyUp concept: a free-to-play, ad-supported PVP gaming platform where players can win real money without risking their own capital
- How exponential growth mechanics (inspired by childhood ping pong bets) shaped the core gameplay model
- Building simple, “unbeatable” games that balance skill and chance while preventing bots and ensuring fairness
- Why TallyUp sits at the intersection of casual gaming, gamified marketing, and betting-adjacent experiences
- Solving the “CAC bloodbath” in real-money gaming with a low-cost, global user acquisition strategy
- The power of the attention economy and why attention, not money, is the true base currency
- Launching real-money wagering in ~100 countries and what this unlocks for monetization and scale
- The hybrid model: free global game show + optional real-money skill wagering
- B2B opportunities through branded tournaments for companies like Uber or Airbnb
- How TallyUp enables large-scale, global competitions with real engagement (vs. traditional giveaways or sweepstakes)
- Lessons from failure, rebuilding, and the importance of patience and perseverance as a founder
- Fundraising journey: from seed round to preparing for a $10M Series A
SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000.
Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ TallyUp website
➡️ Jason White on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 205 features John Caldwell, Co-Founder of i3Soft, a gaming technology company building next-generation poker and casino products designed to improve player experience, increase liquidity, and bridge the gap between poker and casino gameplay.
Hear them discuss:
- John’s unconventional journey from the music industry (Atlantic Records, Stone Temple Pilots, Hootie & the Blowfish) into poker and eventually gambling tech
- Building PokerNews into the leading global poker media platform and later transitioning to PokerStars during the online poker boom
- The core problem with online poker today: long tournament times and a broken experience for recreational players
- The vision behind i3Soft, including AI-assisted tournament formats (“Skip It”) designed to shorten gameplay and restore balance between pros and casual players
- “Poker Casino” and the strategy of using poker-adjacent games to improve cross-sell from poker into casino products
- Challenges of selling a new category to operators, and why liquidity remains the biggest barrier in online poker
- The four-year product development journey, including a failed early build and eventual breakthrough to launch
- Funding i3Soft through a mix of self-funding, friends & family, and unconventional “drip” investment structures
- The current state of poker: strong live demand but ongoing struggles to translate that momentum online
- 2026 priorities for i3Soft, including operator adoption, scaling distribution, and expanding poker liquidity networks
SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000.
Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ i3soft website
➡️ John Caldwell on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 204 features Allan Stone, CEO & Co-Founder of Intelitics, a marketing intelligence platform helping betting and iGaming companies better understand the true impact of their marketing spend and optimize performance across the full player lifecycle.
Hear them discuss:
- Allan’s journey into betting, from online poker to affiliates and founding Intelitics
- The origin story of Intelitics and the gap in marketing intelligence within real money gaming
- How shifting consumer behavior (desktop → mobile) reshaped marketing opportunities in the industry
- What “marketing intelligence” really means and how it connects spend to actual revenue outcomes
- Why traditional metrics like deposits or FTDs aren’t enough to measure true ROI
- The complexity of attribution across channels, affiliates, and player behavior
- How operators can use real-time data to optimize acquisition, retention, and reactivation
- The impact of AI on SaaS models and changing expectations around pricing and value
- Why betting companies need purpose-built, vertical-specific technology to solve deep industry problems
- The evolving marketing mix in 2026, including opportunities in underutilized channels like Yahoo and Reddit
- Key differences in marketing strategies between traditional sportsbooks and emerging products like prediction markets
- Advice for founders on aligning marketing spend with unit economics and long-term business outcomes
SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000.
Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
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➡️ Intelitics website
➡️ Allan Stone on Linkedin
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Ep. 203 features Toby Bucsescu, CEO & Co-Founder of Blitz:Draft, which is reimagining the sports gaming experience by combining elements of daily fantasy, betting, and quick-play mechanics into a format built for speed and accessibility.
Hear them discuss:
- Toby’s path into the sports gaming industry and founding Blitz Draft
- The problem with traditional betting and DFS products
- How Blitz Draft creates a faster, more engaging user experience
- Key differences between draft-style games and conventional formats
- Product development insights and early user feedback
- Navigating regulation while building an innovative product
- Strategies for acquiring and retaining users in a competitive market
- The importance of simplicity and reducing friction in gameplay
- How Blitz Draft fits into the broader evolution of sports gaming
- What’s next for the company and the future of quick-play betting formats
SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000.
Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Blitz:Draft website
➡️ Toby Bucsescu on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 202 features Cal Spears, founder of Gambly, returning to the Betting Startups Podcast to share an update on the company’s progress since launch, insights from the NEXT Summit in New York, and a major milestone for the business.
Hear them discuss:
- Cal’s return to the podcast and what has changed at Gambly since its launch in October 2024
- Key takeaways from the NEXT.io Summit in New York and why prediction markets dominated the conversation
- The story behind Gambly merging with Unabated and why combining forces made strategic sense for both companies
- How Unabated’s advanced betting analytics and pricing models now power Gambly’s tools and insights for bettors
- The vision of creating a unified ecosystem that blends AI-driven bet discovery with professional-grade betting data
- Lessons learned from building and scaling products in the betting ecosystem
- How founders should think about partnerships, consolidation, and product leverage when building betting startups
- What’s next for Gambly following the merger and how the team plans to expand its product offering
Betting Startups Capital is now accepting pitches from early-stage founders looking for their first institutional check, strategic support, and access to a global operator network. If you’re solving a real problem and ready to scale, we want to hear from you. Submit your pitch here: bettingstartups.com/capital
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Gambly website
➡️ Unabated website
➡️ Cal Spears on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 201 features Taylor Caby, Co-Founder of Establish The Run, sharing the story behind building the evolution of betting content, the business of premium sports analysis, and why high-quality information products continue to thrive in an increasingly crowded sports betting ecosystem.
Hear them discuss:
- Taylor’s background in poker, daily fantasy sports, and the path that led to launching Establish The Run
- How the DFS boom helped shape the modern sports betting content ecosystem
- Why building a subscription-based analysis product requires credibility and long-term trust with an audience
- The difference between entertainment betting content and serious analytical work
- How Establish The Run approaches projections, modeling, and content production across multiple sports
- The realities of running a premium subscription business in a market filled with free picks and influencer content
- Why niche expertise and deep analysis still outperform broad “mass-market” betting advice
- How sports betting media companies balance education, entertainment, and actionable information
- The role of community and loyal subscribers in sustaining independent sports betting media businesses
- Taylor’s perspective on where sports betting content and analytics businesses are headed next
Betting Startups Capital is now accepting pitches from early-stage founders looking for their first institutional check, strategic support, and access to a global operator network. If you’re solving a real problem and ready to scale, we want to hear from you. Submit your pitch here: bettingstartups.com/capital
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Establish The Run website
➡️ Taylor Caby on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 200 marks a major milestone for the Betting Startups Podcast, featuring a special conversation between Jesse Learmonth and longtime industry leader Paris Smith to celebrate the 200th episode and announce a major new chapter for the platform.
Hear them discuss:
- Jesse and Paris’s shared history at Pinnacle, how a startup acquisition led to a six-year partnership, and the full-circle moment that brings them back together
- The official launch of BettingStartups Capital, including its mission to back early-stage real-money gaming startups as one of the first checks in
- What they look for in founders, from industry experience and coachability to problem-solving mindset and commercial realism
- Lessons Paris has learned as an angel investor, how operator instincts translate to investing, and why availability and honesty matter most
- Why ecosystem-building, fast decision-making, and founder support are central to their investment philosophy
- The announcement of InsightPlay.ai as the first investment under BettingStartups Capital and why the team stood out
- How conferences, networks, and mentorship accelerate startup success in a complex and regulated industry
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Betting Startups Capital is now accepting pitches from early-stage founders looking for their first institutional check, strategic support, and access to a global operator network. If you’re solving a real problem and ready to scale, we want to hear from you. Submit your pitch here: bettingstartups.com/capital
Only a few tickets remaining! Use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPS10 for 10% off your full event pass for the Next.io Summit in New York event yet. Grab your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/
Ep. 199 features Michael, Evan and Chris from Feen, to discuss building a next-generation betting product, navigating early-stage product decisions, and finding differentiation in an increasingly crowded wagering landscape. The conversation explores Feen’s origin story, early traction, and how the founders think about product focus, user behavior, and long-term scalability.
Hear them discuss:
- The founding story behind Feen and the problem the team set out to solve
- Why real market volatility beats RNG games and how Feen turns crypto moves into playable races
- Macro thesis: finance following content’s shift toward short-form, on-demand, dopamine-driven formats
- Community, identity, and lessons learned from NFTs and consumer internet culture
- B2C focus vs potential B2B integrations with operators and ecosystem partners
- UX challenges in crypto, onboarding “normies,” and passing the ultimate test: the mom test
- Early traction, user feedback, and why Feen stayed private during initial iterations
- Bootstrapping the company, current fundraising plans, and scaling mobile distribution
- State of crypto in 2026, volatility as opportunity, and why builders still have the edge
- Five-year vision: becoming a household pocket prediction game
If you don't have a ticket for the Next.io Summit in New York event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPS10 for 10% off your full event pass. Grab your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Feen website
➡️ Michael Chiang on Linkedin
➡️ Evan Luza on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 198 features Pierre Lindh, founder of NEXT.io, returning for his fourth appearance on the Betting Startups Podcast. Pierre reflects on NEXT.io’s breakout year, the transition from scrappy startup to growth-stage business, the role of investigative journalism in iGaming media, and why emerging betting products may go global in 2026.
Hear them discuss:
- How 2025 became a “12-year overnight success” after more than a decade of compounding momentum
- The shift from runway preservation to investing aggressively in growth
- Why founders inevitably become bottlenecks and how to let go without losing vision
- The importance of finding a true operational counterbalance as a visionary leader
- Why sustainable scaling beats short-term overexpansion in a cyclical industry
- How AI is reshaping media and why human journalism may become more valuable, not less
- The commercial trade-offs of integrity-led investigative reporting
- Game theory, AI acceleration, and why safety may lose to competitive pressure
- The explosive growth of NEXT New York and what makes it a senior-level dealmaking event
- His 2026 prediction: emerging products like prediction markets and sweepstakes expanding globally
If you don't have a ticket for the Next.io Summit in New York event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPS10 for 10% off your full event pass. Grab your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
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➡️ Next.io website
➡️ Pierre Lindh on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 197 features Benson Bleier and Daniel Prior, Co-Founders of Regen, an automated savings platform built specifically for sports bettors. break down how Regen helps bettors automatically save money on every bet — win or lose — and why they believe savings and investing can become a core part of sustainable gaming.
Hear them discuss:
- Benson and Daniel’s paths from consulting, VC, and professional poker into building a betting-adjacent fintech startup
- How the founders met in Argentina through padel and decided to launch Regen
- How poker bankroll management inspired the original idea behind Regen
- What Regen does: automated savings triggered every time a sports bet is placed (win or lose)
- How the product works, including sportsbook connections, bank integrations, and user-set saving rules
- Why users save on both wins and losses and how typical saving percentages are set
- How Regen aggregates betting activity across multiple sportsbooks to provide simple performance insights
- Why Regen positions itself as a fintech, “gambling-adjacent” product for operators and bettors
- How Underdog’s Guard Dog fund discovered Regen and why it invested
- Regen’s roadmap, including operator integrations, investing products, and its vision for sustainable betting and financial education
If you don't have a ticket for the Next.io Summit in New York event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPS10 for 10% off your full event pass. Grab your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Regen website
➡️ Ben Bleier on Linkedin
➡️ Daniel Prior on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 196 features Javier Troncoso and Cristian Barbosa, Co-Founders of InsightPlay.ai, an AI-powered engagement platform using autonomous agents to help operators acquire, retain, and reactivate players at scale.
Fresh off a busy ICE Barcelona and a newly announced seed round, Javier and Cristian join Jesse Learmonth to break down how Insight Play is redefining player engagement through conversational AI and what it takes to build an AI-native startup in global gaming.
Hear them discuss:
- Javier and Cristian’s paths from media, affiliates, and iGaming into building an AI-native startup
- How InsightPlay.ai was founded and why they went all-in on autonomous AI agents
- What InsightPlay.ai does: conversational AI agents that drive acquisition, retention, and reactivation
- Real-world use cases including win-back campaigns, VIP engagement, onboarding, and support
- A live demo showing AI agents making personalized outbound calls to bettors
- Why conversational AI changes sportsbook UX from static interfaces to 1:1 interaction
- Early traction in LATAM, rapid deployments, and lessons from launching with real operators
- Performance metrics, reactivation success, and how AI complements CRM and call centers
- Closing a $500K seed round, choosing strategic investors, and founder fundraising realities
- The roadmap ahead, global expansion plans, and why the World Cup is a major growth catalyst
If you don't have a ticket for the Next.io Summit in New York event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPS10 for 10% off your full event pass. Grab your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ InsightPlay.ai website
➡️ Javier Troncoso on Linkedin
➡️ Cristian Barbosa on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 195 features Jonathan Baxandall and Gavin Puszczalowskyi, Co-Founders of Bettortainment, for a deep dive into live betting watch-alongs, sportsbook retention, and why most operators still underinvest in in-play engagement.
Hear them discuss:
- Jonathan’s decade-long career in iGaming, B2B data and acquisition teams
- Gavin’s 20+ years in radio broadcasting and early in-play content work with William Hill
- The origins of Bettortainment and why “live” is the most valuable moment to engage bettors
- What a betting watch-along really is and why it’s more than just commentary
- Why retention consistently matters more than acquisition, yet remains underserved
- How sportsbooks lose customers during live play and how to prevent it
- The balance between data, entertainment, and betting prompts in live content
- Why community-driven engagement outperforms passive content
- The limitations of AI in live sports content and the importance of human reaction
- Bettortainment’s white-label approach and making premium content accessible to smaller operators
- How affiliates can use live content to drive engagement and differentiation
- Bootstrapping the company, founder risk, and early startup realities
- Why the 2026 World Cup represents a massive opportunity for live betting content
If you don't have a ticket for the Next.io Summit in New York event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPS10 for 10% off your full event pass. Grab your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Bettortainment website
➡️ Jonathan Baxandall on Linkedin
➡️ Gavin Puszczalowskyi on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Ep. 194 features Noah Fulk, Founder and CEO of EWagers, for a deep dive into building compliant, skill-based wagering infrastructure and the hard lessons learned from pivoting a gaming startup from B2C to B2B.
Hear him discuss:
- Noah’s background as a lifelong gamer and the early inspiration behind Ewagers
- The original B2C vision for peer-to-peer wagering and why the model ultimately failed
- The pivotal decision to pivot from consumer-facing product to B2B infrastructure
- What Ewagers does today, including payments, KYC, geofencing, and compliance tooling
- The underestimated complexity of building regulated gaming infrastructure
- Fundraising lessons, early structural mistakes, and navigating tougher capital markets
- Why profitability doesn’t necessarily make scaling easier
- The importance of advisors and experienced operators in avoiding costly errors
- Key signals that confirmed the pivot to B2B was the right move
- What’s next for Ewagers and the long-term vision for the platform
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ EWagers website
➡️ Noah Fulk on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 193 features Scott and Warren, founders of PokerLab, for a deep dive into the evolution of online poker and how PokerLab is positioning itself as a modern “Poker as a Service” platform built for today’s operators and players.
Hear them discuss:
- PokerLab’s origin story and the founders’ decades-long careers in poker and iGaming
- What “Poker as a Service” really means and how PokerLab differs from legacy poker platforms
- Why poker remains one of the stickiest products in gambling despite years of decline
- The rise of short-form poker and why attention spans are changing product expectations
- The overlap between poker players, sports bettors, DFS users, and prediction market participants
- Why poker can serve as a powerful acquisition and retention tool for operators
- Regulatory considerations, taxes, and the divide between professional and recreational players
- The upcoming Canadian Poker Network launch and what PokerLab hopes to prove
- Lessons learned from building multiple startups and navigating timing, conviction, and risk
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ PokerLab website
➡️ Scott Wilson on X/Twitter
➡️ Warren Dombowsky on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 192 features Jesse Learmonth in a special "Ask Me Anything" edition of the Betting Startups Podcast, where he flips the script and answers questions from founders, operators, and builders across the gaming ecosystem.
Hear him discuss:
- The biggest lessons from nearly 200 podcast episodes, including why industry experience and distribution matter more than ever for startup success
- What surprised him most in 2025: prediction markets, the blurring lines between betting, finance, and speculation, and what that means for founders
- Common mistakes founders make, from confusing personal pain points with real market opportunities to poorly framing “use of funds” in pitch decks
- How bettors are evolving, why access (not tools) is now the biggest constraint, and how prediction markets are changing the landscape in 2026
- Jesse’s vision for Betting Startups in 2026, including new products, events, a tech platform, and plans to raise strategic (non-institutional) capital
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Jesse Learmonth on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 191 features Joshua Swerdlow, from ChatBet AI, an AI-powered sports betting platform built to deliver smarter, more personalized betting experiences through data and conversational technology.
Hear him discuss:
- Josh’s background and the leap he took moving from England to Tel Aviv
- What ChatBet is and how he is using AI to reshape the sports betting experience
- What his go-to-market strategy was and major lessons from launching
- Why Josh believes that the user experience sits at the center of ChatBet’s product philosophy and why it is so key
- The realities when it comes to gaining capital in the start up world
- How Josh has navigated the startup ecosystem from working with startups to now running his own
- How Chat Bet AI uses data-driven insights to create better outcomes for bettors
- Key lessons learned as a first-time founder
- The vision for 2026 and ChatBet’s long-term growth and engagement strategy, hint the World Cup is involved
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ ChatBet AI website
➡️ Joshua Swerdlow on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 190 features Irakli “Marcus” Davarashvili, Founder & CEO of Promofy, for a deep dive into the global rise of AI-powered gamification and how operators are rethinking loyalty, engagement, and retention.
Hear him discuss:
- His 13-year journey across advertising, brand building, and iGaming leadership and how operational pain points at scale inspired him to build Promofy
- What Promofy is: an AI-driven, no-code gamification platform that lets operators launch loyalty systems, missions, sports predictors, prize drops, kiosks, and full-page engagement experiences in minutes
- How Promofy’s rapid traction and product innovation led to winning “Launch of the Year” at the Starties, and why that recognition validated the team’s vision and executio
- Why global operators misunderstand “gamification,” and how true gamified ecosystems differ from simple bonuses, cashbacks, and tournament
- The massive market shift away from bonus-led retention to personalized and behavior-driven engagemen
- Regional adoption trends across LATAM, Europe, Asia, CIS, and North America plus why gamification is becoming “must-have” instead of “nice-to-have
- How Promofy differentiates itself with AI design tools, content generators, sports prediction engines, casino loyalty, and a full library of mechanics that operators can test and optimiz
- The challenges and realities of fundraising as a first-time founder, why saying “yes” and “no” matter equally, and what kinds of investors Promofy is seeking today
- The transition from operator to entrepreneur expectations vs. reality, resilience, failure tolerance, and why agility is a survival skil
- Why 2026 will be a breakout year driven by global expansion, new product launches, and massive demand heading into the World Cup
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Promofy website
➡️ Irakli Davarashvili on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 189 features the three co-founders of Golden Camel, Artie, Ben, and Ryan, for a lively deep dive into building a sports-betting lifestyle app rooted in community, fun, and authenticity.
Hear them discuss:
- How a series of career pivots led them to partner up on Golden Camel a number of years after the original idea was sparked
- Why Golden Camel rejects “beat the house” culture, instead leaning into fun and community - while also still providing utility
- Why they see brand as a differentiator within the betting tools category, and how they plan to leverage that to acquire users
- The state of U.S. betting culture in 2025, the rise of prediction markets, and why they feel they're in the right place at the right time with Golden Camel
- Their go-to-market strategy in Arizona, and why authentic content + in-person community building is their biggest growth engine
- Why they think that Silicon Valley VC's have largely been absent from the sports betting industry, and how they see that evolving
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Golden Camel website
➡️ Artie Baxter on Linkedin
➡️ Ben Ramirez on Linkedin
➡️ Ryan Magrum on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 188 features James King, CEO & Co-Founder of Flows, for a deep dive into building a no-code automation platform powering some of the biggest operators in global gaming.
Hear him discuss:
- His 16-year industry journey across iGB Affiliate, Clarion Events, and Gaming Innovation Group and how industry-wide tech frustration inspired the founding of Flows
- What Flows actually is: a no-code automation layer that ingests real-time data and lets teams build alerts, bonus engines, jackpots, omnichannel loyalty, and more all without developers
- How operators integrate Flows, the speed of deployment, and why its Zapier-like interface is built to handle billions of gaming events
- The company’s commercial model, recent traction, and major U.S. launches
- Why the U.S. remains the biggest long-term opportunity despite slow sales cycles, and how Flows is navigating sweeps, prediction markets, and regulated operators
- Why Flows sees itself as a tech company in gaming and how its technology can extend to fintech, retail, and other enterprise verticals
- The rationale behind choosing a strategic investment from Light & Wonder over traditional VC, and how the partnership has helped accelerate growth
- A candid look at the overloaded conference landscape, which events actually deliver ROI, and which ones startups should prioritize
- What’s coming in 2026, new products, AI-driven innovation tools, expanded U.S. growth, and deeper empowerment for teams to build and automate faster than ever
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Flows website
➡️ James King on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
This special episode features Seb Butterworth from Flutter and Dan O’Sullivan from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), for a deep dive into the future of horse racing — and how the sport is preparing to engage a new generation of fans. Hear them discuss:* The origins and findings of Project Beacon, and what the research reveals about younger and casual audiences * Why horse welfare, race education, race day experience, and behind-the-scenes access are the four critical innovation themes * How behind-the-scenes content can build emotional connection and improve understanding of horse welfare * Why racing struggles with context and “the why” for non-core audiences — and how narrative and storytelling can change that * Flutter’s approach to modernizing a tradition-rich sport while preserving what makes racing special * How simplifying the race card (without removing complexity) can make the sport more accessible to newcomers * The role of technology, wearables, and data in creating richer fan experiences and improving equine welfare * Early signals from other sports and how innovations like ref-cam, jockey cam, and training-yard content could shape racing’s future * Why digital platforms will be essential to reaching the next generation of fans * Details of the Future of Racing startup program: application window, pitch event, evaluation criteria, and potential commercial opportunities
Applications for the program are open until November 23, culminating in a Shark Tank style pitch at York Racecourse in February 2026.
Catch the video version of this episode here.
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➡️ Daniel O'Sullivan on Linkedin
➡️ Sebastian Butterworth on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
The Gamble & The Glory showcases founders that built their companies into category leaders in the betting and gaming industry.
In S2 E2, we speak with John Levy, founder and former CEO of theScore. John shares the remarkable 25+ year journey behind one of Canada’s most iconic sports media and betting brands from its roots in cable television to becoming a digital powerhouse and ultimately exiting for over $2 billion.
Hear him discuss:* The early days of Sportscope and how it evolved into theScore * How selling the TV network unlocked theScore’s digital transformation * Selling the media assets to bet the future of the company on digital media and technology * Why Penn’s acquisition derailed early and what went wrong with the integration * Lessons from scaling a family-run business and defining clear leadership roles * His candid thoughts on ESPN BET, Barstool, Dave Portnoy, and partnership misalignment * How theScore Bet could have continued to grow under an independent model * The future of sports betting across AI, microbetting, and next-gen fan behavior * How theScore was able to punch above its weight, and John's advice to startup founders on how to do the same * Why authenticity, resilience, and focus define long-term winners * What’s next for John Levy, and whether another venture is on the horizon
For more of John's comments on the recent ESPN Bet news, check out his recent podcast with Steve McAllister on Gaming News Canada: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uocQx14rRzS92YF8wlnqC?si=ce3b2267cfad4a57
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ theScore website
➡️ John Levy on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose-built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca.
Ep. 187 features Jake Benzaquen, Co-Founder and CEO of ProphetX, for a deep dive into the company’s latest evolution from regulated exchange to sweepstakes model, to now filing with the CFTC to operate as a fully regulated marketplace for sports event contracts.
Hear him discuss:
- The journey from launching in New Jersey as an OSB to building a national presence under the sweepstakes model
- Why ProphetX is now pivoting to the CFTC model and what it means for the future
- Lessons from scaling a sports betting exchange across multiple states
- How product validation and customer feedback shaped ProphetX’s direction
- Building an RFQ (Request for Quote) system for parlays, and why it’s a game-changer
- Why ProphetX will focus on sports-first markets, and why it's not launching with political or pop culture markets
- The two primary reasons why they decided to launch without an affiliated trading arm
- Competing with industry giants like Kalshi, Polymarket, and DraftKings through product innovation
- The growing cultural influence of prediction markets
- How distribution partnerships and B2B integrations will drive user acquisition
- Jake’s reflections on seven years of startup grit, team growth, and finding motivation for the next phase
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ ProphetX website
➡️ Jake Benzaquen on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 186 features Marek Suchar, Co-founder and Managing Director at Oddin.gg, a leading B2B provider of end-to-end esports betting solutions for global bookmakers.
Hear him discuss:
- His journey from nearly a decade in finance at Citibank to co-founding one of the industry’s fastest-growing esports betting platforms
- How an early pivot from B2C to B2B set Oddin.gg on the path to success
- Why esports audiences are fundamentally different, and how authenticity and community are key to engaging them
- The challenges of building a live in-play esports betting product, from latency to constantly evolving game metas
- How Oddin.gg differentiates itself with a one-stop-shop offering, including data feeds, odds models, risk management, simulators, and marketing support
- Why Oddin acquired a marketing agency to help partners connect with esports fans through influencers, teams, and content
- The company’s focus on profitability, M&A opportunities, and building a larger tech-driven group beyond esports betting
- What Marek sees as the next wave of growth for esports betting and why consolidation is accelerating across the sector
- Lessons learned transitioning from startup survival to scale-up leadership and the importance of process and structure as the team grows past 300 people
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Oddin.gg website
➡️ Marek Suchar on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 185 features Adam Rosenberg, co-founder of HandiGraphs, a betting analytics platform built by and for baseball fans.
Hear him discuss:
- His journey from political fundraising and brand strategy to PR and marketing in the sports betting industry
- How a friendship in the Outlier Discord led to co-founding HandiGraphs with CJ Buskey
- Why baseball’s intimidating data landscape inspired the creation of a simpler, more visual analytics tool
- How HandiGraphs identifies edges using proprietary plate appearance metrics (30/60/90 PA splits)
- Lessons learned from building a sticky, subscription-based product with near-zero churn
- Why education and “over-teaching” users became central to their go-to-market strategy
- Balancing side project and startup life — and what comes next for HandiGraphs in 2025
- The role his podcast Dads Bet Baseball plays as both creative outlet and marketing engine
- Common mistakes early-stage founders make in PR and how to tell a clear, differentiated story
- Why Adam lives by the philosophy “Be helpful” — and how generosity and curiosity drive success in this industry
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Handigraphs website
➡️ Adam Rosenberg's socials
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 184 features Brian Birt, founder of Griddy, the fantasy football puzzle game bringing year-round engagement to sports fans.
Hear him discuss:
- His journey from childhood sports fanatic to building products at Sleeper and launching Griddy
- How Griddy turns fantasy football into a strategic, bite-sized mobile game playable 365 days a year
- Solving the seasonality problem in fantasy sports with an innovative “chemistry” team-building mechanic
- Why he intentionally built Griddy as a free-to-play game without real money components
- How a community-driven approach led to 30,000 users and 3M+ games played with zero ad spend
- The role of Reddit and storytelling in driving organic, founder-led growth
- Lessons from Sleeper: building trust and community before monetization
- Finding product–market fit through retention and user obsession, not growth hacks
- Getting early believers on the cap table, including Joel Simkins from XST Capital, and why he seeks to preserve optionality for future capital needs
- How psychological resilience and consistency fuel startup success
- What’s next for Griddy, from new game modes and rewards to expansion into other sports and fandoms
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Girddy website
➡️ Brian Birt on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 183 features Tom Lemke, founder of Savage Tech, the world's first true gamified retention engine for the iGaming industry.
Hear him discuss:
- His review of the recent SBC Summit conference in Lisbon
- How his experience co-founding esports teams shaped his understanding of player engagement
- How avatars, achievements, and progression systems improve retention and customer loyalty
- Why being likeable is an underappreciated quality when it comes to B2B sales
- The importance of continuing to show up "on the circuit" at iGaming industry events and conferences
- Why he decided to retire from participating in industry startup pitch competitions
- Lessons learned from Adar Ziv, the self-proclaimed "Chief Linkedin Officer"
- His experience having just closed a seed round, and the importance of smart money over just money
- How Savage Tech is approaching localization for markets like Asia, Brazil, and Africa
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Savage Tech website
➡️ Tom Lemke on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 182 features Pranav Tadikonda from Pikkit, which is a social sports betting tracker that automatically aggregates bets, analyzes performance, and connects users through community and content.
Hear him discuss:
• Why he and co-founder Anthony Jonikas started Pikkit after learning big tech wasn't for them
• The switch from fantasy to sports betting after PASPA’s repeal
• How they validated the idea through real user frustrations with bet tracking
• Their early decision to ban manual entry to ensure transparency
• The infrastructure behind syncing 30+ sportsbooks through their in-house platform BookSync
• His view on the explosion of tools in the betting category
• The controversial Twitter API shutdown and their diplomatic response
• Their decision not to commercialize BookSync as a B2B product for now
• Their $9M fundraising journey across three rounds and now hitting cashflow positive
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Pikkit website
➡️ Pranav Tadikonda on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 181 features Tony Ryan from Bet Caddy, which is building the ultimate sports remote to personalize and streamline the fragmented sports streaming experience.
Hear him discuss:
• How betting and fantasy sports make every game moment meaningful for modern fans
• The origin story of Bet Caddy, sparked by college sports bars and basement brainstorming
• How Bet Caddy delivers a RedZone-style experience for every day of the sports calendar
• Using real-time notifications to surface key betting moments before they happen on TV
• Drawing inspiration from Spotify’s model to curb piracy through a superior experience
• What they learned from their March Madness beta launch and how it shaped the product
• Preparing for NFL and college football season with weekly product updates and improvements
• How they racked up 25 million organic social views using short-form viral videos
• Their monetization strategy combining sportsbook affiliate deals and streaming referrals
• The reality of building a complex product as non-technical founders learning along the way
• Why Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer became their first athlete investor
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Bet Caddy website
➡️ Tony Ryan on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
The Gamble & The Glory showcases founders that built their companies into category leaders in the betting and gaming industry. In Episode 1 of Season 2, we speak with Einar Knobel from TXODDS, recorded in person at the SBC Summit Americas Conference in Fort Lauderdale. Hear him discuss:* The early days of TXODDS and landing first customers like Betcris and World Sports Exchange * How a scrappy, bootstrapped journey scaled into a 25-year industry leader powering global betting markets * The rise of in-play betting, Asian liquidity, and the importance of clean, reliable data * Lessons from scaling a global data business while keeping culture strong and team-oriented * Why TXODDS continues to innovate, from streaming data to U.S. college sports coverage * Advice to today’s founders on fundraising, monetization, and building for longevity
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ TXODDS website
➡️ Einar Knobe on Linkedin
If you’re at SBC Lisbon, be sure to drop by TXODDS’ Trev’s Bar in Hall 3 at C320 to say hello to Einar, Trevor and the TXODDS team! The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose-built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca.
Ep. 180 features Zach Wick from BtrBet, which is a SaaS platform offering a white-labeled tool stack for sports betting creators to manage content, engage audiences, and monetize their communities.
Hear him discuss:
• How legal sports betting in Ohio sparked his idea to build a personal betting tracker
• The pain points of spreadsheets and the inspiration behind automating bet syncing and analysis
• The evolution from a consumer app to a full-stack community tool for content creators
• How BtrBet users are building engaged communities on their own branded domains
• The business model built around tool subscriptions, with creators keeping 100% of their affiliate revenue
• One creator’s story of hitting nearly $1,000 MRR within one week of launching on BtrBet
• Key lessons from joining Stripe as employee ~250 and watching it grow to over 8,000 people
• Why BtrBet is bootstrapped, and how they're nearing profitability solely through revenue
• The challenges of running a lean two-person startup and what he wishes he knew before founding
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ BtrBet website
➡️ Zach Wick on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 179 features Ryan Murphy of SharpSports and Vijay Dewan from Pine Sports, who sit down to talk through their recent merger to form the new Pine Sports, a full-stack sports data and AI company serving both bettors and B2B partners.
Hear them discuss:
• The origin story and strategic rationale behind the Pine Sports and SharpSports merger
• How mutual investor Chris Grove sparked the deal by introducing the two founders
• How the merger combines SharpSports’ B2B infrastructure with Pine Sports’ consumer-facing AI tools
• Why clean data pipelines are essential to powering jaXon, Pine’s chat-based betting assistant
• What they've learned from launching LLMs into real betting workflows with jaXon
• The future of “autonomous betting” and where they see chat interfaces playing a role
• How they’ve integrated tech stacks and restructured roles across the combined team
• Their strategy to scale both the SharpSports API and Pine Sports’ user base
• How big‑name athlete Marshawn Lynch is backing the company, and how his endorsement is boosting Pine Sports' brand credibility
• Trends in how casual and sharp bettors are adopting new tooling
• Why they view betting tools as an underserved and high-growth category
• How Ryan and Vijay split responsibilities and stay aligned post-merger
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Pine Sports website
➡️ SharpSports website
➡️ Vijay Dewan on Linkedin
➡️ Ryan Murphy on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 178 features Trent Hoerr from BullRush, which is a gamified platform offering multi-participant competitions using virtual currency with real cash prizes.
Hear him discuss:
• His early days as a professional runner turned prop trader during the 2008 financial crisis
• The legal and regulatory path to proving BullRush competitions as games of skill
• Why he believes traders often overlap with sports bettors due to shared analytical skills
• The significance of peer-to-peer competition and restoring the social side of betting
• BullRush’s growth to 150,000 users across 170 countries since launching in 2023
• How he bootstrapped BullRush using profits from his previous startup
• Their current NFL Survivor contest with a $100K prize pool
• Why he believes BullRush can grow to 5M+ users as more bettors get limited by sportsbooks
• The long-term convergence of financial trading and sports betting platforms
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ BullRush website
➡️ Trent Hoerr on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 177 is the official First Pitch preview episode, where we will meet the 5 startups selected to present at SBC Summit on September 18 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Sue Schneider, Co-founder of Defy the Odds, shares her perspective of the upcoming event, highlighting the global nature of this year’s competition with finalists representing 5 different countries across 3 continents, the evolution of First Pitch, and the opportunities for all startups at the Summit.
In this episode, you will hear from the five finalists:
- AI Stats, Alexey Vorobey
- Betpass, Bruno Barroso
- ChatBet AI, Joshua Swerdlow
- LiveDuel, Will Martin
- Nandemo Draft Co., Keigo Namiki
SBC First Pitch brings together some of the most exciting startups within the betting and gaming industry to compete for a chance to win an exclusive prize package, valued at over €90,000 to assist in the winner’s development and growth plans.
The First Pitch event is hosted by BettingStartups.com's Jesse Learmonth.
Judges for the event:
- Martin Collins from Soft2Bet
- Lloyd Danzig from Sharp Alpha
- Dee Maher from La Royale Group
- Mark Phillip from Metabet
- Andrew Reader from Velo Capital Partners
If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/ticket-options/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 176 features Reid Rooney from Betsperts Group, which acquires and builds brands with loyal, engaged communities in fantasy sports, golf, and sports betting.
Hear him discuss:
- How Betsperts began by exploring crypto, cannabis, and sports betting before ultimately focusing on sports betting
- Applying a Stanley Black & Decker “multi-brand” mindset to execute a roll-up strategy in sports media
- How he was able to partner up with Matthew Berry and Paige Spiranac
- Mapping out a portfolio that includes 4for4, Dynasty League Football, Bleacher Nation, and Fantasy National
- Why a strong, engaged community is the non-negotiable of any acquisition target
- Avoiding quick changes after an acquisition to protect brand loyalty and customer retention
- Structuring deals with flexible mixes of cash, equity, and earnouts to align incentives
- Raising over eight figures in capital from top U.S. and international investors
- Managing founder burnout, embracing therapy, and making time to celebrate wins
- Short- and long-term growth ambitions, including positioning for iGaming in the U.S.
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Betsperts website
➡️ Reid Rooney on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 175 features Rick Allec from OddsLogic, a classic odds screen platform delivering real-time betting data to both sportsbooks and bettors, built by one of the industry’s most experienced operators.
Hear him discuss:
- How he’s launched 3 data startups over 25+ years, including Sports Options and OddsLogic
- Why he merged Sports Options into Don Best after a decade of head-to-head competition
- The story behind Don Best’s acquisition by Scientific Games post-PASPA
- Why Rick left media/pick-selling behind to return to his first love: data
- How OddsLogic launched in late 2023 and now supports real-time screens and API feeds
- The planned rollout of player props and positive EV alerting ahead of NFL season
- Why Rick believes a usable interface is still the biggest differentiator in betting tools
- How he’s bootstrapped every company he’s built—and why he has no regrets
- What it’s like keeping the same core team together across 3 startups and 20+ years
- His take on the sports betting graveyard—and why “fun” still matters most in B2C
- His 5-year vision to power sportsbooks with real-time alerts, data tools, and risk profiling
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ OddsLogic website
➡️ Rick Allec on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 174 features Evan Fisher from Sparket, which is a B2B platform helping operators reach new demographics through alternative betting markets and gamified slots.
Hear him discuss:
- How he and co-founder Aaron built Sparket after work hours while still at Google and in finance
- Why Sparket is doubling down on alternative markets like pop culture and reality TV to attract underserved bettors
- New partnerships with Penn Entertainment and Wonder Nation, and what they signal about Sparket’s momentum
- Their soon-to-be-granted patent for AI-powered market creation, filed back in 2020
- How Sparket raised ~$2.5M through angel investors while avoiding institutional capital (so far)
- What winning “Startup of the Year” at The Starties meant to him and why it felt different from other industry awards
- His honest take on the mental toll of founding a startup, and how he manages the grind
- Why gratitude, yoga, and stepping away from the screen help him stay sane while building
- How Sparket is preparing for NFL season with Swift-Kelce-themed contests and slot-credit tie-ins
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Sparket website
➡️ Evan Fisher on Linkedin
➡️ Check out Evan's article here.
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 173 features Kenny Huang from TinyRex Games, which is building next-generation instant games at the intersection of social and iGaming.
Hear him discuss:
- How his experience at EA and Bluebat Games led to founding TinyRex Games during the pandemic
- Why TinyRex focuses on “original, edgy, cheeky” instant games beyond traditional slots
- How their catalog has grown from 3 to 12+ games in just the past year
- Why the crash game format has become so popular amongst players (and profitable for operators)
- Why TinyRex targets both crypto and traditional iGaming operators with its distribution strategy
- How aggregator partnerships complement direct operator integrations for better margins and branded exclusives
- Why he decided not to raise institutional capital to grow Tiny Rex, instead favoring revenue-led growth
- His lessons from the Bluebat acquisition, and why he’s prioritizing resilience and independence this time
Applications now open for SBC Summit First Pitch competition returning to Lisbon this September 16-18. Eligible startups can submit their applications until July 25 for a shot at over $100,000 worth of prizes.
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ TinyRex Games website
➡️ Kenny Huang on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 172 features Richard Acosta from Vor Interactive, a UK-based sports data provider creating proprietary first-party data and predictive models.
Hear him discuss:
- How a soccer algorithm built by his co-founder sparked Vor's launch and first predictive model
- Why their proprietary data now generates 2,000+ prediction points per soccer match across 50+ global leagues
- How they’ve expanded from soccer into NFL, college sports, cricket, and tennis while focusing on first-party data
- Why they chose a B2B model delivering data products to affiliates and operators instead of professional betting
- How their predictive data powers both marketing widgets and pricing models for iGaming companies
- How Vor designed a simple integration process that lets partners go live in under 48 hours
- The early traction they’ve seen with Odds Shark in the US and Hub Affiliations in Italy, including strong early conversion rates
- Why Richard believes staying lean and agile is key as they scale globally and expand their APIs and productized solutions
- His long-term vision to grow Vor Interactive into a major global sports data supplier over the next five years
Applications now open for SBC Summit First Pitch competition returning to Lisbon this September 16-18. Eligible startups can submit their applications until July 25 for a shot at over $100,000 worth of prizes.
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ VOR Interactive website
➡️ Richard Acosta on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 171 features Ben Howard from EdgeSports, which offers sports data and predictive AI at your fingertips. Ben shares how the company is capitalizing on the growth of live betting, building modular tech for both consumers and B2B clients, and bootstrapping the business using its own prediction engine.
Hear them discuss:
- The journey from sneaker software to Penn Entertainment to founder
- How a winning parlay sparked the earliest version of Edge Sports
- What makes their predictive models different from other research tools
- Why live betting is the future—and how they’re solving for latency
- The surprising win rates from their early Discord testing
- How B2B traction in Discords and peer-to-peer betting helps fund growth
- Why they’ve spent $0 on marketing to date and hit 10,000+ users
- How sportsbooks limiting users shapes their roadmap and partnerships
- What Edge Sports learned from SBC’s First Pitch and Startup Zone
- Their plan to launch live predictions in time for the NFL season
- Where Ben sees EdgeSports heading over the next five years
Applications now open for SBC Summit First Pitch competition returning to Lisbon this September 16-18. Eligible startups can submit their applications until July 25 for a shot at over $100,000 worth of prizes.
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ EdgeSports website
➡️ Ben Howard on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 170 features John Wright from StatsDrone, a business intelligence platform helping affiliates eliminate revenue leak and unlock more value from their data. John shares how the company is centralizing fragmented affiliate stats, building tools for operators, and uncovering hidden opportunities in iGaming’s affiliate ecosystem.
Hear them discuss:
- The origin story from professional gambler to affiliate tech founder
- How revenue leak inspired the earliest version of StatsDrone
- Why “business intelligence” became the heart of their value proposition
- Who uses the platform today—from SEO affiliates to large networks
- How StatsDrone is building a global map of affiliate sites and links
- The surprising ROI hiding in broken tracking and closed casino
- Why affiliate CRM remains an underdeveloped opportunity
- How operators and affiliate managers are starting to use their insights
- What it’s like navigating investor interest and potential exit offers
- His two-year vision to unlock billions in affiliate-side revenue optimization
Applications now open for SBC Summit First Pitch competition returning to Lisbon this September 16-18. Eligible startups can submit their applications until July 25 for a shot at over $100,000 worth of prizes.
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ StatsDrone website
➡️ John Wright on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 169 features Steven Kenway from Rolling Insights, a multi-sport data platform delivering reliable data to everyone from sharp bettors to startup founders. Steven shares how the team built powerful analytics tools and a developer-friendly API ecosystem to level the playing field in sports data access.
Hear them discuss:
• How Rolling Insights spun out of a real estate startup and consultancy
• Why Steven believes most fantasy leagues are won by spreadsheet junkies
• How acquiring a U.S. data engine became a turning point for the company
• Where Rolling Insights fits into the official vs. unofficial data debate
• Why startups are the primary customers for their B2B data feeds
• The growing demand from sharp bettors and AI modelers
• How SportWise and the Breakaway Accelerator fit into their ecosystem
• The technical challenges of scraping fast-paced sports like darts
• Why he says “you gotta flow like water” when running a startup
• His long-term vision to become an official data provider
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Rolling Insights website
➡️ Steven Kenway on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 168 features Davis Catlin from Discerning Capital, which invests at the intersection of betting, sports, media, and technology. This episode was recorded on-site at SBC Summit North America 2025 in Fort Lauderdale.
Hear him discuss:
- Why starting Discerning Capital gave him new empathy for founders
- Building a deal-by-deal investor network in a regulated industry
- The playbook behind their first investment in Australian operator Picklebet
- Why Midnite is a “challenger brand” winning with faster paybacks
- How SlotCycle is unlocking a hidden market for used slot machines
- The opportunity in underinvested profit pools in Australia and the UK
- His high-level thesis on the total addressable market nearing $100B
- How the capital flow into sweepstakes models may be slowing
- Prediction markets like Kalshi and the regulatory gray zone they face
- What a Bet365 acquisition could look like—and why DraftKings might care
- Why Discerning Capital is launching a new program for user acquisition/growth financing
- How it works: non-dilutive revolving credit tied to ad performance
- Why it's a win-win model for operators with strong unit economics
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Discerning Capital website
➡️ Davis Catlin on Linkedin
The Canadian Gaming Summit is happening June 17–19 in Toronto! Don’t miss out — get 50% off your Full Event Pass using code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP at checkout. Grab your ticket now: https://sbcevents.com/canadian-gaming-summit/ticket-options/
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 167 features Gino Donati from BetOPENLY, a peer-to-peer betting exchange eliminating the traditional sportsbook model by letting users bet directly against each other at true odds. This episode was recorded on-site at SBC Summit North America 2025 in Fort Lauderdale.
Hear him discuss:
- Growing up in a sports-betting Italian family and booking bets in high school
- How running numbers for syndicates gave him a window into the business
- Why BetOPENLY was originally built offshore and pre-PASPA repeal
- The core value prop of “win more, lose less” and how the 1% fee works
- How trolls on TikTok helped drive the platform’s early growth
- Why casual bettors and big action players both find value in the model
- How BetOPENLY avoids deposit bonuses and operates with ultra-thin margins
- Their “bet with friends” feature and zero-fee social sharing mechanic
- How the team is solving liquidity challenges through third-party partnerships with companies like Kutt, BettorEdge, and THNDR
- The legal framework that enables BetOPENLY to operate in 45 U.S. states
- Expansion plans including peer-to-peer blackjack, DFS, and prediction markets
- Gino’s other startup, Seed to Scale, and how he self-funds BetOPENLY
- Why he’s in no rush to raise or exit—and where he sees the ceiling for P2P betting
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ BetOPENLY website
➡️ Gino Donati on Linkedin
The Canadian Gaming Summit is happening June 17–19 in Toronto! Don’t miss out — get 50% off your Full Event Pass using code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP at checkout. Grab your ticket now: https://sbcevents.com/canadian-gaming-summit/ticket-options/
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 166 features Steve “Dakota” Happas and Sahil Patel from FantasySpin, a real-money DFS platform reinventing the fantasy experience through a gamified, slot-style draft mechanic. This episode was recorded on-site at SBC Summit North America 2025 in Fort Lauderdale.
Hear them discuss:
- How a friendly fantasy football bet led to the founding of BettorFantasy
- Steve’s journey from online poker and dating platforms to fantasy sports
- Why the two companies merged to form FantasySpin and how the deal came together
- How their slot-style drafting system introduces luck, skill, and replayability
- Why FantasySpin rewards users even when players in their lineup don’t play
- The biggest lessons from their first full NFL season post-merger
- How their gameplay translates into highly engaging, video-first marketing
- Why their future plans include spin-to-pick hybrid formats and arcade modes
- How they’re self-funding growth while selectively exploring strategic capital
- Their long-term vision to become the next billion-dollar DFS platform
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ FantasySpin website
➡️ Steve Happas on Linkedin
➡️ Sahil Patel on Linkedin
The Canadian Gaming Summit is happening June 17–19 in Toronto! Don’t miss out — get 50% off your Full Event Pass using code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP at checkout. Grab your ticket now: https://sbcevents.com/canadian-gaming-summit/ticket-options/
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Recorded live at SBC Summit Americas 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this episode recaps the excitement of the First Pitch competition.
In this episode, you'll hear from all five startup finalists just hours before they took the stage, and at the end of the episode, we bring back the winner for a celebratory chat fresh off their victory.
The five startups that competed for a prize package valued at over $100,000 were:
- Oliver Renner from PromptBet.ai
- Mark Antal from Staked AI
- Andrew Lea from Gamewagrs
- Kelson Quan from Wager Games
- Madhav Halbe from Sidebetz.ai
Catch the video version of this episode here.
The Canadian Gaming Summit is happening June 17–19 in Toronto! Don’t miss out — get 50% off your Full Event Pass using code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP at checkout. Grab your ticket now: https://sbcevents.com/canadian-gaming-summit/ticket-options/
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 164 features Alexander Monahan from OddsJam, a data-driven sports betting platform acquired by Gambling.com Group in a deal worth up to $160 million. Alex returns to the podcast after first joining in early 2023 to share what has changed and what has stayed the same since the nine-figure exit.
Hear them discuss:
- What life looks like after a $160M acquisition
- Why he is still focused on helping bettors win with data
- His reflections on the due diligence and acquisition process
- Why he and his co-founder stayed bootstrapped without raising capital
- How the US betting landscape has changed for sharp bettors since 2020
- His thoughts on exchanges, promo arbitrage, and the future of sharp betting
- Why content creation became central to OddsJam’s growth
- How he balances founder pressure with long-term product vision
- What the integration with Gambling.com has looked like behind the scenes
- His advice for founders navigating high-stakes M&A conversations
- Why he still believes there is room for new tools in sports betting
SBC Americas makes its debut in Fort Lauderdale on May 13-15, and you won’t want to miss it! Get 50% off your Full Event Pass at checkout using discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP. Secure your ticket now: https://sbcevents.com/en/sbc-summit-americas/full-event-pass/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ OddsJam website
➡️ Alexander Monahan on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 163 features Mark Antal from Staked AI, which is crafting an Amazon Alexa-like AI for sports to deliver personalized, real-time audio content. This episode was recorded on-site at the NEXT Summit New York in March 2025 with guest host, Thomas Coiner.
Hear them discuss:
- How his background in AI and machine learning at Vault AI led to building Staked AI
- Why audio is a breakthrough for sports engagement
- The importance of time-sensitive content and its impact on driving sportsbook engagement
- How Staked AI’s partnerships, like the one with Wager Games, validate the product’s impact
- Why sports’ emotional connection makes it the ideal industry for AI-driven personalization
- How his co-founder, Chris Shreeve, guided the decision to focus on a B2B model
- How Staked AI trains models to pronounce player names and speak authentically to fans
- The vision of cloning media personalities’ voices to scale one-to-one engagement
- The roadmap for Staked AI, focusing on speed, personalization, and conversational AI
- How his advisors from AT&T and Sportradar help accelerate B2B partnerships
- His approach to scaling the company, raising capital, and building an AI-first operation
- Why he believes decisive action is key to success in the fast-moving AI landscape
SBC Americas makes its debut in Fort Lauderdale on May 13-15, and you won’t want to miss it! Get 50% off your Full Event Pass at checkout using discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP. Secure your ticket now: https://sbcevents.com/en/sbc-summit-americas/full-event-pass/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Staked AI website
➡️ Mark Antal on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 162 features Owen Monagan and Oisin Tiernan from Layup, which is a FinTech company providing a gamified savings product that turns interest into free sports picks. This episode was recorded on-site at the NEXT Summit New York in March 2025.
Hear them discuss:
- Their journey from building a Fantasy Premier League app together to launching Layup
- How growing up with “prize bonds” in Ireland inspired Layup’s concept
- Why their product offers a responsible alternative to sports betting and lottery
- How Layup converts interest earned into sports picks that resemble parlays
- The mechanics of how users can win money without risking any principal
- The challenges of navigating state-by-state banking regulations in the U.S.
- Why user education and overcoming skepticism are key to their marketing strategy
- How early adopters are resonating with the concept of “winning without losing”
- Why they are targeting both FinTech and gaming-focused investors in their next round
- Their vision to build Layup into a culturally accepted alternative to sports betting
- How they aim to expand globally and bring Layup back to Ireland and the UK
- Why they see Layup as a “non-alcoholic beer” alternative in the sports betting space
SBC Americas makes its debut in Fort Lauderdale on May 13-15, and you won’t want to miss it! Get 50% off your Full Event Pass at checkout using discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP. Secure your ticket now: https://sbcevents.com/en/sbc-summit-americas/full-event-pass/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Layup website
➡️ Owen Monagan on Linkedin
➡️ Oisin Tiernan on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 161 features Aishik Lala from Rotobot AI, an AI-driven platform tackling fantasy football’s information overload with personalized insights. This episode was recorded on-site at the NEXT Summit New York in March 2025.
Hear him discuss:
- How ChatGPT’s rise inspired a chatbot to answer fantasy football questions
- The launch of a simple web app in 2023 and discovering chat alone wasn’t enough for their vision
- the evolution into a full app with player profiles and stat discovery
- Hitting 10,000 downloads via TikTok livestreams with no marketing spend
- Why distribution is as critical as the product in today’s startup game
- Plans for league sync, advanced stats, and betting features by year-end
- Why they're keeping it lean with angel funding over big VC rounds
- How AI’s lowering barriers for zero-to-one entrepreneurs everywhere
- His five-year dream: smarter fans, creators, and maybe even scouting
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Rotobot AI website
➡️ Aishik Lala on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 160 features Sebastian from Plucky, which is pioneering "gambling as a service," enabling brands with an audience to offer real money gaming without getting involved in regulation. This episode was recorded on-site at the NEXT Summit New York in March 2025.
Hear him discuss:
- Winning the Starties award for Best Collaboration after partnering with Genius Sports to monetize free-to-play games
- The deal with The Sun, monetizing half a million UK fantasy players through Plucky’s platform
- His journey from a high school dropout to building and exiting multiple tech startups
- How Plucky integrates regulated real money gaming seamlessly into fantasy and live environments
- Plans to expand into Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and explore the U.S. market as a game of skill provider
- The innovative live environment partnership with Sixes Cricket, allowing friends to bet while playing in a bar
- The importance of lifetime value and building stickiness in Plucky’s business model
- Why he believes in prioritizing distribution over product in the early stages of a startup
- His strategy for handing off leadership when Plucky scales beyond the initial growth stage
- His long-term vision of making Plucky a verb synonymous with engaging audiences in real money gaming environments
- How he sees massive potential in blending real money gaming with live sports environments in the future
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Plucky website
➡️ Sebastian Lewis on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 159 features Aman Agarwal and Jatin Narang from Toast, building live multiplayer skill games with built-in player liquidity for real money iGaming. This episode was recorded at the World Trade Center during the NEXT Summit New York in March 2025.
Hear them discuss:
- Toast’s origins: uniting Aman’s gambling roots and Jatin’s free-to-play expertise
- Blending gambling psychology with free-to-play innovation to shape their vision
- Their thesis for how skill games can fill the U.S. iCasino regulatory gap
- How they ideate on new game concepts and formats, including their latest skill-based basketball game
- Their learnings from the last G2E conference that led to development of new core infrastructure
- How interest in their games is converting into commercial traction
- How growing interest in entrepreneurship has led to a startup boom in India
- Securing a Lightspeed seed round pre-product in just six weeks
Check out a demo of one of Toast's games here: https://21-jack.playtoast.com/
Watch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Toast website
➡️ Aman Agarwal on Linkedin
➡️ Jatin Narang on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 158 features Shivam Shorewala from Rimble, a next-generation esports odds and analytics platform powering player props and beyond. This episode was recorded in person at the NEXT Summit New York in March 2025.
Hear him discuss:
- How his early days at SimpleBet sparked the idea for Esports micro markets
- Why messy esports data forced a pivot to pre-game player props
- Building a niche product filling the esports betting gap for operators
- The surprising demand for Counter Strike and expanding to League of Legends
- How official data deals and computer vision solved their data woes
- Running a lean, bootstrapped team of seven engineers in San Francisco
- Why skipping VC funding keeps them focused on product over hype
- Expanding into cricket and kabaddi for Asian markets
- Staying in the long tail of niche sports instead of chasing NFL
- His five-year vision: powering esports and fan engagement with AI
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Rimble website
➡️ Shivam Shorewala on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 157 features Will Martin from LiveDuel, a decentralized blockchain-based betting exchange aiming to simplify sports betting with crypto innovations. This episode was recorded on-site at the NEXT Summit New York in March 2024.
Hear him discuss:
- How a $300 TikTok filter campaign for the 2022 World Cup won Marketing Genius at The Starties
- The origin of LiveDuel from Will’s background in arbitrage, prop trading, and meme stocks
- Why they’re creating a hybrid model between sportsbooks and betting exchanges
- How liquidity pools and smart contracts enable a smooth betting experience
- The evolution of their thesis amid the rise of prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi
- Their go-to-market strategy, and who they see as their ideal target customer
- Why they are focused on soccer only for the time being
- Regulatory challenges of launching a crypto-based platform, especially in the U.S.
- Their experience in Techstars, and current efforts to raise a new round of capital
- Creative marketing approaches that stood out at The Starties awards
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ LiveDuel website
➡️ Will Martin on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 156 features KB from Pick The Odds, which is a cutting-edge sports betting data platform providing real-time odds, arbitrage opportunities, and historical betting insights.
Hear him discuss:
- How his background in eSports data and machine learning led to launching Pick The Odds
- The conversation at an Eagles game that sparked the idea for his platform
- How Pick The Odds collects and updates lines from over 100 sportsbooks in under 1.6 seconds
- Why he focuses on building advanced betting tools rather than offering AI-driven picks
- Why his pricing model ensures users get value while keeping the business self-funded
- How he built a thriving, non-toxic betting community through Discord
- His plan to introduce a bet-tracking tool to verify picks and combat misinformation
- His vision for making Pick The Odds the go-to platform for sharp bettors
- Why he has resisted outside investment and is committed to keeping the company independent
- His take on the future of sports betting, regulation, and the rise of new platforms
Speaking of the NEXT NYC Summit, capacity is limited and tickets will sell out. Secure yours now and get $200 off your Full Event Pass with code SB2NYC52. Get your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/#tickets
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Pick The Odds website
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 155 features Co-Founders Ty D'Amore and Justin Järvinen from Bankroll U, which is a platform designed to educate bettors while providing a gamified environment that mimics real-money betting.
Hear them discuss:
- How a barrage of sportsbook ads sparked the idea for BankrollU
- Why simulated betting is the best way to learn without going broke
- The unique progression system that lets users prove they can win before earning real cash bonuses
- Justin’s journey from venture studios and fintech to jumping on board with BankrollU
- Ty’s experience scaling a tech company to a NASDAQ public listing and what he’s applying to BankrollU
- The months of legal hurdles they tackled to make this model work
- Why they see BankrollU as an educational tool, not a sportsbook or affiliate
- The early traction they’re seeing and why players keep coming back
- Why self-funding the company gives them an edge in building the best product
- How they’re building a sports betting community that’s all about learning and winning
- Their five-year vision—making bettors wonder how they ever placed a bet without this
Speaking of the NEXT NYC Summit, capacity is limited and tickets will sell out. Secure yours now and get $200 off your Full Event Pass with code SB2NYC52. Get your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/#tickets
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Bankroll U website
➡️ Justin Jarvinen on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 154 features Travis Geiger, who joins Jesse in this special episode that zooms in on the upcoming Starties awards show on March 12.
Hear them discuss:
- Their reflections on the crazy journey in the last 30 days since The Starties were announced
- A look into the 250+ nominations that were submitted for the 9 award categories
- The creation of the Starties Academy, and the inspiration behind creating a voting committee to ensure fairness and transparency
- The unique venue where The Starties will be held in NYC
- An update on ticket availability (look below for a link to buy your ticket!)
- The announcement of award finalists across each award category
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.
🎟️ General Admission tickets for The Starties are now on sale, with very limited capacity: https://thestarties2025.eventbrite.com
💰 Claim your $200 discount on a Full Event Pass to NEXT Summit NYC with code SB2NYC52: https://next.io/summits/newyork/#tickets
📱 Follow The Starties on Linkedin and Twitter
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 153 features Tyler Amirault and James White from HotTakes, which is the ultimate free-to-play sports betting simulator.
Hear them discuss:
- How their time at Western University led to HotTakes, starting as a passion project before becoming a full-time venture
- The idea behind HotTakes—letting sports fans try betting for free, win real cash prizes, and learn without risk
- Their business model, which monetizes user attention and shares value with players through an affiliate-driven rewards system
- Why they've been so successful as affiliates at a time when so many other affiliates are struggling
- The recent launch of their redesigned app as their entry point into the US market
- Why they believe betting growth comes from new players, not competing for existing high-value bettors
- How having top industry advisors such as John Gordon, Paris Smith, and Benjie Cherniak has unlocked new opportunities for HotTakes
- Plans to raise $3M in Series A for user acquisition, key hires, and brand-building
Speaking of the NEXT NYC Summit, capacity is limited and tickets will sell out. Secure yours now and get $200 off your Full Event Pass with code SB2NYC52. Get your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/#tickets
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ HotTakes website
➡️ Tyler Amirault on Linkedin
➡️ James White on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 152 features Tiffany Santisteban Lagos from EmpowerYourPlay, which transforms gaming rewards by integrating micro-giving to charities of players’ choice.
Hear her discuss:
- EmpowerYourPlay winning the recent Pitch ICE competition, and the benefits that has brought
- How EmpowerYourPlay is using charitable giving as a new player retention mechanism for operators
- The insights she got from speaking to over 10,000 players before launching, and how that helped validate her hypotheses
- Why Gen Z and Millennials are driving a shift toward purpose-driven spending
- Why her experience building EmpowerYourPlay has been "like drinking water from a firehose"
- How attracting top talent on equity-only roles has helped Tiffany bootstrap EmpowerYourPlay to this point
- Current efforts to raise £750k in pre-seed funding to scale operations
- The ambitious goal to donate over $50M to charities in the coming years
Speaking of the NEXT NYC Summit, capacity is limited and tickets will sell out. Secure yours now and get $200 off your Full Event Pass with code SB2NYC52. Get your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/#tickets
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ EmpowerYourPlay website
➡️ Tiffany Santisteban Lagos on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 151 features Simon Gerszberg from ShotQuality, a sports data extraction company using CV, AI and data science to optimize pricing for Sports-books and syndicates.
Hear him discuss:
- How a chance college roommate pairing sparked the beginning for ShotQuality
- The strategy shift that saw them move away from selling analytics to colleges - despite having 25 Division 1 teams as clients
- How their first sportsbook deal came from betting into the market using ShotQuality data
- His experience successfully navigating the dreaded operator integration roadmap
- News of their expansion from a basketball-only product to a multi-sport offering
- His perspective on the sports data ecosystem, and where ShotQuality fits within it
- The joint role of computer vision and human validation in their technology platform
- How he successfully fundraised a seven-figure seed round as a first-time founder
Speaking of the NEXT NYC Summit, capacity is limited and tickets will sell out. Secure yours now and get $200 off your Full Event Pass with code SB2NYC52. Get your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/#tickets
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ ShotQuality website
➡️ Simon Gerszberg on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 150 features Pierre Lindh from NEXT.io, the world’s iGaming community.
Hear him discuss:
- The life and legacy of Nico Jansen
- His retrospective on the ICE conference's debut in Barcelona
- Why he feels like NEXT is only now hitting its stride after 12 years of perseverance
- The risky shift in strategy that NEXT made last year, and how that's paid off since
- The challenges of building a premium content business with a subscription model
- His views and insights on how to build and grow community
- Why he thinks about the NEXT NYC Summit as "the Davos for iGaming"
- The recent announcement of The Starties, the awards show by startups, for startups that will be held alongside the NYC Summit
Speaking of the NEXT NYC Summit, capacity is limited and tickets will sell out. Secure yours now and get $200 off your Full Event Pass with code SB2NYC52. Get your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/#tickets
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ NEXT.io website
➡️ Pierre Lindh on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 149 features Michael Testa from Wunderfan, with guest host Thomas Coiner. Wunderfan redefines sports loyalty by rewarding fan engagement through an innovative "It Pays to be a Fan" model.
Hear them discuss:
- Wunderfan’s unique slogan "It pays to be a fan", and how that applies to fan loyalty
- Michael's entrepreneurial journey in customer loyalty and in a startup acquisition
- How Michael's co-founders, Blake Patterson and Geran de Klerk, are leveraging their past successes for Wunderfan
- What they learned from the success of building Wunderpar, a golf-focused version of Wunderfan
- Why they've invested so heavily in the scalability of their "Attend-to-Earn" and "Watch-to-Earn" technology
- How they've acquired their first 10,000 users in just four months
- Why Michael is such a fan of product-led growth tactics, and how they're using them with Wunderfan
- How their campus ambassador program has resulted in a cost-per-install of less than $1
- Current efforts to raise a $2.5M seed round to accelerate Wunderfan's expansion
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Wunderfan website
➡️ Michael Testa on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 148 features Mark Flores Martin, Founder and CEO of XGENIA, an AI-first company revolutionizing game creation by enabling developers to create games in minutes.
Hear them discuss:
- His journey from ethical hacking and VR gambling to founding XGENIA
- How the XGENIA team combines expertise in gaming, AI, and technology to create innovative solutions
- The groundbreaking features of XGENIA, including AI-powered slot machine generation and advanced animation systems
- Where XGENIA fits within the casino ecosystem and its complementary role to traditional game studios
- Overcoming skepticism about the potential of AI in gaming and the widespread adoption of their technology by clients
- The company’s journey from self-funding to attracting external capital for scaling operations
- The transformative impact of AI on job roles within the gaming and gambling industry
- Insights from pitch competitions like SBC and Sigma, and their plans for ICE Barcelona
- XGENIA’s ambitious roadmap for 2025, including the release of a revolutionary AI game engine
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ XGENIA website
➡️ Mark Flores Martin on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 147 features Bridge Dudley and Sebastian Fay, Co-Founders of Doink Sports, the ultimate research platform for sports betting, offering props, trends, +EV analysis, odds charts, and more.
Hear them discuss:
- How their backgrounds in sports, robotics, finance, and tech led to founding Doink Sports
- How a friend’s $40 parlay win inspired the idea for Doink Sports and became the foundation of their business
- How building a failed furniture marketplace app shaped their thinking and approach bringing Doink Sports to market
- Challenges of accessing reliable betting data and managing tech as a two-person team
- B2B opportunities with their technology infrastructure
- Reflection on the NFL season, and lessons learned in their second year of football
- Using livestreaming and education to build community and increase product adoption
- Bootstrapping their way to profitability, and how they're thinking about capitalizing the next stage of growth
- Their recent experience applying to Y Combinator for a second time
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Doink Sports website
➡️ Bridge Dudley on Linkedin
➡️ Sebastian Fay on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
In this episode, Jesse and Thomas huddle up to reflect on 2024 for BettingStartups, and lookahead to 2025.
They discuss:
- Their biggest reflections and highlights from 2024
- News that Optimove is returning as the headline sponsor of The Betting Startups Podcast in 2025
- A lookback at 8 of their favorite clips from this year's podcast episodes
- The success of their media partnerships in 2024, and how those will grow in 2025
- Their high-concept pitch for the soon-to-launch Startup Hub and founder community
Watch the video version of the episode here.
Get $200 off your Full Event Pass for the NEXT NYC Summit by using discount code SB2NYC52 at checkout: https://next.io/summits/newyork/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 145 features Alexey Vorobey from AIstats, an AI-powered live score app that provides football fans with real-time match analysis, performance trends, and smart metrics across over 2,200 leagues worldwide.
Hear them discuss:
- His career pivot away from being a lawyer and into tech entrepreneurship
- How AIstats creates unique stats and predictions with machine learning
- Why he's not a believer in the xG metric, and "the crusade to replace it with some more advanced and smart things"
- The marketing tactics they used to acquire over 73,000 users in the first 3 months
- Converting free users to paid subscribers, and how they plan to increase the conversion rate over time
- The importance of localization, and delivering an experience to users in a familiar context
- Field notes from his current efforts to close a $1m seed round, which is 75% subscribed
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ AIstats website
➡️ Alexey Vorobey on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
🚨 Emergency episode!
In his first interview since news broke of Gambling.com's acquisition of OddsJam's parent company Odds Holdings, CEO Matt Restivo joins Jesse to share his perspective on the story behind the headlines.
Hear him discuss:
- his reflections on Odds Holdings' growth to $26m in revenue in just 3.5 years
- why they decided to pursue a deal, and insights into what that process looked like
- the synergy he sees with Gambling.com, and how the partnership will fuel further growth for their products
- why closing the deal was "certainly emotional" for him
- His advice for other entrepreneurs on what to do now to make a future exit an easier process
Learn more 👇
➡️ OddsJam on Linkedin
➡️ Matt Restivo on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 144 features Adam Small, co-founder of Third Planet Affiliates, a leader in online gaming content.
Hear him discuss:
- How he unintentionally got started in the affiliate space with PocketFives, and later with USBets
- What motivated him to launch Third Planet Affiliates at this stage of his career, and the vision behind its portfolio of properties that includes Lottery Geeks, Casino Reports, and Props.com
- The evolving affiliate model and opportunities for innovation in the gaming industry - especially following recent turmoil in the space
- Lessons learned from entrepreneurial exits, and navigating earn-out periods with larger organizations like Better Collective
- Staying open to unexpected opportunities, which led to their unplanned acquisition of Props.com
- The enduring partnership with co-founder Cal Spears, and the dynamics of their collaboration over two decades of building together
- Reflections on his entrepreneurial journey, including the one decision he would do differently if he could
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Third Planet Affiliates on Linkedin
➡️ Adam Small on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 143 is a roundtable discussion on the Sweepstakes industry, featuring Trevor Pope from The Money Factory, Zach Bruch from MyPrize, and Jeff Laniado from Optimove.
Hear them discuss:
- The massive growth opportunity they see for social sweepstakes gaming
- The origins and growth trajectories of The Money Factory and MyPrize
- Challenges of compliance and barriers to entry in the sweepstakes space
- How MyPrize innovates through content creator partnerships and community engagement
- Why social interaction is becoming a crucial differentiator for sweepstakes casinos
- Marketing strategies to lower customer acquisition costs and increase player retention
- How Optimove supports operators like MyPrize and The Money Factory with CRM tools to maximize player engagement
- Predictions on the future consolidation and evolution of the sweepstakes gaming market
- Their perspective on balancing risk and reward as entrepreneurs
Catch the video version of this episode here.
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 142 features Nigel Eccles, CEO and Co-founder of BetHog, a crypto casino and sportsbook from the creators of FanDuel.
Hear him discuss:
- His early career at Flutter where he helped bring the betting exchange concept to market
- The origin story of Fanduel, and his reflections of its impact on legalized sports betting in the U.S.
- The role that he sees startups playing in driving innovation within real-money gaming
- The vision behind BetHog, the gaps it's addressing, and how he thinks about product differentiation within the casino category
- The role that streamers play in the ecosystem, and how BetHog's titles are bringing new ways for viewers to engage
- The characteristics of crypto-native audiences, and the experiences they seek in gaming products
- His personal crypto journey, navigating crypto market cycles, and business planning around bull and bear markets
- Lessons from raising capital, the importance of choosing the right investors, and why "there's no point in networking with VC's"
- The ongoing legal dispute over Fanduel’s valuation during its merger with Flutter
- Hi stop advice for entrepreneurs that are earlier on in the journey
- How he's applying his 20+ years of experience to shape BetHog’s future
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ BetHog website | Twitter/X
➡️ Nigel Eccles on Linkedin | Twitter/X
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Recorded on the day of their public launch, Ep. 141 features Cal Spears and Jonathan Bales from Gambly, which is your sports betting copilot.
Hear them discuss:
- How Cal and Jonathan came together to launch Gambly after their non-competes expired following their last exits
- The inspiration for Gambly, and the founding use cases for the product
- Why they think Gambly will add value to both casual and sharp bettors alike
- How they're thinking about the journey towards finding product-market fit
- Why they think that Gambly can catalyze a new affiliate model with sportsbooks
- Developing the underlying technology that powers the product, and how they've abstracted its complexity with an intuitive UX
- The background on their strategic partnership with Unabated
- Choosing to preserve equity by self-funding Gambly's development over raising seed capital
- Why Cal thinks that we "might be in a golden age" for smaller affiliates, despite the recent headwinds for larger affiliate companies
- Their top pieces of advice to other entrepreneurs building within real-money gaming
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Cal was also a former guest on Ep. 80 of The Betting Startups Podcast, where he told the full story of his 20-year journey building, scaling, and exiting several businesses within real-money gaming. Catch that episode if you missed it:
- Apple Podcast
- Spotify
Learn more 👇
➡️ Gambly website
➡️ Cal Spears on Linkedin
➡️ Jonathan Bales on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 140 features Robert Lenzhofer, CEO of Hölle Games, which produces slot games and gaming platforms, with a focus on regulated markets and localized content.
Hear Robert discuss:
- His journey in gaming, from tech in Austria to founding Hölle Games
- The origins and growth of Hölle Games, which focuses on the German market with localized content
- The challenges and nuances of slot game development and creating a unique platform
- How Hölle Games differentiates in a crowded slot market through compliance and tailored products
- The company's dual focus on a slot studio and remote gaming server (RGS) technology
- His choice to bootstrap the company, opting for revenue-driven growth over investor funding
- The strategy behind launching multiple studios for targeted markets, including upcoming studios for the UK, Brazil, and Asia
- Reflections on the impact of AI in game development, both in art and automation
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Hölle Games website
➡️ Robert Lenzhofer on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep.139 features Jesse live from the SBC Summit in Lisbon, joined by Adam Wilson from Splash Tech,
Hear them discuss:
- How Adam's early journey in the betting industry took shape and evolved
- The post-mortem on his first startup Bookee, which became known as the "Tinder for Betting"
- The origin story of Splash Tech, and how his learnings from the Bookee journey influenced his approach to building Splash Tech
- How Splash Tech’s free-to-play games drive customer acquisition and engagement, and what sets them apart from other F2P providers
- Why "you are only as good as your integrations" as a B2B supplier in this industry
- Splash Tech's product integration with Optimove, and the unique ways that partnership enables operators to engage with their players
- Why he wanted "to get to profitability as soon as possible" with Splash Tech in order to avoid raising further capital
- His perspective on the betting industry trends driving innovation
- What fuels Adam’s motivation and resilience as an entrepreneur
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Splash Tech website
➡️ Adam Wilson on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 138 features Jesse live from the SBC Summit in Lisbon, joined by Rob Rubio from Fluid, which is a cutting-edge checkout solution powered by machine learning.
Hear them discuss:
- Rob’s journey through the industry, and how his time working for an operator helped him identify the pain point that Fluid is now solving
- The positive response that Fluid got from the market after launching at ICE earlier this year, and the traction they have experienced since
- How is improving the "money in, money out" process though intuitive UX combined with data-driven optimization
- Why Fluid opted to commercialize its platform using a straightforward SaaS pricing model
- The role of responsible gambling (RG) and KYC within Fluid’s core services
- Fluid's new seed funding round backed by HappyHour.io, and what this investment means for future growth
- Lessons from Rob’s past investing experience that have shaped Fluid’s growth
- What Rob sees for the future of Fluid, including some new verticals he sees opportunity in
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Fluid website
➡️ Rob Rubio on Linkedin
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 137 features Jack Andrews and Justin Phan from Unabated, which is the tools and resources you need to become a winning sports bettor.
Hear them discuss:
- The recent G2E conference in Las Vegas, and Jack's biggest takeaway from it
- What has surprised Jack the most since launching Unabated 4 years ago
- Jack's view of how the American betting population "breaks down in cultural generations"
- The crazy story of serendipity that led Justin to joining Unabated as their new Managing Director
- Why Unabated has been steadfast in its commitment to building the business through subscription revenue
- Their commitment to maintaining product velocity, and why that excites Justin
- What led them to enter the B2B data business
- How they see the trend of operator consolidation impacting the betting public
Catch the video version of this episode here.
You can also check out Unabated YouTube channel here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Unabated website
➡️ Justin Phan on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 136 features Matt Bresler, Founder and CEO of Odditt, a suite of world-class sports betting tools and analytics. This episode was recorded in person with Jesse at the G2E conference in Las Vegas.
Hear them discuss:
- Why Matt relocated to Las Vegas to work on Odditt, and the value that move has brought to the company
- Matt's experience participating in ZeroLabs' inaugural cohort, and more recently as a mentor in the latest cohort
- How developing his own betting models uncovered the problem that Odditt is now solving
- The distinction that prompted Odditt to pivot from its original idea
- How Odditt's platform helps to bring closer alignment between quant teams and trading teams within sportsbooks
- The challenges of compiling a data set that spans thousands of leagues, 150+ countries, and 30+ sports
- Why Matt is thinking about launching "a data accelerator with early stage startups"
- News that Odditt has recently closed a new round of funding, and why Matt chose to avoid institutional capital for the round
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Odditt website
➡️ Matt Bresler on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 135 is our quarterly Investor Vibe Check, where we chat with 3 industry investors to get their perspective on the landscape from their side of the table.
The vibe check for Q3 features Evan Meyer (Astralis Capital), Paris Smith (Life Winning), and Joel Simkins (XST Capital).
Hear them discuss:
- Their investing background, and current focus areas within real-money gaming
- Recent consolidation amongst micro-betting technology providers, and how they see that shifting the dynamics within the category
- Why legacy media has struggled integrating betting content, while many startups are seemingly make it work
- Why new media strategies have greater impact driving player behavior
- Brazil market expectations post-regulation, how it's similar/different to the US, how operators are preparing for regulation, and opportunities for startups in that market
- Their perspectives on the sweepstakes model, and its attractiveness as capital allocators
- Advice for founders on seeking mentorship and support from industry veterans
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribed to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 134 features Evan Kirkham from Outlier, which is a cutting-edge sports betting app that helps users make smarter bets, no matter the sportsbook.
Hear him discuss:
- How life has changed for Evan and the Outlier team after finding product-market fit since his last appearance on the podcast
- Insight into Outlier's internal product development process, and how they maintain a strong shipping cadence with a lean team
- The flywheel that has led to Outlier pushing over 500,000 bets per week to sportsbook partners
- His guiding principles on team building and scaling headcount
- Why Outlier has eschewed affiliate revenue despite it being an obvious monetization channel
- His assessment of the competitive landscape within the betting tools category
- What he learned after launching a fundraising process earlier this year, and why he ultimately abandoned it in favor of organic growth
- His approach to doing cold outreach to get calls with in-demand people
G2E Quick Hits interest form 👇
https://forms.monday.com/forms/396c8ee610fafa76488de31ab2522442?r=use1
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribed to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Outlier website
➡️ Evan Kirkham on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 133 features the winner of SBC's First Pitch, Radek Psurny from Match Hype.
Hear them discuss:
- Radek's reflections on winning the SBC First Pitch competition and pitching on the big stage
- The journey of building Match Hype, a platform for dynamic sportsbook video content
- How Match Hype automates videos with real-time stats, predictions, and content in 30+ languages
- The tech behind Match Hype being built by an experienced team
- Match Hype's future plans with live content
- The opening of their seed fundraising round to embrace growth.
- Radek's 5-year vision to make Match Hype a global leader in sports content
G2E Quick Hits interest form 👇
https://forms.monday.com/forms/396c8ee610fafa76488de31ab2522442?r=use1
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Match Hype website
➡️ Radek Psurny on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 132 features Keith Stewart from Read the Line, which delivers actionable golf betting insights & analysis from the perspective of a PGA Professional.
Hear him discuss:
- His life's journey in golf and how becoming a PGA Professional has elevated his career
- Four reasons why golf is one of the best sports for betting
- The origins of Read the Line and how it's filling a gap in the golf content space.
- The importance of why Read the Line covers the LPGA
- How proactive content is a key differentiator in the golf media industry
- His efforts on growing Read the Line's media partnerships
- The three main revenue drivers for Read the Line
- The plan to grow and scale Read the Line, including venturing into additional secondary sports
G2E Quick Hits interest form 👇
https://forms.monday.com/forms/396c8ee610fafa76488de31ab2522442?r=use1
Looking to attend SBC Summit? If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/tickets
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Read The Line website
➡️ Keith Stewart on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 131 features Kelly Kehn, Paris Smith, and Sue Schneider from Defy the Odds, which leverages community, mentorship, and capital to drive innovation for the future of gaming.
Hear them discuss:
- Kelly’s broad industry experience that includes time Bodog, to launching the All-in Diversity Project as a not-for-profit, to venture capital with HappyHour.io
- Paris’ 17-year experience as CEO of Pinnacle, and transition to angel investing and advising in her post-Pinnacle career
- Sue’s unique career path from social services to most recently leading growth & strategy in the Americas for SBC
- The origins of Defy the Odds, and how a meetup in Curacao solidified their plans to launch the project
- How the 3 of them will leverage their collective 7+ decades of industry experience to create new pathways into the industry for underrepresented founders
- The qualities and characteristics that Defy the Odds looks for in the founders it supports
- The engagement model for Defy the Odds, and ambitions to launch a corresponding fund
- Their first partnership with Zero Labs ahead of the incubator's 3rd cohort next month
- What excites the 3 of them about the real-money gaming industry in 2024
Looking to attend SBC Summit? If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/tickets
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Defy the Odds website
➡️ Kelly Kehn on Linkedin
➡️ Paris Smith on Linkedin
➡️ Sue Schneider on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 130 features Chase Richardson from Full Pull, which is growing the sport of truck and tractor pulling through innovative real money gaming and digital streaming platforms.
Hear him discuss:
- An introduction to the sport of truck and tractor pulling, and why it's perfectly suited for betting
- The launch of Full Pull's real-money gaming product, and how the early response has been
- How content and streaming will attract new fans, including through its partnership with Betr
- The role of sponsorship in generating revenue to support the sport’s growth
- How his background as an NCAA Div. 1 basketball coach helped prepare him to compete in business
- The unique story of how industry veteran Benjie Cherniak, became involved in Full Pull
- His experience entering the real-money gaming space, and his advice for other founders looking break into it
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Full Pull website
➡️ Chase Richardson on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 129 is the official First Pitch preview episode, where we will meet the 5 startups selected to present at SBC Summit on September 24 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Sue Schneider, VP of Growth and Strategy for the Americas at SBC, shares her perspective of the upcoming event, discussing the diversity of submissions, the evolution of First Pitch, and opportunities for all startups at the Summit.
In this episode, you will hear from the five finalists:
- Adam Fonsica from Random State
- Tom Lemke from SavageTech
- Shawn Tucker from StatX Sports
- Radek Psurny from Match Hype
- Mark Flores Martin from XGENIA
SBC First Pitch brings together some of the most exciting startups within the betting and gaming industry to compete for a chance to win an exclusive prize package, valued at around €118,800 to assist in the winner’s development and growth plans.
The First Pitch event is hosted by BettingStartups.com's Jesse Learmonth.
Judges for the event:
- Paris Smith from Life Winning
- Mark Blandford from Burlywood Capital
- Javier Altamirano from Sportradar
- Adam Krejcik from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC
- Martin Collins from Soft2Bet
If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass. Grab your ticket here.
Watch this episode on Youtube.
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 128 features Rob Urwin and Sabin Brooks from Bettormetrics, which offers next-generation sports trading analytics.
Hear them discuss:
- Rob’s background co-founding BetNOW, a VC-backed startup that enabled mobile betting via SMS (before iPhones were invented!)
- Sabin’s journey through working at Sky Sports, SkyBet, and PartyPoker.com
- How Bettormetrics is helping trading teams reduce market downtime, and how that's positively impacting sportsbook KPIs
- A look behind the curtain at trading operations at sportsbooks, and why live markets get suspended in the first place
- Overcoming objections in the B2B sales cycle
- Bettormetrics’ recent Series A funding led by BettorCapital and Velo Partners
- Comparing and contrasting sportsbook trading approaches in the UK and the US
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Bettormetrics website
➡️ Rob Urwin on Linkedin
➡️ Sabin Brooks on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 127 features Dan Zimmerman from Verse Fantasy which fuses fantasy sports and real-money gaming.
Hear him discuss:
- His original idea of launching a betting exchange, which he realized would be "a very difficult endeavor" - thus triggering an early pivot to DFS
- How the LeagueSync product allows season-long fantasy players to win real-money on weekly matchups
- Using product-led growth tactics to drive user adoption of the Verse Fantasy app
- The recent launch of Verse Media, which was "built to serve as Verse Fantasy's own affiliate"
- The various content-led marketing tactics that Verse is focusing on, and the metrics they're seeing from it
- A breakdown of his current thesis on the emergence of DFS 3.0
- Why he feels that Verse Fantasy is well insulated from any potential regulatory changes to DFS in various states
- Exclusive breaking news that Verse Fantasy just closed a $1.1 million pre-seed round led by Frontstage Ventures
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Verse Fantasy website
➡️ Daniel Zimmerman on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
We're back with Ep. 9 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Jay Deuskar & Dylan Cooper from PrizePicks.
Hear them discuss:
- The origin story of PrizePicks with its goal to simplify the DFS experience for casual fans
- How the PASPA repeal created an opportunity for PrizePicks to attack DFS while the incumbents shifted focus to sports betting
- The key early growth moment that made them realize they had found product-market fit
- How leveraging partnerships with athletes, sports teams, and arenas has helped them build a mass market brand
- Scaling company culture while managing rapid growth in the business
- The company’s lean fundraising journey and heavy focus on intentional growth
- Why PrizePicks is investing so heavily in esports, and how that's translating into business results
- What motivates them to keep pushing forward despite all of the success thus far
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ PrizePicks website
➡️ Jay Deuskar on Linkedin
➡️ Dylan Cooper on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
We're back with Ep. 126 of The Betting Startups podcast, where guest host Thomas Coiner chats with Jake Gillikin from Ranked, a community-driven college football stats platform.
Hear them discuss:
- Jake's background in tech and the inception of Ranked
- The inspiration for creating a dedicated college football app
- Jake teaching himself to code and building Ranked as a one-man-band
- Overcoming early challenges and organic growth strategies
- The importance of solving a specific pain point for college football fans
- Innovative features like "My Game Day" and advanced stats for bettors
- The role of community and message boards in building the Ranked brand
- Leveraging user fandom to enhance the app's utility
- The integration of web embeds for content creators and their potential growth impact
- Growth strategies and initiatives for the upcoming college football season
- The importance of maintaining an open and engaging community environment
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Ranked website
➡️ Jake Gillikin on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 125 features Jon Robin from Dabble, which takes an innovative approach of combining social elements with sports betting. This episode is guest hosted by Benjie Cherniak. Hear them discuss:
- Jon's entrepreneurial background led to the founding of Dabble
- The unique social betting experience that differentiates Dabble in the crowded Australian market
- Strategies for effective user acquisition through leveraging social features within the app
- The significant investment and strategic partnership with Tabcorp
- Insights into the fundraising process and the importance of building investor
relationships - Dabble’s expansion into the U.S. market while learning the cultural similarities and differences
- Future plans for global expansion and targeting new markets
- Jon’s perspective on balancing innovation with long-term strategic planning
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Dabble website
➡️ Jon Robin on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
We're back with Ep. 8 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Steven Salz from Rivalry.
Hear him discuss:
- How his background laid the foundation for Rivalry
- The origin story of Rivalry, starting from trading in-game items to becoming a top esports betting brand
- The importance of understanding the demographic and psychographics of esports bettors
- How Rivalry maintains brand authenticity to attract Gen Z and Millennial demographics
- Rivalry's journey to product-market fit, and how Steven knew the company had found it
- His transition from a startup founder to a public markets CEO, and the resulting adaptations he's made in response
- The rationale for focusing so intently on brand building as a young company, and how that's created competitive advantages now that Rivalry has reached scale
- Why Rivalry is launching a crypto token later this year, and how he expects that to enhance customer engagement
- Why he has the words "mint founders" permanently written on his whiteboard, and how this has influenced the culture he's created at Rivalry
- Balancing fatherhood and entrepreneurship, and the importance of compartmentalization and focused thinking
- Future plans for Rivalry and the vision for the company's growth
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Rivalry website
➡️ Steven Salz on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
Ep. 124 features Jay Huffman from Propellor on redefining fantasy sports with friends.
Hear him discuss:
- His early career movement inside the startup environment.
- The importance of securing legal approval to proceed with Propellor.
- The concept of Propellor where they're reversing traditional parlay dynamics.
- Propellor's unique approach to leveraging text messages for group play.
- Creative game features like the shame bell, veto options, and other engaging social interactions.
- His product design philosophy of keeping UI intuitive, simple, and user-friendly.
- Sourcing the initial angel investment and aiming for a million-dollar raise.
- Gearing up for the Fall season through expanding features, integrating cash games, and aiming for significant growth.
▶️ Watch this episode on Youtube.
🎁 Bonus segment -See a demo of Propellor.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Propellor website
➡️ Jay Huffman on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 123 is our quarterly Investor Vibe Check, where we chat with 3 industry investors to get their perspective on the landscape from their side of the table.
The vibe check for Q2 features Chris Grove (Acies Investments), Roger Ehrenberg (Eberg Capital) and Davis Catlin (Discerning Capital).
Hear them discuss:
- Reflections on Q2 and the six-year anniversary of PASPA’s repeal, and its implications on the iGaming industry.
- The surprising consolidation of operators in the U.S. market and what challenger brands can do to compete with incumbents.
- The growing popularity of the sweepstakes model, its sustainability, and future potential within the broader real money gaming ecosystem.
- Opportunities in betting on niche and alternative sports, and their impact on expanding the total addressable market in the U.S.
- Practical advice for early-stage founders on navigating the uncertain economic environment and achieving cash flow positivity.
- Future predictions for the iGaming industry, including potential M&A deals, cybersecurity concerns, and regulatory changes to watch for in the next six months.
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Chris Grove with Acies Investments
➡️ Roger Ehrenberg with Eberg Capital
➡️ Davis Catlin with Discerning Capital
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 122 features Björn Nilsson from FTDx, which is transforming blocks, traffic into profit.
Hear him discuss:
- His career journey through various payment and operator roles, including consulting for Betfair, Unibet, and others.
- The origins and evolution of Triggy, a product aimed to convert fans into bettors.
- The founding of FTDx, focusing on monetizing non-local traffic for gaming operators.
- Challenges in managing regulatory environments and non-monetized traffic.
- FTDx's simple integration process and the positive reception from early adopters in Finland and Brazil.
- Insights into FTDx's fundraising process.
- Lessons learned from Triggy about building sustainable, cash flow positive businesses.
- His perspective on innovation within the gaming industry, highlighting the influx of new ideas from the US and Eastern Europe.
Learn more 👇
➡️ FTDx website
➡️ Björn Nilsson on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 121 features Kelson Quan from Wager Games, which is the social content plugin for sports betting apps.
Hear him discuss:
- Growing up in San Francisco, and his background working in tech at companies like Apple
- Why he thinks the betting industry hasn’t received more attention from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors
- How Wager Games is using video content to make sports betting more accessible for people without betting domain expertise
- Building product, and his team’s approach to customer-driven development
- Why he’s so bullish on the sports betting industry as a space to be building in
- Building WagerGames in a lean way while living “on the ramen noodle diet”, and being “super intentional about everything”
- Why he doesn’t think he’ll ever feel like Wager Games has found product/market fit
- A crazy story of scrappiness that included a last-minute flight to show up unannounced at the offices of a key partner
Learn more 👇
➡️ Wager Games website
➡️ Kelson Quan on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 120 features Nic Sulsky from The Curling Group, which is focused on transforming and promoting the sport of curling.
Hear him discuss:
- His journey from co-founding Monkey Knife Fight and working at PointsBet to leading The Curling Group
- How he put together the deal to acquire the Grand Slam of Curling from Sportsnet
- The untapped potential of curling as a major sport and betting market
- The importance of content creation and engagement to attract a younger audience to curling
- Challenges and strategies in transforming curling events to be more vibrant and fan-friendly
- The role of gambling in increasing engagement and revenue for curling
- Nic's personal reflections on his passion for startups, brand building, and the future of curling.
Learn more 👇
➡️ The Curling Group website
➡️ Nic Sulsky on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
We're back with Ep. 7 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Jai Maw & Jeremy Jakary from Betting Hero.
Hear them discuss:
- How their backgrounds laid the foundation for Betting Hero
- The origin story of Betting Hero, originally called Sports Betting Street Team
- How they leveraged the Covid-19 shutdown as a way to get ahead of the competition
- The importance of their mission statement, “We help people enjoy their experience betting with mobile,” in guiding their business decisions
- The operational hurdles and strategies of managing a large team of betting heroes across various states
- Their approach to launching a new research division and how it complements their core business
- Their personal sacrifices and work-life balance required to grow a successful business
- Their long-term vision for success and the importance of building a strong, mission-driven company
Learn more 👇
➡️ Betting Hero website
➡️ Jai Maw on Linkedin
➡️ Jeremy Jakary on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
Ep. 119 features Zack Panos from 4casters, which is the future of sports betting.
Hear him discuss:
- His backstory and early interest in betting
- The challenges and learnings in starting an exchange
- 4casters today and how they operate
- Taking an organic approach to growth with a focus on being prepared for the U.S. market
- His thoughts on what will drive the U.S. market towards an exchange
- What it’s like living in Curaçao
- Maintaining a positive attitude while navigating a startup
Learn more 👇
➡️ 4casters website
➡️ Zack Panos on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 118 features Thomas Coiner from BettingStartups.com, the authoritative source for everything related to the early-stage ecosystem within the real-money gaming industry.
Hear Thomas and Jesse discuss:
- Thomas’ background in sports media and how he entered the startup scene.
- The motivation behind Jesse opening up the GM role and how he filled it.
- BettingStartups.com’s SBC Summit North America activation.
- How Thomas plans to take the Betting Startups podcast to the next level.
- An update on the Betting Startups Newsletter.
- A sneak peek into how the Startup Hub will be built.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Bettingstartups.com website
➡️ Thomas Coiner on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 117 features John Maylam from 7Qz, which is a free-to-play sports prediction game.
Hear him discuss:
- Why he sees a gamified, P2P experience as the answer to many of the existing issues with sports betting
- His product design philosophy of making 7qz “easy enough for your grandmother to play”
- The story of overcoming his own sports gambling addiction 20 years ago, and how that experience is shaping his approach to 7qz
- The loneliness of being a founder, and how he’s addressed that in his journey building 7qz
- Being brought up in a “fiscally old school way”, and how that’s helped him maximize the 7qz runway
- What excites him the most outside of building 7qz
Learn more 👇
➡️ 7Qz website
➡️ John Maylam on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 116 features Desiree Dickerson from THNDR, which is payments tech reducing risk for greater reward.
Hear her discuss:
- Her recent experience pitching THNDR at the SBC Summit North America conference in New Jersey
- The origin story of how her team built THNDR to solve their own problems as developers of mobile games
- How the immediacy and low-cost nature of using Bitcoin for micropayments will help drive growth for real-money gaming products
- Why she and her team are committed to building on Bitcoin, and what makes it the best blockchain technology for facilitating micropayments
- Why she thinks there is less mainstream coverage of the Bitcoin price recently reaching new all-time highs, and how she expects this cycle to play out
- The ever-changing regulatory landscape around crypto and the implications for taking THNDR to market
- The difficulty in raising capital as a Bitcoin-led company, and she’s “been really, really lucky” with the VCs that backed THNDR
Learn more 👇
➡️ THNDR website
➡️ Desiree Dickerson on Linkedin
--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 115 features Matthew Gilbery & Rob Davis from Optimove, which is the first Customer-Led Marketing Platform.
Hear them discuss:
- Rob’s background as co-founder of Graphyte, a personalization startup that exited to Optimove in 2022
- The synergies between Graphyte and Optimove, and why the acquisition made sense for both sides
- How Optimove drives CRM marketing through player personalization
- When startups should consider building personalization into their marketing mix
- The role of AI in personalization, and how they expect to see that evolve as AI technology advances
Learn more 👇
➡️ Optimove website
➡️ Matthew Gilbery on Linkedin
➡️ Rob Davis on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 114 features Steven Astrachan and John Goehrke from 916 Gaming, which bring skill, interactivity, and engagement to iCasino content.
Hear them discuss:
- Winning the $40k prize package at the 2024 First Pitch competition at the SBC Summit North America on May 9
- The high-risk, high-reward approach they took to delivering their winning pitch
- Why they pivoted from working in the sports betting category to the iCasino category
- How the casino games they are building resonate with a younger demographic
- Why they’re not worried about the potentially slow rollout of iCasino regulation in the US
- Their previous experience working at other industry startups, and the learnings they are taking into 916 Gaming
- Current fundraising efforts, and why they think it’s easier for iCasino startups
Learn more 👇
➡️ 916 Gaming website
➡️ Steven Astrachan on Linkedin
➡️ John Goehrke on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 113 features Lloyd Danzig from Sharp Alpha Advisors, which is a venture capital firm specializing in sports, gaming, and entertainment.
Hear him discuss:
- Reaching the milestone of oversubscribing Fund II, and how he is feeling now that the fund has closed
- The similarities and differences in the process between startups raising money from VCs, and VCs raising money from LPs
- What factors LPs are looking for when determining which VC funds to invest capital into
- How his learnings from deploying Fund I have shifted his thinking going into Fund II
- ‘Competitive entertainment’ as a thematic focus for his fund, and where he draws the boundaries for investments within this category
- Why he thinks that now is “the most favorable period in the last 15 years to bet on great founders”
- Areas where he sees the opportunity for entrepreneurs within the space, despite it inching closer to maturity
Learn more 👇
➡️ Sharp Alpha Advisors website
➡️ Lloyd Danzig on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 112 is the official First Pitch preview episode, where we will meet the 5 startups selected to present at SBC Summit North America on May 9.
In this episode, you will hear from:* John Goehrke and Steven Astrachan from 916 Gaming * John Pereira and Ben Howard from EdgeSports * Calvin Konya from Linemate * Shawn Tucker from StatX Sports * Desiree Dickerson from THNDR
These startups will be competing for a prize package valued at over $40,000 on May 9 at SBC Summit North America. If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass.--
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming market. 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. Visit Optimove at SBC North Americas in NY on May 5 to May 7.
Ep. 111 features Andrew Pace from inplayLIVE, which is the #1 in-play sports investing platform.
Hear him discuss:
- His background earning a living betting on sports, and how that journey has evolved over the years
- The “aha” moment he had during Covid to build a community of people dedicated to in-play betting
- How inplayLIVE has applied an e-learning framework to sports betting to educate people through a masterclass-style curriculum
- The success that their teachings have created, including 20+ people that have become millionaires through sports betting
- Why inplayLIVE is focused on strategies on in-play betting only, and not pregame betting
- The dynamics he sees with US sportsbooks more aggressively limiting and restricting player accounts
- The longterm viability of betting on sports for profit, and whether people can still generate meaningful income from it
- The business challenges of working with offshore sportsbooks and grey market jurisdictions
Learn more 👇
➡️ inplayLIVE website
➡️ Andrew Pace on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming market. 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. Visit Optimove at SBC North Americas in NY on May 5 to May 7.
Ep. 110 is our quarterly Investor Vibe Check, where we chat with 3 industry investors to get their perspective on the landscape from their side of the table.
The vibe check for Q1 features Connor Williams (Velo Partners), Andrew Ehrenberg (Eberg Capital) and Robin Reed (HappyHour.io).
Hear them discuss:
- What they make of the uptick in 2024 Q1 funding announcements, and whether they expect to see that pace persist
- Why Q1 saw several notable strategic investments into B2B startups by industry incumbents
- DraftKings’ and Fanduels’ Q1 acquisitions of Jackpocket and BeyondPlay, respectively, and the future outlook for more operator M&A at the earlier stage
- The state of integration roadmaps with operators, and whether frustrations expressed by some B2B startups are overblown
- The disconnect between early-stage funding and revenue generation from funded companies, as cited in the recent Game Changers report (Download here Free!)
- What continued consolidation at the operator level means for startups, and to best prepare for future shifts in the landscape
- Rapid fire predictions for notable M&A deals to watch for in 2024
Learn more 👇
➡️ Connor Williams on Linkedin
➡️ Andrew Ehrenberg on Linkedin
➡️ Robin Reed on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 109 features John Leekley & Paul Dorian from Home Run Forecast, which is an index rating that measures the favorability of conditions for ball fight.
Hear them discuss:
- How Paul fused his background as a meteorologist with his passion for baseball to develop the Home Run Index
- What goes into developing a model like the Home Run Index, which is “about 60-65% accurate”
- How the Home Run Index helps bettors with over/under markets, and fantasy players with start/sit decisions
- Their go-to-market strategy, and the different ways they are thinking about further commercializing the product
- How recent changes to MLB rules have improved the game from a fan perspective
- Their thoughts on baseball’s future
Learn more 👇
➡️ Home Run Forecast website
➡️ John Leekley on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 108 features Chris Shreeve from Locker Room Labs, which are sports app development specialists.
Hear him discuss:
- His background owning a marketing services agency, and the lessons he learned running a services-based business
- How Locker Room Labs is taking a different approach as a services business by “providing value first before aggressively selling”
- The value of building in public for startups, and developing your personal brand as an entrepreneur
- Why focusing on a niche and “a specific vertical and sticking to it is incredibly powerful”
- How he views innovation within the sports betting industry through his first year in the space
- Why he thinks “it's never too early to create, scalable enterprise level processes” for startups
Learn more 👇
➡️ Locker Room Labs website
➡️ Chris Shreeve on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
We're back with Ep. 6 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of SBC.
Hear him discuss:
- How his interest in the psychology of sports betting led him to study it in university, which included writing a 175 page dissertation on the topic
- His early days working in the industry, which led him to move from Copenhagen to London in 2007 to be closer to operators
- The origins of SBC as an industry meetup group in London that ran quarterly meetups of 150-200 people
- His decision to go all-in with SBC in 2012 to build an events and media business focused on the betting and gaming industry
- How he validated he was on the right path with SBC, and how he knew he had found product/market fit
- Why he’s “not looking for an exit” for SBC, despite generating “tens of millions” in revenue
- The importance of building a strong network and reputation, and why “being helpful and nice to people certainly helps”
- How he thinks about success, and why appreciating the journey is more important to him
- “Being a perfectionist”, the art of delegation, and putting trust in your people
- Why prioritizing his health has made him a better entrepreneur
Learn more 👇
➡️ SBC website
➡️ Rasmus Sojmark on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
Ep. 107 features Johnny Coetzer from BetLabs, which is reinvigorating the sports betting experience for bettors while helping operators elevate their game.
Hear him discuss:
- The lessons he learned playing chess and tennis growing up, and how they prepared him for life as an entrepreneur
- How his idea for Boost Bets was derived from the spread betting concept (except it provides the downside protection for players that spread betting doesn’t)
- Why he’s prioritizing working with platform providers as his primary distribution strategy
- B2B sales and the challenges of getting a product prioritized on an operator or platform provider’s roadmap
- Winning the pitch competition at last week’s SiGMA Africa event in Cape Town
- The insights from the recently published ‘Game Changers’ report published by BettingStartups.com, which included data from 68 industry startups (Free download at Next.io!)
Learn more 👇
➡️ BetLabs website
➡️ Johnny Coetzer on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 106 features Noah Bernstein from Locker, which is getting fans off the bench and in the game.
Hear him discuss:
- The million dollar offer he received to drop out of college to start his first company - which he didn’t take on the advice of his Mom
- How Locker is blending mechanics from HQ Trivia and traditional fantasy sports to create a live second screen experience
- The ideation process he followed to develop the Locker concept and ensure it was sufficiently differentiated in a crowded DFS market
- His vision for building Locker into “a game studio for watching experiences of sports”
- The increased regulatory scrutiny on the DFS space right now, and why he is confident that Locker’s game format is compliant
- How building a team of experienced mentors and advisors has helped him to grow as a younger entrepreneur
- Opening a new round of funding around the Superbowl, which became oversubscribed within two weeks
Learn more 👇
➡️ Locker website
➡️ Noah Bernstein on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 105 features Trevis Waters from PlayerProps.ai, which is a new app fully powered by AI for all things player props research.
Hear him discuss:
- How his passion for fantasy sports led him to write an ebook in 2011, which was the catalyst for him focusing his career on producing educational content within the space
- His journey as co-founder and COO of DFS Karma and Bet Karma, which were both acquired just last week
- Why he has focused on building an audience through Facebook groups, which now represent over 100,000 engaged users
- How he is leveraging Discord, and why he’s “a million percent confident” that he has “the largest pre-product, pre-revenue Discord group in the industry”
- How he is leveraging his audience to launch PlayerProps.ai with a goal of generating “$100,000 in subscription revenue in the first 24 hours” after launching
- Where he sees PlayerProps.ai fitting into the ‘betting tools’ ecosystem, and how he is differentiating it from the many other tools in the market
- How he thinks about the sports betting education, and whether people want to put the work in to actually learn core concepts
Learn more 👇
➡️ PlayerProps.ai website
➡️ Trevis Waters on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 104 features Matt Rum from LoopGolf, which is golf’s premium betting app.
Hear him discuss:
- How Matt and his co-founder conceived the LoopGolf concept while working together at Square
- How LoopGolf is streamlining the competitive nature of golf by facilitating popular game formats with integrated payments
- The regulatory complexity of the payments domain, and why payments are LoopGolf’s “single biggest moat”
- How Matt thinks about team structure as he builds out the LoopGolf organization
- Feature prioritization and developing product roadmaps
- The marketing channels and tactics that LoopGolf is leveraging to drive product awareness and user acquisition
- Why onboarding is so important with consumer apps, and how Matt is thinking about optimizing it for LoopGolf
Learn more 👇
➡️ LoopGolf website
➡️ Matt Rum on Linkedin
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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 103 features Calvin Konya from Linemate, which is sports analytics for everyone.
Hear him discuss:
- His vision for how Linemate will become “the Expedia of sports betting”
- Iterating the Linemate product from its origins as a “research and analysis” tool to now helping users with “the discovery aspect” of betting
- How they generated 100,000+ organic app downloads in the last year, half of which has come in the last 60 days
- Using customer feedback loops to continually iterate and improve the product
- Co-founding Linemate with his brother, and how they’ve been able to manage that dynamic as business partners
- Bootstrapping Linemate through its first two years, and how he’s now thinking about capitalizing the next stage of growth
- Which other companies and products in the space he finds most impressive
- His best restaurant recommendations in Montreal
Learn more 👇
➡️ Linemate website
➡️ Calvin Konya on Linkedin
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
We're back with Ep. 5 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Charles Gillespie & Kevin McCrystle, CEO & COO of Gambling.com Group.
Hear them discuss:
- The go-to-market plan for launching the business in 2006, which involved moving to Shanghai to launch a sports betting information site focusing on the Chinese market
- Abandoning the China strategy after 4 years to "make two really key pivots" that better leveraged their SEO expertise
- The story of acquiring the Gambling.com domain name for $2.5m in 2011, and why that helped them achieve product-market fit
- How the repeal of PASPA derailed their plans to list the company in Sweden, and instead led them to list on the NASDAQ in 2021
- Whether the perception of affiliates as "a necessary evil" by operators aligns to their experience as one of the industry's largest performance marketing companies
- Gambling.com's role as a founding member of the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association, and what the trade association serves to achieve
- How they've maintained their strong co-founder relationship over the almost 20 years since starting the company
- Advice to other entrepreneurs based on their main lessons learned from building Gambling.com to a nine-figure market cap
- Their perspective on ambition, and what continues to drive them as entrepreneurs despite all the success they've achieved to date
Learn more:
➡️ Gambling.com Group website
➡️ Charles Gillespie on Linkedin
➡️ Kevin McCrystle on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
Ep. 102 features Andrew & Ethan Ehrenberg from Eberg Capital, which help creators and their fans develop closer, more authentic relationships across sports, gaming and the arts.
Hear them discuss:
- The origins of Eberg Capital, which they started alongside their father after graduating from university
- Their thesis on the betting industry, and why they decided to align their investing activity to opportunities within the space
- The inner workings of how their firm evaluates deals and makes investment decisions
- Navigating the dynamics of investing together as a family, and how that might potentially evolve in the future
- How being relatively young in age allows them to be “the voice of the user” and “really understand what consumers in that demo are looking for”
- The role they play within their portfolio companies, and what they’re doing to support their founders
- What project they would pursue as founders if they weren’t focused on investing through Eberg Capital
- Which companies they are most excited about and keeping a close eye on
Learn more 👇
➡️ Eberg Capital website
➡️ Andrew Ehrenberg on Linkedin
➡️ Ethan Ehrenberg on Linkedin
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 101 features Chris Spagnuolo from Probly, which helps bettors win more and lose less.
Hear him discuss:
- His background in content and helping to grow Barstool “from a regionalized sports blog to a national powerhouse”
- Learning to use data to become a successful DFS player while working at Stokastic
- How Probly is using data to help people make educated bets in a simplified mobile UX
- The importance of user feedback during the journey towards finding product-market fit
- The role that he sees content playing in the betting ecosystem, and how he plans to leverage it with Probly
- How he’s monetizing Probly, and why they “don’t do CPAs for sportsbooks”
- His experience bootstrapping Probly thus far, and how he’s thinking about capital within the current fundraising environment
Learn more 👇
➡️ Probly website
➡️ Chris Spagnuolo on Linkedin
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 100 features John Gordon from Incentive Games, which is the leading free-to-play games provider.
Hear him discuss:
- The progress that Incentive Games has made since John appeared on Ep. 1 of the podcast, which includes partnerships with tier-1 operators like Fanduel and bet365
- Why focusing heavily on player retention has helped Incentive Games position itself as the leading free-to-play games provider
- How the culture he’s built at Incentive Games has driven employee retention and earned them recognition as a top UK employer
- His thoughts on how the US market has evolved over the last two years since Ep. 1
- Mentoring and advising other startups, and what qualities he looks for in the founders
- His thoughts on how to improve the podcast over the next 100 episodes
- His suggestion for a new standard closing question to this podcast!
Learn more 👇
➡️ Incentive Games website
➡️ John Gordon on Linkedin
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 99 features Greg Dean & Gianni Settino from HotStreak, which is AI-powered sports gaming technology.
Hear them discuss:
- Their backgrounds at other startups, including Gianni’s time as the first engineer at Draft before its acquisition by Paddy Power Betfair
- The origins of HotStreak as an NFT-based collectibles game that they pivoted into the current in-play DFS product
- The challenges of building scalable in-play microbetting technology, and why “risk management became the dominant problem”
- The opportunities they see in B2B despite the fact they’ll “probably stay direct to consumer”
- Automating risk management, any why “taking humans out of risk management is the end goal”
- Why they “remain long-term bullish” on web3 technologies despite their early pivot away from NFTs
- How poor risk management and correlated pricing has contributed to challenges for other DFS operators
Learn more 👇
➡️ HotStreak website
➡️ Greg Dean on Linkedin
➡️ Gianni Settino on Linkedin
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 98 features Pierre Lindh from Next.io, which is a content-driven conference company that focuses on both in-person and online events.
Hear him discuss:
- His reflections on 2023, which included new investment, a major re-brand, and a doubling of the headcount of the NEXT.io team
- Rising up to meet the new challenges that come with being on a growth trajectory
- His assessment on the state of the industry’s startup ecosystem, and why he thinks it’s important to look at North America and Europe differently
- Why it’s important for early-stage companies “to fire bullets, not cannons”
- Creating room for experimentation and trying new things
- His view on the state of industry trade media, and what trends he expects will shape its future
- The big shift he’s seen with industry events, and how that’s influencing NEXT.io’s strategy with its events business
- If he was to start a new business within the industry, what would it be focused on
- His one bold prediction for 2024
Learn more👇
➡️ Next.io website
➡️ Pierre Lindh on Linkedin
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
Ep. 97 is our quarterly Investor Vibe Check, where we chat with 3 industry investors to get their perspective on the landscape from their side of the table.
The vibe check for Q3 features Jeffrey Haas (Dreamcraft Ventures), Quinton Singleton (Zero Labs) and Tom Waterhouse (Waterhouse VC).
The investors reflect back on a Q4 that saw more funding announcements, but also saw some evidence of early-stage companies struggling. They also discussed the importance of implementing sound governance at the early stage, what areas they’re looking at investing in this year, and their top book recommendations for founders’ reading lists.
As always, if you're building within the space, the Investor Vibe Check is a must-listen episode.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Jeffrey Haas on Linkedin
➡️ Quinton Singleton on Linkedin
➡️ Tom Waterhouse on Linkedin
The Betting Startups Podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming market. If you’re attending ICE, visit the Optimove stand and mention you listened to this episode to receive an Amazon gift card!
We're back with Ep. 4 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Pini Yakuel, Founder & CEO of Optimove.
Hear him discuss:
- Life in Israel right now, and how the Optimove organization is adapting to the realities of being based in Tel Aviv
- His background in math and data science, and how "it was mostly instincts" that led him to discover the opportunity for Optimove
- The journey towards product/market fit for Optimove, and how he knew when they had found it
- How technology and AI tools are enabling marketers to become "positionless"
- His thoughts on the trend towards retention-led marketing by operators in the regulated US market
- How to find success in B2B sales, and the concept of "investing in lines instead of dots"
- Why he turned down a VC term sheet in the early days of Optimove, and why "you're insanely lucid" when you choose to bootstrap a business
- His ambition to "give companies like Adobe and Salesforce a run for their money" over the next 10 years
Learn more:
➡️ Optimove website
➡️ Pini Yakuel on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
Ep. 96 features Kyle Wiltshire from Testa, which is crowdsourced quality testing built for the iGaming industry.
Hear him discuss:
- His 10+ year background in the industry, and how that experience led him to discover the problem that Testa is now solving
- The challenges faced by operators to localize the customer experience, and the role that crowdsourced testing plays in that
- How his experience raising VC money for his last startup informed his decision to self-fund Testa
- Why he decided to stop angel investing, and instead decided to invest in launching Testa
- Why Vancouver has become a quiet hotbed for talent within the iGaming industry
- His experience moving back to Canada after living in Asia for almost 10 years
- His best new parent tips for Jesse :)
Learn more 👇
➡️ Testa website
➡️ Kyle Wiltshire on Linkedin
Ep. 95 features Jonathan Strause from Invincible GG, which is AI powered virtual sports.
Hear him discuss:
- How InvincibleGG is combining AI, NFT’s, and horse racing to create a new category of “competitive gaming”
- The multi-year journey building the Invincible GG technology, and how he feels about the impending beta product launch
- The process to get AI simulated games approved by regulators in Nevada
- Why they chose to incorporate NFT’s into the product mix despite the flight away from NFT’s in the current market
- The challenges of embarking on a multi-year technology development project
- The unique fundraising challenges he’s currently facing as a compliant, US-based web3 company
Learn more 👇
➡️ Invincible GG website
➡️ Jonathan Strause on Linkedin
Ep. 94 features David Isaacson from Spectrum Gaming Capital Tech Exchange, which is helping connect gaming industry companies and investors.
Hear him discuss:
- His background as an investment banker in the real-money gaming industry for the last 10+ years
- How the SGX platform is giving industry founders a new channel to reach investors with zero cost
- The types of companies and businesses investors on the platform are looking to back
- His expectation for capital markets and the general funding environment for industry companies in 2024
- Why he thinks maintaining focus is one of the most important success factors for startup founders
- His bucket list trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro this year, and why it made him feel a deep sense of gratitude after he did it
Learn more 👇
➡️ Spectrum Gaming Capital Tech Exchange website
➡️ David Isaacson on Linkedin
This episode is presented by the NEXT NYC Summit in Manhattan on March 6-7, 2024. This is a can’t-miss event for any startup founders building within the real-money gaming industry.
There are a limited number of ticket discount codes available to listeners of The Betting Startups Podcast, so claim your $100 discount by using promo code JL50EH at checkout. Get your ticket now.
Ep. 93 features Shubs Kausal & Jaiden Sarai from SharpStakes, which turns your passion for sports into profits.
Hear them discuss:
- Their passion for business and entrepreneurship, which led them to co-founding SharpStakes as full-time university students
- How they’re taking a different approach to building betting tools specifically targeted towards Gen-Z
- Their perspective on Gen-Z’s relationship with sports betting, and how SharpStakes is leaning into that
- The story of traveling from Canada to England for a meeting on 1-day’s notice due to confusion around which London it was
- The value they’ve gotten from attending conferences as relative newcomers to the industry
- Why they’re currently looking for strategic investors despite being cashflow positive
Learn more 👇
➡️ SharpStakes website
➡️ Shubs Kausal on Linkedin
➡️ Jaiden Sarai on Linkedin
This episode is presented by the NEXT NYC Summit in Manhattan on March 6-7, 2024. This is a can’t-miss event for any startup founders building within the real-money gaming industry.
There are a limited number of ticket discount codes available to listeners of The Betting Startups Podcast, so claim your $100 discount by using promo code JL50EH at checkout. Get your ticket now.
We're back with Ep. 3 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Omer Sattar, co-founder & CEO of Sightline Payments.
Hear him discuss:
- The importance of putting in the work, and why “10,000 hours is not enough” to become an expert in your domain
- A crash course (and masterclass) on how payment networks function
- The challenges he had establishing credibility in Sightline’s early days, and the role that his grit and tenacity played in helping it to break through
- Sightline’s major innovation of building a bidirectional payments network for the gambling industry, which is now connected to 95% of all slot devices in the US
- Why it's important for entrepreneurs to exercise patience
- His major lessons learned from raising over $400 million in capital to fuel Sightline’s growth
- Reaching 'unicorn' status, and what it means to be one of only ~700 private companies to reach that milestone
Learn more:
➡️ Sightline Payments website
➡️ Omer Sattar on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
Ep. 92 features Ty Masterson and Dan Gentile from Bettle Fantasy Sports, which is the future of social sports gaming.
Hear them discuss:
- The stickiness of the season-long format, as evidenced by their 20+ years playing in the same fantasy league
- How Bettle is enhancing the season-long player experience by introducing DFS-style mechanics to it
- The growth potential of season-long fantasy despite wider trends towards instant gratification and declining sports viewership amongst Gen-Z audiences
- Their take on what the launch of ESPN Bet means for ESPN’s season-long fantasy product
- What the current regulatory scrutiny on pick ‘em-style DFS means for Bettle
- Their current efforts to raise $1.5 million, and what types of investors they are looking to reach
- Their predictions for the NFL playoffs :)
Learn more👇
➡️ Bettle Fantasy Sports website
➡️ Ty Masterson Linkedin
➡️ Dan Gentile Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by InPlay.ai, the leaders in AI powered sports gaming technology.
Discover how they're using advanced AI to build the ultimate second screen experience, powered by the only full stack solution for micro same-game parlays, uninterrupted in-play markets, and fully-automated risk management.
To learn more about the future of sports gaming, visit www.inplay.ai
Ep. 91 features Mike Salvaris from Pro League Network, which is betable live sports.
Hear him discuss:
- How thoroughbred racing inspired the idea for Pro League Network by creating betable content during off-peak times
- What it looks like to launch and operate a “portfolio of leagues” like the World Putting League, Carjitsu, and Slapfight Championship
- The revenue potential of owing everything “soup to nuts”, including IP rights, production, distribution, and wagering
- Where PLN’s leagues fit within the wider landscape, and whether he thinks any of them have mainstream potential
- The safeguards that PLN is putting in place to ensure that the integrity of its leagues are ensured at all times
- Building a world-class roster of investors and advisors like Eberg Capital, Kevin Garnett, and Chris Grove
Learn more👇
➡️ Pro League Network website
➡️ Mike Salvaris on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by InPlay.ai, the leaders in AI powered sports gaming technology.
Discover how they're using advanced AI to build the ultimate second screen experience, powered by the only full stack solution for micro same-game parlays, uninterrupted in-play markets, and fully-automated risk management.
To learn more about the future of sports gaming, visit www.inplay.ai
Ep. 90 features Malcolm Wilkinson and Steve Steck from We The Bookie, which is Ireland’s only truly socially-responsible bookmaker.
Hear them discuss:
- Integrating social impact into stigmatized industries, including gambling
- Their unique model that sees We The Bookie share its profits with customers that have a losing month
- Why they picked Ireland as their go-to-market jurisdiction to prove out the model before expanding internationally
- Their experience going through the process of selecting a platform vendor, and the challenges associated with it
- Why We The Bookie "won't ever have online slots"
- Gaining experience pitching at industry conferences and events, including this week at SiGMA Malta
Learn more 👇
➡️ We The Bookie website
➡️ Malcolm Wilkinson on Linkedin
➡️ Steve Steck on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by InPlay Innovation, the leaders in AI-powered sports gaming technology.
Discover how they’re using advanced AI to build the ultimate second screen experience, powered by the only full-stack solution for micro same-game parlays, uninterrupted in-play markets, and fully automated risk management.
To learn more about the future of sports gaming, visit inplayinnovation.com.
Ep. 89 features TJ Ross from Splash Sports, which is the leading sports gaming platform for peer-to-peer contests.
Hear him discuss:
- His background working in tech in the Bay area, including as founder of a startup in the 500 Startups accelerator
- Seeing opportunity in real-money gaming, and the “tremendously underserved” category of office pools
- Why advice received from Joe Montana’s son compelled them to enter the space with a buy-versus-build strategy
- The insane story of how they acquired RunYourPool.com and OfficeFootballPool.com
- Their decision to operate in stealth mode for the first 2 years, and why they are now ready to operate more publicly
- How they plan to grow the existing combined userbase of 86,000 commissioners and 2.3 million players
- Where he sees the office pools category fitting into the wider real-money gaming landscape
- The advantages and opportunities created through leveraging your network
Learn more 👇
➡️ Splash Sports website
➡️ TJ Ross on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by InPlay Innovation, the leaders in AI-powered sports gaming technology.
Discover how they’re using advanced AI to build the ultimate second screen experience, powered by the only full-stack solution for micro same-game parlays, uninterrupted in-play markets, and fully automated risk management.
To learn more about the future of sports gaming, visit inplayinnovation.com.
We're back with Ep. 2 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Jason Trost, founder & CEO of Smarkets.
Hear him discuss:
- His 16+ year journey starting and growing Smarkets, which has grown to become a £20m per year business
- How his background in financial trading gave him the idea to launch Smarkets in 2007 to compete with Betfair in the UK
- Taking 7 years before Smarkets "turned the corner" as a business, which required "the right combination of extreme hubris with extreme work ethic"
- How his passion for politics led Smarkets to become one of the largest global prediction markets for politics
- Why he thinks "with the benefit of hindsight, [he] really screwed up the strategy in the US"
- Why the current state of the betting industry makes him "quite sad" and "bums [him] out"
- Taking over as host of The Business of Betting podcast, and why he thinks about podcasting as "the next generation of AM radio"
Learn more
➡️ Smarkets website
➡️ Jason Trost on Linkedin
➡️ Jason Trost on Twitter
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
Ep. 88 features Rourke Struthers from GameBlazers, which is empowering sports fans to create and manage their own experiences.
Hear him discuss:
- The origins of GameBlazers as the ‘NFT League’, and the eventual pivot away from being a web3 product
- GameBlazers’ unique concept as a hybrid between fantasy sports and non-fantasy game, which brings together “the best of two worlds”
- Bringing the thrill of pack opening to a digital experience, and the need to ensure that it remained “very engaging and… tactile”
- How the product gameplay was designed to allow users aged 13+ to access it in a compliant manner
- The iterative process of designing a game from the ground up, and how they decided which mechanics to incorporate into the game
- The importance of having a long-term time horizon and the ability to iterate and adapt within it
- His experience raising capital from a single angel investor, and the trade-offs he sees with that strategy compared to raising from institutional investors
Learn more👇
➡️ GameBlazers website
➡️ Rourke Struthers on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by the much anticipated NEXT Summit New York event, which returns March 6-7 2024 in a new state-of the-art venue in Manhattans financial district.
With 1,000 senior delegates expected, the summit is focused on connecting startups with investors, and operators with suppliers, which makes it THE conference where serious business gets done.
Tickets are now available at www.next.io
Ep. 87 features Torey Korsunsky from Units, which is daily fantasy sports for the curious fan.
Hear him discuss:
- His recent experience as a first-time attendee of G2E in Las Vegas
- Always having the itch to start something of his own, but why he decided to “get a bit of professional experience under [his] belt” before founding a company
- How Units is combining DFS with “helping fans focus in on the narratives that are most interesting”
- His take on the current regulatory scrutiny being placed on DFS platforms, and what that means for his ambitions with Units
- What he sees as “the 3 most important things in raising money” that led to him closing a pre-seed round for Units
- Why he puts so much time and effort into investor updates, which are “some of the best investor updates” that his stakeholders have seen
Learn more 👇
➡️ Units website
➡️ Torey Korsunsky on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by the much anticipated NEXT Summit New York event, which returns March 6-7 2024 in a new state-of the-art venue in Manhattans financial district.
With 1,000 senior delegates expected, the summit is focused on connecting startups with investors, and operators with suppliers, which makes it THE conference where serious business gets done.
Tickets are now available at www.next.io
Ep. 86 is our quarterly Investor Vibe Check, where we chat with 3 industry investors to get their perspective on the landscape from their side of the table.
The vibe check for Q3 features Dave VanEgmond (Bettor Capital), Jon Von Deylen (Drive by DraftKings), and Lloyd Danzig (Sharp Alpha Advisors).
The discussion goes deep on the shifting operator landscape in Q3, the increasing role of AI and what excites them about it, and some actionable advice for founders looking to raise in a challenging environment
As always, if you're building within the space, the Investor Vibe Check is a must-listen episode.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Dave VanEgmond on Linkedin
➡️ Jon Von Deylan on Linkedin
➡️ Lloyd Danzig on Linkedin
This episode is presented by The Betting Startups Newsletter, which is the easiest way to keep up with the betting industry's early stage companies.
It's a free weekly publication that gives you all the headlines around new fundings, partnerships, and product launches. It also includes the extremely popular deal corner, where we share investment opportunities in industry startups that are looking to change the game.
Take 10 seconds and subscribe now.
Ep. 85 features Joe Brennan and Adam Bjorn from Prime Sports, which is bringing an old-school bookmaking approach to the US market.
Hear them discuss:
- Being at the forefront of the lobbing effort that eventually led to PASPA’s repeal in 2018
- Why they see big opportunity in bringing an old-school bookmaking approach to the US
- “Doing a really crazy thing ahead of launching” and talking directly to customers that felt underserved by incumbent operators
- The non-obvious reason why cutting into the existing operator market share isn’t their primary objective
- Their long-term approach to Prime Sports, and why they won’t begin to think about it as a success or failure until after World Cup 2026
- Why they see the current market leaders as being “the McDonald's and Burger King of betting”
- Their #1 piece of advice for new entrants coming into the betting industry
- The most surprising thing to each of them about how the regulated US market has unfolded
Learn more 👇
➡️ Prime Sports website
➡️ Prime Sports on Twitter
➡️ Joe Brennan on Linkedin
➡️ Adam Bjorn on Linkedin
This episode is presented by The Betting Startups Newsletter, which is the easiest way to keep up with the betting industry’s early-stage companies.
It’s a free weekly publication that gives you all the headlines around new fundings, partnerships, and product launches. It also includes the extremely popular Deal Corner, where we share investment opportunities in industry startups that are looking to change the game.
Take 10 seconds and subscribe now at news.bettingstartups.com
Ep. 84 features Ricky Gold from Juice Reel, which is optimizing the sports betting industry and enriching the sports betting experience.
Hear him discuss:
- His experience bootstrapping Juice Reel for the first two years while working full-time at his day job
- How Juice Reel is helping people on their path to becoming sharper bettors
- Reaching the milestone of over $1bn in bets tracked on the platform
- His ideas for how data generated by the JuiceReel platform can be productized for adjacent use cases
- The challenges of B2B sales cycles, which was the biggest surprise to him as a founder
- The camaraderie that gets developed with other founders in the space that got started around the same time
- Which other industry startups and founders have impressed him the most
Learn more 👇
➡️ Juice Reel website
➡️ Ricky Gold on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by GeoComply, a leading provider of cutting-edge anti-fraud and geolocation solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity.
Going to G2E Las Vegas? Claim your free expo hall pass ($269 value) by using promo code BSP when you register using this link.
BettingStartups.com presents its newest sub-series, The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this debut episode, we speak with David Briggs, co-founder & Director of GeoComply.
Hear him discuss:
- His start in the industry launching Ladbrokes' first digital offering in 1999
- Launching GeoComply to support New Jersey's iGaming rollout in 2013, which was "the most stressful time in [his] career"
- The "very difficult, hard yards" of GeoComply's first 5 years, and "grinding out the smallest incremental bits of growth" during those years
- How GeoComply prepared for PASPA's repeal in 2018, and David's thoughts on the first five years of regulated online gaming in the US
- The importance of being committed in business and in life, and why "commitment is its own reward"
- How he thinks about work-life balance, and why having it "isn't the same as being half-assed about your career"
- Embracing rejection as an entrepreneur, and the importance of maintaining humility
- GeoComply's first acquisition of OneComply earlier this year, and why it was "a very natural first acquisition"
- Championing The Challenger Series event, and why he wants "to bring a bit more power back to founders"
Learn more
➡️ GeoComply website
➡️ David Briggs on Linkedin
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca
Ep. 83 features Matt Deutsch from Bettor Sports Network, which is Sports Talk 3.0.
Hear him discuss:
- His 17-year career as a professional sports broadcaster, and starting “the first ever radio channel dedicated to fantasy sports” on Sirius XM in 2010
- How Bettor Sports Network is bringing more innovative ways for sports fans to engage
- Acquiring the Fantasy Alarm app earlier this year, and the role of gamified experiences in content
- Why he thinks the content space isn’t yet saturated - even though it’s crowded
- The importance of “leaving on a good note” when you make career changes, and how that’s paid off for him
- Current efforts to raise a $1.25m round, and the type of investors he is looking for to join the cap table
Learn more ⤵️
➡️ Bettor Sports Network website
➡️ Matt Deutsch on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by GeoComply, a leading provider of cutting-edge anti-fraud and geolocation solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity.
Going to G2E Las Vegas? Claim your free expo hall pass ($269 value) by using promo code BSP when you register using this link.
Ep. 82 features Sim Harmon from Kutt, which is the social betting platform.
Hear him discuss:
- The issues he sees with the current state of sports betting, and how he’s addressing it with Kutt’s peer-to-peer model
- Why he believes that focusing on social and community features will help Kutt to differentiate
- The opportunity he sees with bets on politics, entertainment, and other non-sports markets
- Bootstrapping Kutt “until he couldn’t anymore”, and the challenges associated with fundraising
- The personal sacrifices required to take an idea from zero-to-one
- His predictions for the Superbowl - which might have been compromised after week 1!
Learn more ⤵️
➡️ Kutt website
➡️ Sim Harmon on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by GeoComply, a leading provider of cutting-edge anti-fraud and geolocation solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity.
Going to G2E Las Vegas? Claim your free expo hall pass ($269 value) by using promo code BSP when you register using this link.
Ep. 81 features Megan Lanham from Rithmm, which is a personalized predictive analytics tool for sports betting.
Hear her discuss:
- Her 10-year career as a Division 1 basketball coach, and how that experience prepared her for competing in business
- How she came up with the original idea for Rithmm while studying at MIT
- The opportunity she sees in “providing access to incredibly complex analytical models” in an intuitive user experience
- Competing as a subscription-based B2C product in the ‘betting tools’ category, and the B2B opportunities she sees for Rithmm
- Her experience raising $3.75m over the last year from investors that include Boston Seed
- The importance of being “targeted and disciplined with staying the course” as an early-stage startup
Learn more ⤵️
➡️ Rithmm website
➡️ Megan Lanham on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by GeoComply, a leading provider of cutting-edge anti-fraud and geolocation solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity.
Going to G2E Las Vegas? Claim your free expo hall pass ($269 value) by using promo code BSP when you register using this link.
Ep. 80 features Cal Spears, serial industry entrepreneur who joins to take us through his history in the US online gambling industry before PASPA’s repeal in 2018.
Hear him discuss:
- The online poker boom in the early 2000’s, which led him to co-found PocketFives.com in 2005
- The passage of UIGEA in 2007, which prompted him to sell PocketFives and relocate to Costa Rica with his co-founders
- Launching RotoGrinders 2010 after observing the emergence of daily fantasy sports tournaments from startup companies such as DraftKings and Fanduel
- The pivotal moment known as Black Friday in 2011, which led to him re-acquiring PocketFives, and pivoting it from an affiliate to a subscription-based business
- Negotiating a revenue share deal with Jason Robins during DraftKings’ first year in business, which “was the best financial decision [he’s] ever made”
- The 2015 DFS scandal that involved a former RotoGrinders employee, which led to the US government trying to regulate the DFS industry
- The repeal of PASPA in 2018, which paved the way for RotoGrinders’ sale to Better Collective in 2019
- Cal’s advice for younger entrepreneurs entering the space today
This episode was guest hosted by Cooper Lycan, founder of Sobet, which you can learn more about in Ep. 35 from last August.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Cal Spears on Twitter
Episode host:
➡️ Cooper Lycan on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by GeoComply, a leading provider of cutting-edge anti-fraud and geolocation solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity.
Ep. 79 features Jacob Fortinsky, co-founder & CEO of Novig, a commission-free sports betting exchange.
Hear him discuss:
- Why he thinks “that the fundamental business model of this industry is broken and untenable.”
- Why he believes that a commission-free exchange is the future of betting
- Learnings from Novig’s recent beta product rollout, which will launch in CO this fall
- His experience taking Novig through YCombinator last year (which remains the only betting company to go through YC!)
- Today’s announcement about raising $6.4m from Lux Capital and a who’s-who of Silicon Valley investors
- His contrarian decision to not raise capital from industry investors
- Why he has a "chip on his shoulder", and how he deals with skeptics
Learn more 👇
➡️ Novig website
➡️ Novig on Twitter
➡️ Jacob Fortinsky on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by GeoComply, a leading provider of cutting-edge anti-fraud and geolocation solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity.
Ep. 78 features Chris Reynolds from Epoxy.ai, which is a personalization technology company providing tools to develop new forms of customer acquisition, engagement, and retention.
Hear him discuss:
- His experience building fan engagement technology products at his last startup, which was acquired by Comcast
- How he believes artificial intelligence and machine learning will be leveraged by the betting industry
- How personalization helps operators reduce customer acquisition costs, drive retention, and lower churn
- Why he thinks Epoxy is “onto something” when it comes to the “holy grail” of converting sportsbook customers to iCasino
- The strategic investor that wasn’t included in the PR for Epoxy.ai’s recent $3m fundraise
- The challenges of recruiting top-level AI/ML engineers, and why his engineering team is their “secret sauce”
Learn more ⤵️
➡️ Epoxy.ai website
➡️ Epoxy.ai on Linkedin
➡️ Chris Reynolds on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by GeoComply, a leading provider of cutting-edge anti-fraud and geolocation solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity.
Ep. 77 features Jack Taylor from ProfitDuel, which is bringing matched betting to the US market.
Hear him discuss:
- Matched betting as a ‘side hustle’ to generate side income
- The role and prominence of matched betting within the UK gambling ecosystem
- His main learnings from the mature UK market as ProfitDuel launches in the US
- Why he does’t believe that free bet offers from US operators will “dry up”
- The lack of focus on player harm reduction in the US, which “could really, really cause a massive problem” in that market
This episode was guest hosted by Dean Sisun, co-founder of Prophet Exchange, which you can learn more about in Ep. 34 from last August.
Learn more 👇
➡️ ProfitDuel website
➡️ Jack Taylor on Linkedin
Episode host:
➡️ Dean Sisun on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by GeoComply, a leading provider of cutting-edge anti-fraud and geolocation solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity.
Ep. 76 features Sam Factor, founder & CEO of WalterPicks, which is a next-generation fantasy insights app.
Hear him discuss:
- Starting his career as a math teacher before pivoting into tech entrepreneurship and content creation
- How WalterPicks is helping fantasy players make decisions using AI “powered by millions of advanced historical player stats”
- The importance of top-of-funnel for subscription-based consumer products
- How WalterPicks social accounts attracted over 1 million followers and 1 billion impressions, resulting in 20,000 paying subscribers
- Reaching profitability with less than $1m raised, and how he thinks about the role of growth capital
- Why he isn’t pursuing B2B opportunities for WalterPicks’ technology, even though “there definitely is opportunity for WalterPicks in the B2B market.”
- Building a “task-oriented work culture rather than a time-oriented or meeting-oriented culture”
Learn more ⤵️
➡️ WalterPicks website
➡️ WalterPicks on Twitter
➡️ Sam Factor on Linkedin
This episode is brought to you by the much anticipated iGaming NEXT: New York event, which returns March 6-7 2024 in a new state-of the-art venue in Manhattan's financial district.
With 1,000+ senior delegates expected, the summit is focused on connecting startups with investors, and operators with suppliers, which makes it the conference where serious business gets done.
Limited tickets are available at super early bird rates starting on August 1st, which you’ll find at www.igamingnext.com
Ep. 75 is our first quarterly Investor Vibe Check, where we chat with 3 industry investors to get their perspective on the landscape from their side of the table.
This debut vibe check for Q2 features Chris Grove (Acies Investments), Davis Catlin (Discerning Capital), and Wayne Kimmel (SeventySix Capital) - and it’s a banger, if we may say so!
The discussion explores where we’re at today, opportunities and challenges for companies in the space, and what lies ahead. If you're building within the space, this episode is a must-listen.
This episode is brought to you by the much anticipated iGaming NEXT: New York event, which returns March 6-7 2024 in a new state-of the-art venue in Manhattan's financial district.
With 1,000+ senior delegates expected, the summit is focused on connecting startups with investors, and operators with suppliers, which makes it the conference where serious business gets done.
Limited tickets are available at super early bird rates starting on August 1st, which you’ll find at www.igamingnext.com
Ep. 74 features Steve Gray, founder of ZeroFlucs, which provides pricing technology for sportsbook operators.
Hear him discuss:
- His background building sportsbook trading solutions at Entain
- How ZeroFlucs is helping operators expand the appeal of same game parlays
- The challenges of being a B2B supplier on an operator’s integration roadmap
- Why he thinks that consolidation amongst operators creates opportunity for ZeroFlucs
- His decision to bootstrap the company thus far, and how he thinks about the role of growth capital
- Getting “torn to shreds” by an advisor, and why having honest mentorship is so important
- Building organizational culture as a globally distributed team
Learn more ⤵️
➡️ ZeroFlucs website
➡️ Steve Gray on Linkedin
Ep. 73 features Martin Burt from ClearStake, which provides accurate, real-time customer risk profiling.
Hear him discuss:
- ClearStake’s origins as a payments business, which it pivoted after “seeing operators try to figure out what to do with affordability”
- The impact of the UK government white paper to reform gambling regulations, and the increased emphasis it has placed on affordability checks
- How ClearStake is riding the ‘open banking’ wave in the UK to streamline the process for both operators and bettors alike
- Solving the problem of a 90% churn rate for customers that are asked to provide financial data
- His view of how the US market will eventually address affordability based on the UK market
- The importance of having engaged and supportive investors on the cap table - especially as a first-time founder
Learn more ⤵️
👉 ClearStake website
👉 Martin Burt on Linkedin
Ep. 72 features Stefano Vaccarino from FTN Network, a multi-site data and media company focused on sports betting, fantasy, DFS.
Hear him discuss:
- How the origins of FTN can be traced back to a burner Twitter account that Stefano created to share his NBA picks
- Building the initial version of FTN during the pandemic, and encountering challenges finding affordable data feeds to power their network of sites
- How solving their own data problems for their B2C business led them to a B2B opportunity reselling their solution
- How they are allocating and prioritizing resources between both B2C and B2B businesses
- Their current efforts “to raise $2.25m at around a $15m to 17m valuation”
Learn more ⤵️
👉 FTN Data website
👉 FTN Network on Linkedin
👉 Stefano Vaccarino on Linkedin
Ep. 71 features Filip Pacyna and Troy Lenihan from FoodFight, where winners eat, losers pay, and restaurants win.
Hear them discuss:
- Validating their idea in Chicago-area bars with a “least viable product”
- How FoodFight is enhancing the restaurant patron experience by enabling bets using food and drinks as the currency
- Their vision for FoodFight to grow from an events business into a productized SaaS offering
- Drawing inspiration from Mattress Mack as an example of how sports betting is converging with other industries
- Why they’re focusing on angel investors instead of VC’s for their 500k angel round
- How they are giving back and helping to combat food insecurity through #FoodFight4Charity
Learn more ⤵️
👉 FoodFight website
👉 Troy Lenihan on Linkedin
Ep. 70 features Justin Park from Betty, which is innovating at the intersection of real money online casino and casual mobile gaming.
Hear him discuss:
- The story of his first two startups prior to co-founding Betty, both of which he successfully exited
- Why he views his first two startups as “singles and doubles” that have now prepared him to “go for a home run” with Betty
- How being an affiliate in his previous business helped him see the scale of the opportunity in becoming an operator and monetizing the customer directly
- The “insanely quick execution” to build Betty’s proprietary gaming platform that was certified, licensed, and launched inside of 8 months
- What drove his decision to lead Betty’s $1.8m seed round himself, personally contributing half of the proceeds
- Why he advises first-time founders to not necessarily optimize for getting the highest valuation
Learn more 👇
➡️ Betty website
➡️ Justin Park on Linkedin
Ep. 69 features Geoff Doyle from Bettor Vision, which is the first all-in-one sports betting and fantasy sports aggregator.
Hear him discuss:
- Why being a product owner as an employee lacked the satisfaction that being a founder brings
- Overcoming adversity when you bomb a pitch on a public and high-profile stage
- How BettorVision is helping to unify the user experience across fantasy sports and betting
- Their current journey to raise a $2m round, and how they’ve been able to close $1.3m of it so far
- The importance of having a strong personal support network when you’re an entrepreneur
- How his love for movies helps him keep perspective in his life
Learn more 👇
➡️ Bettor Vision website
➡️ Geoff Doyle on Linkedin
=================
This episode is brought to you by the Canadian Gaming Summit, which returns to Toronto June 13-15.
To learn more and secure your ticket for the Canadian Gaming Summit, visit www.sbcevents.com, and make sure to use promo code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $200 of your pass.
BettingStartups.com brings you Season 1 of Betting On It, an 8-episode series that follows one betting industry startup as it gets investor-ready ahead of its seed funding round.
In the Season 1 finale, Drew and Sahil pitch BetsBooster to 3 industry investors, who share their feedback and perspectives on the opportunity.
The subsequent Q&A leads to some excellent discussion, including:
- The potential challenges of offering different types of arbitrage bets in a gamified experience
- Aligning the pricing model with value to the users
- The technical complexity of seamless arbitrage in a mobile form factor
- The use of gamification to drive user retention
- Product positioning, and "what it wants to become when it grows up"
📹 Episode video clips (opens in YouTube):
- Sahil takes the investors through the pitch deck (5:52)
- Drew gives the investors a demo of the new BetsBooster app (3:12)
👤 Investor profiles:
- Lloyd Danzig, Managing Partner of Sharp Alpha Advisors
- Peter Heneghan, Senior Associate at Bettor Capital
- Marco Blume, advisor and investor
Want an invite to use the new BetsBooster app? If you are a resident of NJ and 21 years of age or older, apply here for exclusive access.
Betting On It is made possible by GeoComply, which provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity. To learn more, visit: www.geocomply.com
Btw: did you know we have a newsletter? The Betting Startups Newsletter is the easiest way to keep your finger on the pulse of the betting industry's rapidly evolving early-stage ecosystem. New issues weekly. ⚡Subscribe Now⚡
BettingStartups.com brings you Season 1 of Betting On It, an 8-episode series that follows one betting industry startup as it gets investor-ready ahead of its seed funding round.
In this episode, Drew and Sahil from BetsBooster are joined by James McLoughlin from Stirling Mac, who shares a ton of practical, actionable marketing advice.
They discuss:
- The basic set of 'marketing musts' for any B2C mobile app
- App store optimization, and which specific tactics help drive organic downloads using ASO
- Why and how to use storytelling in content and creative to build brand awareness
- How to leverage influencers to promote products, and best practices for engaging with them
- Launching and running an affiliate program
- Driving virality through incentivized user referrals
Betting On It is made possible by GeoComply, which provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity. To learn more, visit: www.geocomply.com
Btw: did you know we have a newsletter? The Betting Startups Newsletter is the easiest way to keep your finger on the pulse of the betting industry's rapidly evolving early-stage ecosystem. New issues weekly. ⚡Subscribe Now⚡
Ep. 68 features Dan Taren from Scrimmage, a retention tool for sports betting operators.
Hear him discuss:
- His experience winning the SBC First Pitch competition, and what he thinks is a recipe for a successful pitch
- Scrimmage’s origins as a sports betting hedge fund based out of Gibraltar
- How going through the Techstars accelerator program led to a pivot into the current incarnation of Scrimmage
- Using gamification techniques to help drive customer loyalty for sports betting operators
- How he thinks about where web3 and NFT’s fit into the landscape for loyalty-based rewards
- Why doing something he doesn’t love is “far worse than the anxiety of a company failing”
Learn more 👇
➡️ Scrimmage website
➡️ Dan Taren on Linkedin
=================
This episode is brought to you by the Canadian Gaming Summit, which returns to Toronto June 13-15.
To learn more and secure your ticket for the Canadian Gaming Summit, visit www.sbcevents.com, and make sure to use promo code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $200 of your pass.
BettingStartups.com brings you Season 1 of Betting On It, an 8-episode series that follows one betting industry startup as it gets investor-ready ahead of its seed funding round.
In this episode, Drew and Sahil from BetsBooster are joined by Kenneth Giles from Forecastr.co, who drops a ton of knowledge on everything related to financial modeling for early-stage companies.
They discuss:
- Different broad approaches to fundraising strategy, and the pros and cons to each
- The importance of doing bottoms-up customer modeling, and how to get started with that process
- Understanding which metrics matter most for early-stage companies, especially when there isn't always a lot of available data
- How to think about and approach valuation in discussions with investors
- Using SAFE agreements for investment, and why they are a popular option for startups
Betting On It is made possible by GeoComply, which provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity. To learn more, visit: www.geocomply.com
Btw: did you know we have a newsletter? The Betting Startups Newsletter is the easiest way to keep your finger on the pulse of the betting industry's rapidly evolving early-stage ecosystem. New issues weekly. ⚡Subscribe Now⚡
BettingStartups.com brings you Season 1 of Betting On It, an 8-episode series that follows one betting industry startup as it gets investor-ready ahead of its seed funding round.
In this episode, Drew and Sahil from BetsBooster are joined by Aaron Basch from Sparket, who shares his experience running a successful crowdfunding campaign.
They discuss:
- How to prepare to launch a public fundraising campaign in a compliant way
- Determining what incentives to offer backers of a crowdfunding campaign
- Where to market and promote your crowdfunding campaign based on what worked well for Sparket
- What Aaron sees as the relative pros and cons of crowdfunding versus more traditional funding options
- How VCs view crowdfunding, and whether they see it as a positive signal
Betting On It is made possible by GeoComply, which provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity. To learn more, visit: www.geocomply.com
Btw: did you know we have a newsletter? The Betting Startups Newsletter is the easiest way to keep your finger on the pulse of the betting industry's rapidly evolving early-stage ecosystem. New issues weekly. ⚡Subscribe Now⚡
Ep. 67 features Hussain Naqi from Inside The Pocket, a free-to-play content aggregation platform, and WonderWins, a DFS product for cricket and soccer fans in emerging markets.
Hear him discuss:
- His background working for professional sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NCAA - plus a long tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars
- The current state of the free-to-play landscape
- Why he thinks that operators shouldn't "tie up their marketing and acquisition strategy in one product"
- Raising a Series A in the current funding environment, and what he's hearing from investors
- Partnering with ESPN to develop and launch a DFS product for India, called WonderWins
- His observations of the market in India after launching WonderWins there, and how he sees that market evolving
- What it means to have Inside The Pocket selected as one of five finalists at the 2023 SBC First Pitch competition
Learn more 👇
➡️ Inside The Pocket website
➡️ WonderWins website
➡️ Hussain Naqi on Linkedin
=================
This episode is brought to you by SBC Summit North America, the biggest dedicated igaming and sports betting event in North America, which returns to New Jersey May 9-11.
To learn more and secure your ticket for SBC Summit North America visit www.sbcevents.com, and make sure to use promo code BSP23 for $200 of your pass.
BettingStartups.com brings you Season 1 of Betting On It, an 8-episode series that follows one betting industry startup as it gets investor-ready ahead of its seed funding round.
In this episode, Drew from BetsBooster is joined by Colin Davy from Betscope, who discuss their respective entrepreneurial journeys from a number of perspectives.
They discuss:
- What motivated them to take the leap from corporate jobs to entrepreneurship
- How they think about the word "sacrifice" within the context of their startups
- Why they have chosen to bootstrap their companies to this point, and the relative pros/cons of that decision
- Living with a minimalist mindset, and how that extends into the world of business and entrepreneurship
- Developing the self-confidence needed to become the best in the world at something
Betting On It is made possible by GeoComply, which provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity. To learn more, visit: www.geocomply.com
Btw: did you know we have a newsletter? The Betting Startups Newsletter is the easiest way to keep your finger on the pulse of the betting industry's rapidly evolving early-stage ecosystem. New issues weekly. ⚡Subscribe Now⚡
BettingStartups.com brings you Season 1 of Betting On It, an 8-episode series that follows one betting industry startup as it gets investor-ready ahead of its seed funding round.
In this episode, Drew and Sahil from BetsBooster are joined by the world's top gamification guru, Yu-Kai Chou.
This episode was an absolute masterclass in game mechanics, which is especially relevant to B2C products.
They discuss:
- The Octalysis Framework for Gamification & Behavioral Design
- Which game mechanics best align to sports fans' passion for their teams
- How to think about designing the optimal user referral program
Betting On It is made possible by GeoComply, which provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity. To learn more, visit: www.geocomply.com
Btw: did you know we have a newsletter? The Betting Startups Newsletter is the easiest way to keep your finger on the pulse of the betting industry's rapidly evolving early-stage ecosystem. New issues weekly. ⚡Subscribe Now⚡
Ep. 66 features Evan Kirkham from Outlier, where sports fans can browse, analyze, and execute bets with confidence.
Hear him discuss:
- Outlier's origins as a social sports talk app before pivoting the product
- Why he and his cofounders decided to execute on the pivot, despite having over 10,000 MAUs
- How the current Outlier product is creating a one-stop-shop for all stages of the sports bettors' journey
- Why he thinks "the most successful partnerships are ones where there's actually no exchange of dollars"
- How they are using product-led growth tactics to acquire and retain users
- Why he is committed to building a B2C business, despite seeing potential in B2B opportunities
Learn more 👇
➡️ Outlier website
➡️ Evan Kirkham on Linkedin
➡️ Outlier on Linkedin
=================
This episode is brought to you by SBC Summit North America, the biggest dedicated igaming and sports betting event in North America, which returns to New Jersey May 9-11.
To learn more and secure your ticket for SBC Summit North America visit www.sbcevents.com, and make sure to use promo code BSP23 for $200 of your pass.
BettingStartups.com brings you Season 1 of Betting On It, an 8-episode series that follows one betting industry startup as it gets investor-ready ahead of its seed funding round.
In this episode, Drew and Sahil from BetsBooster are joined by guest John Gordon, co-founder & CEO of Incentive Games. They discuss:
- Learnings from the mature UK betting market as the guys look at the US opportunity for BetsBooster
- John's thoughts on launching a B2C betting product in the current environment, and why having an intuitive UX is critical
- Fundraising tips based on John's experience raising capital for Incentive Games
- The 2 things that John would be thinking about if he was in Drew and Sahil's shoes right now
Betting On It is made possible by GeoComply, which provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity. To learn more, visit: www.geocomply.com
Btw: did you know we have a newsletter? The Betting Startups Newsletter is the easiest way to keep your finger on the pulse of the betting industry's rapidly evolving early-stage ecosystem. New issues weekly. ⚡Subscribe Now⚡
On Part 2 of Ep. 65, we welcome back Karolina Pelc from BeyondPlay, which is transforming solitary game sessions into engaging multiplayer, entertainment experiences.
Hear her discuss:
- What investors saw in the BeyondPlay opportunity that led to their just-announced $5m+ oversubscribed funding round
- Her advice for other startups that are fundraising in the current economic environment, and why “you have to be adaptive” as a founder
- Building workplace culture as a fully-remote team, and how she is thinking about maintaining culture as the company and team size grows
- Her experience facing imposter syndrome as an entrepreneur, which inspired a tattoo as a permanent reminder to herself
- Her work to champion women in leadership roles within the industry, including her assessment on how the industry is doing with gender diversity
- How she thinks about and defines success, both for BeyondPlay, and for herself personally as an entrepreneur
Learn more 👇
➡️ BeyondPlay website
➡️ BeyondPlay on Linkedin
➡️ Karolina Pelc on Linkedin
=================
This episode is brought to you by SBC Summit North America, the biggest dedicated igaming and sports betting event in North America, which returns to New Jersey May 9-11.
To learn more and secure your ticket for SBC Summit North America visit www.sbcevents.com, and make sure to use promo code BSP23 for $200 of your pass.
BettingStartups.com brings you Season 1 of Betting On It, an 8-episode series that follows one betting industry startup as it gets investor-ready ahead of its seed funding round.
In Episode 1, Jesse introduces the startup and its founders that will be featured in season 1.
They walk through the current status of the company, and explore some of the key assumptions that are being used in their business plan as they get investor-ready. To do this, they use the lean canvasframework, which is a quick and easy way to think through and validate new business ideas.
Betting On It is made possible by GeoComply, which provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions that detect location fraud and help verify a user’s true digital identity. To learn more, visit: www.geocomply.com
Btw: did you know we have a newsletter? The Betting Startups Newsletter is the easiest way to keep your finger on the pulse of the betting industry's rapidly evolving early-stage ecosystem. New issues weekly. ⚡Subscribe Now⚡
Ep. 65 features Karolina Pelc from BeyondPlay, which is transforming solitary game sessions into engaging multiplayer, entertainment experiences.
Hear her discuss:
- The arc of her 21-year career in the industry, starting as a casino dealer and working her way to the top levels of the global iGaming industry
- How she leveraged her reputation and credibility within the industry to generate initial support from advisors and investors in the early days of BeyondPlay
- How BeyondPlay is innovating in the casino vertical through the introduction of multi-player slot experiences
- Why she has invested heavily in building the BeyondPlay brand prior to launching the product, and how that has benefitted the company
- Successfully closing initial commercial deals, and why she thinks this has been possible despite the product being pre-launch
- The recent awarding of a UK supplier license, and how she is thinking about tackling multiple markets in parallel
Learn more 👇
➡️ BeyondPlay website
➡️ BeyondPlay on Linkedin
➡️ Karolina Pelc on Linkedin
=================
This episode is brought to you by SBC Summit North America, the biggest dedicated igaming and sports betting event in North America, which returns to New Jersey May 9-11.
To learn more and secure your ticket for SBC Summit North America visit www.sbcevents.com, and make sure to use promo code BSP23 for $200 of your pass.
Ep. 64 features Caleb Dykema from Vault, which is the Mint of sports betting.
Hear him discuss:
- His background as a Mechanical Engineer and creating physical products before getting into software (including one that he patented!)
- How the initial version of Vault as a simulation engine led to the discovery of new user problems, resulting in an early pivot
- Why he focuses so much of his time on customer development, and how interviewing hundreds of people has helped shape the product
- Generating 25,000+ app downloads organically last NFL season, and how he is planning to reach his goal of 80,000 MAU next NFL season
- Why he thinks “personalization is gonna be the name of the game over the 3-5 years”
- How he thinks about the affiliate business model, and why he “doesn't think that anybody's really mastered revenue generation quite yet”
Learn more 👇
➡️ Vault website
➡️ Caleb Dykema on Linkedin
➡️ Vault on Linkedin
=================
This episode is brought to you by SBC Summit North America, the biggest dedicated igaming and sports betting event in North America, which returns to New Jersey May 9-11.
To learn more and secure your ticket for SBC Summit North America visit www.sbcevents.com, and make sure to use promo code BSP23 for $200 of your pass.
Ep. 63 is our first follow-up episode, featuring Kelly Pracht and Jeremy Jones from nVenue, which leverages the power of machine learning & AI to predict every possible outcome of each play.
Hear them discuss:
- How life has changed at nVenue since their first appearance on the podcast in March 2022
- Their takeaways and insights as attendees and panelists at the recent iGaming NEXT NYC event
- The recent announcement of being accepted as one of seven startups in the NBA Launchpad program - and the only one focused on betting
- The proliferation of mainstream attention on AI technology and tools, and how that’s influenced their approach as an AI-focused company
- How getting the backing of Apple, MLB Network, and now the NBA has helped advance other B2B opportunities and commercialization of their technology
Learn more 👇
➡️ nVenue website
➡️ nVenue on Linkedin
➡️ Kelly Pracht on Linkedin
➡️ Jeremy Jones on Linkedin
Ep. 62 introduces you to Jaymee Messler, co-founder of The Gaming Society, which is a betting education company on a mission to build an inclusive community that ignites the sports fan in us all.
Hear her discuss:
- Her background in sports management, representing professional athletes like Pete Sampras, Paul Pierce, and Lamar Odom
- How her and Derek Jeter connected on the idea empowering athletes to own their story and narrative, which led to them co-founding The Player’s Tribune
- The work her team at The Gaming Society is doing to drive interest and engagement in women’s sports through their “Bet on Women” campaign in partnership with the WNBA
- The importance of storytelling to make sports betting more accessible to different demographics
- Building an all-star advisory board of professional athletes, and how she believes their involvement will help drive the company forward
- Why she believes that “having conviction over consensus when you have an idea” is so important for entrepreneurs
Learn more 👇
➡️ The Gaming Society website
➡️ The Gaming Society on Twitter
➡️ Jaymee Messler on Linkedin
Ep. 61 introduces you to Alex Monahan, co-founder of OddsJam, which is the home page of sports betting.
Hear him discuss:
- How his background as a quant trader helped him see sports betting from a market and data perspective
- The growing ‘betting tools’ category, and why he thinks that OddsJam is uniquely positioned within it
- Why OddsJam emphasizes education through content, and why audience growth of that content is their biggest focus
- Last year’s acquisition of Odds Boom, how the deal came together, and why it made sense for both parties
- The B2B opportunity for OddsJam, and how he views it versus the core B2C business model that it launched with
- How being profitable provides optionality with fundraising, and how he is thinking about that for OddsJam
Learn more:
➡️ OddsJam website
➡️ OddsJam on Twitter
➡️ Alex Monahan on Linkedin
➡️ Alex Monahan on Twitter
This episode is brought to you by iGaming Next Valetta 2023, which is set to be the biggest and best yet with over 4,000 industry leaders from around the world attending on the 21-22nd of June.
The event will also host a week-long festival schedule packed with exciting activities such as bowling, poker, golf, and the highly anticipated 10 year anniversary celebration of the legendary, 2000 guest pool party 'Showers'.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to network, learn, and have fun with the biggest names in iGaming, web3, marketing, investments and beyond. Register now at iGamingNEXT.com!
Ep. 60 introduces you to Pierre Lindh, founder and Managing Director of iGaming NEXT, which is a content-driven conference company that focuses on both in-person and online events.
Hear him discuss:
- His career in the iGaming industry, which started at the age of 15 when he was organizing poker games at school - much to the annoyance of his teachers
- The crazy story of how the cancelation of live events in the early days of the pandemic almost killed iGaming NEXT, and the sacrifices that he and his team made to persevere through it
- What he and the team at iGaming NEXT are doing to differentiate their live events from others, and why he thinks they have a recipe for success and longevity
- Why he thinks the oligopoly of operators in the US market makes it more challenging for startups when compared to the more competitive European markets
- How he stays inspired and motivated each day through the ups and downs of growing a business in such a competitive landscape
- How he thinks about his role as a leader to his team, and why he thinks about them as “part of his extended family”
- His one big prediction for the industry in 2023, which is an M&A transaction between two industry behemoths
Learn more 👇
➡️ iGaming NEXT website
➡️ iGaming NEXT on Twitter
➡️ Pierre Lindh on Linkedin
Ep. 59 brings you the face of fantasy football himself, Matthew Berry.
Hear him discuss:
- How he encouraged a fan engagement app to go all in on sports betting in Dallas after a “terrible” pitch contest
- His journey from writing jokes in Hollywood to becoming the face of fantasy football
- How he monetized a passion and hobby by leveraging his expertise and reach through strategic channels
- Beyond being a girl dad, Matthew shares what he most proud of and why he prefers his title of “writer” above his other credentials
- How the NFL has acknowledged the impact and important of Matthew’s part in fantasy football
- How Matthew used his NYT best selling book to ultimately launch a fan engagement community that was sold in 2021
- His tactics to brush off criticism and to persevere
- Matthew’s picks for the upcoming Super Bowl on Sunday, his ride or die Fantasy player Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes
This episode was guest hosted by Christiana Yebra, CMO of nVenue, which you can learn more about in Ep. 16 from last year.
Learn more: 👇
➡️ Matthew Berry on Twitter
➡️ Matthew Berry on Wikipedia
➡️ Betsperts website
Episode host:
➡️ nVenue website
➡️ Christiana Yebra on Linkedin
Ep. 58 introduces you to Andy Westmeyer, CEO of UBetOhio, which is a licensed Type-C operator in the state of Ohio.
Learn more 👇
➡️ UBetOhio website
➡️ Andy Westmeyer on Linkedin
Ep. 57 introduces you to Bart Stein, co-founder & COO of Mojo, which is the stock market for sports.
Hear him discuss:
- How the four-person founding team of Mojo came together, which includes Alex Rodriguez and Mark Lore
- Mojo’s unique concept of a ‘sports stock market’, which allows people to bet on the career statistics of professional athletes
- The story of raising $100m for Mojo, including why they decided to raise so much so early
- Why he’s “amped” by the idea of the Mojo price becoming part of the national sports culture conversation.
- Early learnings from the four months since launching in NJ in September 2022
- His assessment on the state of product innovation within betting
Learn more 👇
➡️ Mojo website
➡️ Bart Stein on Linkedin
➡️ Bart Stein on Twitter
Ep. 56 introduces you to Drew Tabor, co-founder & CEO of BetsBooster, which is taking the gambling out of betting.
Hear him discuss:
- Being the former #1 Guitar Hero player in the world on four different titles
- Using gamification to build a matched betting product for the US market that is seen as “an entertainment product instead of a financial product”
- Early adopter success using BetsBooster, including some power users who are “up at about $20,000”
- How books like Antifragile and The Millionaire Fastlane helped shift his mindset to take the leap into entrepreneurship
- Drawing inspiration from Tim Ferriss’ “real world MBA” concept and applying it to his situation when he left the comfort and stability of his corporate job to start BetsBooster
- How he thinks about the advantages and disadvantages of being a team of technical co-founders
Learn more:
➡️ BetsBooster website
➡️ BetsBooster Discord
Ep. 55 introduces you to Cameron Conn, CEO of OneComply.
Hear him discuss:
- Growing up in Las Vegas and being “literally born and raised in this industry” with his family’s deep roots in the gaming and casino industry
- How his career in the industry has allowed him to experience the pains and challenges of getting and maintaining gaming licenses
- What OneComply is doing to make life easier for both licensees and regulators
- How he thinks about product-market fit, and whether OneComply has found it
- Why he is looking at bricks-and-mortar casinos to drive OneComply’s growth in the US
- His advice to industry entrepreneurs on avoiding the pitfalls of accruing regulatory debt
Learn more:
➡️ OneComply website
➡️ Cameron Conn on Linkedin
Ep. 54 introduces you to Joey Levy, founder and CEO of betr.
Hear him discuss:
- Launching Draftpot in 2015 to simplify the fantasy sports product experience, which “was an incredible learning experience” for him
- How his experience with Draftpot helped him realize that “the traditional sports betting user experience was even worse” than it was for fantasy sports
- The story of how he and his cofounders at Simplebet decided to focus on micro markets, and how an unexpected insight influenced an early pivot from B2C operator to B2B supplier
- Why he believes that “the product experience is still not simple and intuitive enough for your average mass market sports fan to pick up and intuitively interact with it”
- The story of how he came to partner with Jake Paul on betr, allowing him to realize his original vision for Simplebet as an intuitive B2C product
- The type of culture he is developing at betr, and how his 20-person team was able to "be a day one operator in one of the nation's most important states before some multi-billion dollar companies that have tens of thousands of employees”
- Co-founding 305 Ventures to invest in other startups, and his advice to other industry founders who are currently looking to raise capital
Learn more 👇
➡️ Betr website
➡️ Joey Levy on Twitter
➡️ Joey Levy on Linkedin
Ep. 53 introduces you to Alex Dubin, founder of BettorOff, which is a platform for verified sports wagering tips and information.
Hear Alex discuss:
- His past experience working in the betting space, including as co-founder of an esports data company that was acquired by SportsGrid
- His view of the pick-selling landscape, and “the incongruence between sports betting tips on the consumer side and on the producer side”
- Why he has decided to position BettorOff against Twitter, and why he thinks that pick tracking is “not something Twitter is gonna be doing”
- The importance of building community into the BettorOff product, and what he sees as the hallmarks of a strong user community
- How BettorOff was able to acquire its first 12,000 users with a $0 marketing budget
- His top prediction for the regulated sports betting industry in 2023
Learn more 👇
➡️ BettorOff website
➡️ Alex Dubin on Linkedin
Ep. 52 introduces you to the cofounders of WagerWire, the marketplace for sports bets.
Zach Doctor, Guy Dotan, and Travis Geiger join to discuss:
- How the idea of “a marketplace for active sports bets” pulled the 3 friends away from their respective careers to co-found WagerWire
- Their vision for how WagerWire will change betting from something that “was once a risk class now becoming an asset class”
- Why they decided on a B2B2C go-to-market strategy, and how they’re driving consumer awareness of the marketplace concept
- Why being a B2B technology supplier is both “the biggest opportunity and the biggest challenge” of their business
- Their journey raising a $3m seed round, and how they got Miami Marlins co-owner Roger Ehrenberg as their lead investor
- The dynamic of their co-founder relationship, and the advantages they see as friends who started a company together
Learn more 👇
➡️ WagerWire website
➡️ WagerWire on Twitter
➡️ Zach Doctor on Linkedin
➡️ Guy Dotan on Linkedin
➡️ Travis Geiger on Linkedin
Ep. 51 introduced you to Jason Tauriello, co-founder and COO of Gambl.io, which is gaming 3.0.
Hear him discuss:
- His 20+ year background working in the betting industry, including his first job working for a former runner of Billy Walters
- How he sees blockchain technology driving innovation in betting, and the specific problems with the status quo that blockchain solves
- His experience building a blockchain betting product during the 2017 crypto bull run, launching an ICO, and the main lessons he took from that project as he builds out Gambl.io
- How the UFC’s regulatory strategy is the inspiration for Gambl’s approach to blockchain-based betting in the regulated US market
- His outlook on the current state of the crypto and blockchain industry in light of recent high-profile collapses
- How he’s thinking about the current bear market, and why he thinks “the next big bull run and peak in the market is going to be about real world use cases”
Learn more 👇
➡️ Gambl.io website
➡️ Gambl.io on Twitter
➡️ Jason Tauriello on Linkedin
➡️ Jason Tauriello on Twitter
Ep. 50 introduces you to Bo Grey from Wager Score, which puts responsible gaming in the hands of bettors.
Hear him discuss:
- Why as a parent, he didn’t think there were sufficient consumer protections for children in a regulated US betting market, which drove him to found Wager Score
- His vision for creating “a uniform risk score for gaming that consumers can understand”, akin to a credit score
- Why he believes that the Wager Score concept is perfectly positioned to appeal to the Gen Z demographic
- The challenges of being dependent on operators to access the data needed to develop an accurate Wager Score, and what he’s doing to overcome that
- Why he thinks that smaller operators fighting for market share “see affordability as a key component to sustainability” and “can actually use responsible gambling as a powerful marketing tool”
- The pending launch of Wager Score with BetFred in Ohio next month
Learn more 👇
Episode guest:
➡️ Wager Score website
➡️ Bo Grey on Linkedin
Episode host:
➡️ Ewa Bakun on Linkedin
➡️ Ewa Bakun on Twitter
Ep. 49 introduces you to Matt Peterson, co-founder & CEO of Tallysight, which is the all-in-one audience monetization platform for sports gaming.
Hear him discuss:
- How he became interested in entrepreneurship and found his way into the tech industry after reading ‘Zero to One’ by Peter Thiel
- How Tallysight’s ‘business in a box’ is helping sports betting content creators to distribute and monetize content using its no-code tools
- How he validated the gap in the market through cold outreach to independent creators
- Why “not having pressure from outside VCs” has allowed Tallysight to iterate the product at its own pace
- Recently reaching the milestone of break-even, which he believes gives them “a lot of flexibility and options moving forward” with fundraising
- The no-code space, and how Tallysight is using no-code tools to help quickly and efficiently scale its business
Learn more 👇
➡️ Tallysight website
➡️ Matt Peterson on Linkedin
Ep. 48 introduces you to Jamie MItchell, co-founder & CEO of Low6, which is an award-winning free-to-play games supplier.
Hear him discuss:
- How Low6 is differentiating in the free-to-play category, including through the use of web3 technologies
- His background bootstrapping his previous business, and how that experience influenced his decision to raise capital for Low6 to “grow more aggressively”
- How he sees the esports opportunity for operators, and why “it is not going anywhere”
- Pivoting plans for an IPO earlier this year in response to cooling market conditions, and their recent strategic investment from BlueBet
- Why he decided to ban meetings within the company, and how embracing a remote-first culture has increased both productivity and work-life balance
- How he thinks about product-market fit, and his assessment on whether Low6 has found it
Learn more 👇
➡️ Low6 website
➡️ Jamie Mitchell on Linkedin
Ep. 47 introduces you to Aaron Basch and Evan Fisher from Sparket, which is the Social Betwork.
Hear them discuss:
- Their history as high-school friends leading the math club, and how fantasy football kept them connected after high school until they reunited to start Sparket in 2019
- How their parimutuel social betting platform allows operators to offer "different markets without taking exposure”
- Why they are trying to build experiences for "demographics that have traditionally not participated” in sports betting, and how that is translating into traction
- The 12+ month process of getting the Sparket platform GLI certified, and how holding that certification benefits them despite it being “a huge effort up front”
- Why they chose to raise their current round of funding publicly via crowdfunding campaign, and how it’s going for them so far
Learn more 👇
➡️ Sparket website
➡️ Aaron Basch on Linkedin
➡️ Evan Fisher on Linkedin
Ep. 46 introduces you to Brian Kipp from OwnersBox, which is the home of SuperFlex DFS & Lightning Lineups.
Hear him discuss:
- Launching a sports information product in 2012 and growing it to 50,000 users before pivoting to fantasy sports in 2018
- Why he thinks that fantasy sports “produces the most loyal user base” of all categories within the wider betting and gaming ecosystem
- How OwnersBox is innovating within fantasy sports, including its unique ‘Lightning Lineups’ which aims to simplify the experience with slot-like mechanics
- Why OwnersBox has invested heavily in content creation over the last two years, and why it now sees content as a profit center rather than a cost center
- How Brian is thinking about scaling OwnersBox now that it has found product-market fit, including his plans to raise a Series A in 2023
Learn more 👇
Episode guest:
➡️ OwnersBox website
➡️ Brian Kipp on Linkedin
➡️ Brian Kipp on Twitter
Episode host:
➡️ Dan Hannigan-Daley on Linkedin
➡️ Dan Hannigan-Daley on Twitter
Ep. 45 introduces you to Colin Davy, founder of Betscope, which provides betting intelligence for intelligent bettors.
Hear him discuss:
- Being selected as one of 5 finalists to pitch live at the recent G2E Innovation Challenge, and what it meant to be named winner by the judging panel
- The story of being a contestant on Jeopardy, and how he used his data science background to prepare for it - which ultimately led to him winning
- The importance of “incorporating a price discovery routine” when betting, and how Betscope is helping bettors with its unique tools
- Why he thinks the betting tools ecosystem has now entered a second wave, and the characteristics that make it different from the “first wave gold rush”
- The thinking behind his decision to intentionally avoid taking outside capital at this stage in favor of remaining bootstrapped for as long as possible
Learn more 👇
➡️ Betscope website
➡️ Colin Davy on Twitter
➡️ Colin Davy on Linkedin
➡️ "How I Won Jeopardy With Data Science" by Colin Davy
Ep. 44 introduces you to Alexander Kane, founder and CEO of Sporttrade, which is America’s most dynamic sports betting platform where sports betting meets stock trading.
Hear him discuss:
- Their highly anticipated launch last month in New Jersey, and what the most surprising thing has been so far since going live
- Why he decided not to use traditional odds display formats on Sporttrade, and why he believes that the “Sporttrade format” are the most intuitive odds for people to understand
- The importance of educating customers on the Sporttrade product, which he thinks will “be one of [their] defining challenges”
- The role that partnerships will play in driving customer awareness around the Sporttrade value proposition, such as the current partnership with Unabated
- Why he prioritizes engaging on Twitter when so many other things compete for his time and most other industry CEOs eschew this
- Drawing inspiration from Airbnb by focusing on “doing things that don’t scale” during Sporttrade’s early days, including personally texting customers that have failed deposits
- How he maintains a positive mindset and attitude in the face of skepticism around Sporttrade’s model
Learn more 👇
➡️ Sporttrade website
➡️ Sporttrade on Twitter
➡️ Alex Kane on Linkedin
➡️ Alex Kane on Twitter
Ep. 43 introduces you to Todd Ballard, co-founder and CMO of ALT Sports Data, which provides proprietary trading solutions focused on alternative sports.
Hear him discuss:
- His experience as an early employee at GoPro, and the journey of going from startup through to IPO
- The world of alternative sports, and what makes their billion-plus fans “a highly engaged, passionate audience group”
- How he and his co-founder validated the idea for ALT Sports Data, which included some brief consideration to the idea of becoming a sportsbook (which an advisor said was “the worst idea”)
- How leagues and data rights holders within alternative sports are looking at the betting opportunity, and why they believe they can bring new audiences to operators
- Following your passion and why keeping “the least amount of daylight between your personal life and your professional life is a good key to success”
Learn more 👇
➡️ ALT Sports Data website
➡️ Todd Ballard on Linkedin
Ep. 42 introduces you to Leigh Nissim, founder and CEO of Future Anthem, which uses data and AI to personalise the player experience for everyone.
Hear him discuss:
- How he saw the opportunity for personalization during his time leading the digital businesses of both IGT and Scientific Games
- Why most companies struggle with personalization despite it being high on their agendas
- Raising a multi-million dollar Series A round for Future Anthem, and why he considers that milestone to be “the end of the beginning”
- The challenges of being a B2B supplier to operators, and how early-stage suppliers can shortcut some of the sales process
- His 3 top pieces of fundraising advice for other founders
Learn more 👇
➡️ Future Anthem website
➡️ Leigh Nissim on Linkedin
Ep. 41 introduces you to Rob Klages and Kevin Kamto from AthleteX.
Hear them discuss:
- Some of the core ideological concepts behind crypto and blockchain technology
- Their philosophical principles of transparency, openness, and fairness, and why only blockchain technology could enable those within the AthleteX platform
- Why "tokenized fantasy sports was always an intuitive idea", and how a hackathon initially gave them the opportunity to explore it
- The challenges of UX in web3, and what needs to be done to widen the appeal of crypto to the mass market
- "Hunkering down and building" during the bear market, and why they are confident that crypto prices will rebound
Learn more:
➡️ AthleteX website
➡️ AthleteX Discord server
➡️ AthleteX on Twitter
Ep. 40 is guest hosted by Lloyd Danzig from Sharp Alpha Advisors, who introduces you to Nik Bonaddio, founder and CEO of BigBrain.
Hear Nik discuss:
- Appearing as a contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, winning $100,000, and quitting his job the next day to pursue his first startup
- Launching Numberfire as Moneyball for fantasy sports, and scaling it to $2m in revenue before exiting to Fanduel in 2015
- His experience working as Fanduel’s Chief Product Officer, and why after 4+ years he “wanted to kind of get back to the craziness of startups”
- Why it was “kind of obvious” to him that the DFS model could be applied to the brain games category, which was the catalyst for BigBrain
- His strategy to build a cap table with both betting industry investors and industry-agnostic VC firms including First Round Capital, BoxGroup, Ludlow, and Golden Ventures
- His long-term plan to buy the Pittsburgh Pirates, and why his first move as owner will be to reduce ticket and concession prices
Learn more 👇
Episode Guest:
➡️ BigBrain in the app store
➡️ BigBrain website
➡️ Nik Bonaddio on Linkedin
Episode Host:
➡️ Sharp Alpha Advisors website
➡️ Lloyd Danzig on Linkedin
Ep. 39 introduces you to Rob Pizzola, co-founder of The Hammer Betting Network, which is the industry leader in providing trusted sports betting content.
Hear him discuss:
- His journey as a longtime betting content creator, and one of “the OG’s of Gambling Twitter”
- The grind of betting professionally at scale over several years, and why he “would give up sports betting in a second” if he could
- Why he believes in being price sensitive when betting on sports, and how that belief led him to become co-owner of Bet Stamp
- The problem he has with betting content creators that misrepresent themselves, and how he is bringing transparency to all content published on thehammer.bet
- How he was able to onboard dozens of top creators to build the network in only a few weeks, and how he plans to scale content creation on the platform
- His advice for people who aspire to become sports betting content creators
Learn more 👇
➡️ Hammer Betting Network website
➡️ Hammer Betting Network on Twitter
➡️ Rob Pizzola on Twitter
Ep. 38 introduces you to Michael Zavagno, co-founder and CEO of TopProp Fantasy, which is the next generation of daily fantasy sports.
Hear him discuss:
- Why he believes that TopProp’s head-to-head fantasy contests will “bring that competitiveness” back to fantasy sports
- The learnings from launching last NFL season as a web-only product, and how that helped shape the recently-launched TopProp mobile app
- The importance of intuitive UX, and how the app’s swipe-based mechanic has helped TopProp attract a younger demographic than the industry average
- What he’s hearing from investors as he raises a $1.5m round, which is currently half subscribed
- Which NFL player he thinks will win the MVP title this season
Learn more:
➡️ Michael Zavagno on Linkedin
➡️ TopProp Fantasy website
➡️ TopProp Fantasy on Twitter
(Host note: this episode had some minor audio issues that unfortunately couldn't be improved. It's still 100% worth listening to, but we wanted to acknowledge that it might sound slightly different than usual. We'll do better! 🙌)
Ep. 37 introduces you to Kenneth Giles, co-founder and CEO of SimBull, which is the stock market for sports.
Hear him discuss:
- Leaving his “very stable nine to five job” as an actuary and why he decided to follow in his family’s path of entrepreneurship
- How he came up with the concept of a sports stock market, which he believes can grow into a standalone category alongside betting and fantasy
- Taking a contrarian approach by focusing on longer-term markets at a time when microbetting is attracting a large amount of attention and investment
- His experience going through the Techstars Sports Accelerator, and how “it makes you think about all aspects of your business”
- How he views the fundraising environment as SimBull finalizes plans to raise a $1.5m seed round this fall
Learn more:
➡️ SimBull website
➡️ SimBull Twitter
➡️ SimBull in Apple app store
➡️ Kenneth Giles on Linkedin
Ep. 36 introduces you to Ross Fruin, co-founder and CEO of GridRival, which is the home screen for race fans.
Hear him discuss:
- How GridRival acquired 22,000 users within the first 5 days after launching, and how product virality helped it scale it to over 180,000 users in the first year
- GridRival’s progression from season-long fantasy into DFS, and what he’s thinking about as the next step in his long-term plan
- The challenges of the quickly changing data landscape within motorsports, and why he thinks it’s possible that data collection “may be a problem we end up solving internally”
- Being dismissed by investors as a niche operator before successfully raising $3m from investors who saw the motorsports audience as on that could drive venture-scale returns
- How he built an all-star advisory board at GridRival, and his advice for other entrepreneurs on what they should consider when looking for advisors
Learn more:
➡️ GridRival website
➡️ Ross Fruin on Linkedin
Ep. 35 introduces you to Cooper Lycan from SoBet, a sports betting media platform that publishes sports betting content from independent experts.
Hear him discuss:
- SoBet’s origins as a peer-to-peer betting product, which he pivoted into a premium content platform after learning about the challenges of “the liquidity issue”
- His take on the creator economy and why it’s important to build a platform that allows creators to remain independent
- His experience raising money in the current environment, and why it was the “hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life”
- How serving in the military helped has helped make him a more resilient entrepreneur and leader
Learn more👇
➡️ SoBet website
➡️ Cooper Lycan on Linkedin
Ep. 34 introduces you to Dean Sisun and Jake Benzaquen from Prophet Exchange, which is the US sports betting exchange.
Hear them discuss:
- Moving to the UK to build experience in a regulated market where betting exchanges are a mature product category
- Their impending product launch in New Jersey, and what it means to each of them to reach this milestone after four years of effort
- The need to educate US customers on the benefits of using an exchange, and their focus on “building the most simple product possible”
- What they are doing to ensure there is liquidity on the platform on launch day
- Their experience raising money from investors against a plan that carried regulatory uncertainty, and why theirs was “not the sexy pitch, but the right one"
Learn more 👇
➡️ Prophet Exchange website
➡️ Dean Sisun on Linkedin
➡️ Jake Benzaquen on Linkedin
Ep. 33 introduces you to Brent Winston, co-founder and CEO of BetSwap, which is the most efficient, fully integrated, secondary marketplace technology for sportsbooks and platform providers.
Hear him discuss:
- His recent experience winning the First Pitch competition at the SBC Summit North America event
- How BetSwap’s secondary marketplace for sports bets complements existing cashout features to the benefit of both bettors and operators
- Being met with skepticism by trading teams during the B2B sales process, and how he’s overcome that to sign several partnerships for the upcoming NFL season
- The importance of getting validation by “having the right people backing you”
- His perspective of the newly regulated Ontario betting market as a resident of Toronto
Learn more 👇
➡️ BetSwap website
➡️ Brent Winston on Linkedin
Ep. 32 introduces you to Will Armitage and Phillip Stritzke from BestOdds.com, the destination for US bettors.
Hear them discuss:
- The advantage it provides to build a new brand with a category-defining domain name that “is part of the vernacular”
- Their views on the affiliate landscape in the US market, and why the trend towards consolidation of affiliates “does make sense”
- The advice they have for new aspiring affiliates to best navigate the compliance path in the regulated US market
- The main cultural differences they see between UK and US bettors, and how those differences are helping influence their strategy for BestOdds.com
- What sectors and industries (outside of betting!) Will is currently making angel investments into both personally and through his VC funds
Learn more 👇
➡️ BestOdds.com website
➡️ Will Armitage on Linkedin
➡️ Philipp Stritzke on Linkedin
Ep. 31 introduces you to Ben Cary, co-founder and CEO of CapWize, which combines expert human opinion with cutting-edge simulation models to help bettors make smarter picks.
Hear him discuss:
- His 2 key takeaways from the SBC Summit North America event, and what those might mean for the future of the North American betting and iGaming industry
- Being selected as one of five finalists to present at the SBC First Pitch competition, and how that platform helped him make valuable new connections
- How he leveraged platforms like Twitch and TikTok to build an audience using educational content first while he developed the CapWize product
- The importance of simplifying the complex math behind simulations to deliver insightful and actionable insights to bettors
- The opportunity he sees for CapWize to help bettors make smarter same-game parlays with a new analysis tool that will be launched later this year
Learn more 👇
➡️ CapWize website
➡️ CapWize Twitter
➡️ CapWize Twitch
➡️ Ben Cary on Linkedin and Twitter
Ep. 30 introduces you to Sanjay Thakur, co-founder & CEO of Verdict MMA, which is the engagement platform for Mixed Martial Arts.
Hear him discuss:
- How a controversial judge’s decision in a UFC fight sparked the idea for Verdict, which started as a passion project with his high school friends
- Why MMA as a sport is known for its passionate fans, and how Verdict was able to tap into that passion to acquire over 100k users
- Verdict’s recent launch of real-money fantasy sports, and why it made sense for them now despite the relative maturation of the DFS space
- Being a niche operator focusing on a single sport, and resisting the temptation to expand horizontally to other sports
- Getting ex-UFC fighter Ben Askren involved as an investor, who he “spoke to on a Monday… by Friday we had a wire transfer”
- His vote for MMA GOAT (spoiler alert: Sanjay is Canadian and the episode was recorded on Canada Day!)
Learn more:
➡️ Verdict MMA website
➡️ Sanjay Thakur on Twitter and Linkedin
Ep. 29 introduces you to Brady Sharp, co-founder & CEO of BroThrow, a patent-pending, social sports betting network.
Hear him discuss:
- The importance of establishing trust amongst users, and the need to build constraints in the product to enforce social accountability
- Why the peer-to-peer model used by BroThrow makes it exempt from sports betting regulations, despite the fact that users are betting real money
- The marketing channel that allowed BroThrow to successfully acquire its users, which they are doubling down on for the upcoming NFL season
- When he knew the time was right to leave the comfort of his corporate finance job to pursue BroThrow full-time
- How he pitched the idea for BroThrow to a former boss, who liked the idea so much that his boss gifted him the domain name BroThrow.com
Learn more:
➡️ BroThrow website
➡️ Brady Sharp on Linkedin
Ep. 28 introduces you to Zac Litwack, partner at Savage Ventures which is a venture operator that invests in, acquires, and operates high growth digital-first businesses.
Hear him discuss:
- Savage Ventures’ unique model being a “venture operator”, and how it is differentiated from more traditional venture investment firms
- The opportunity they saw to apply their growth marketing expertise to the sports betting vertical, which led to them being Fanduel’s #1 affiliate during the 2020 NFL season
- How they proved the venture operator concept through a partnership with Clay Travis and Outkick, which was acquired by Fox in 2021
- What types of companies and products that they are looking to add to the Savage Sports portfolio as they go deeper into the sports betting vertical
- Why a bear market is the best time to build, and the advice that Zac has for people that are thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship
Learn more:
➡️ Savage Ventures website
➡️ Zac Litwack on Linkedin
Ep. 27 introduces you to Thomas Willomitzer, founder and CEO of SnapOdds, "the Shazam for sports betting" that makes it easier for people to find and place bets while watching games live.
Hear him discuss:
- His past startup experiences as co-founder of Last.fm (acquired for $280m) and identity verification platform Jumio
- How he got the idea for creating 'the Shazam for sports' while watching the Superbowl with friends, which catalyzed the journey of developing the underlying computer vision technology that powers Snap Odds
- Why investors in Snap Odds saw it as a “rare combination” of a product that improved UX, provided utility, and had a clear path to monetization
- Why he decided to participate in the TechStars accelerator despite his past successes, network, and credibility, and how he benefitted from that experience
- The importance of having passion as an entrepreneur, and why money cannot be the sole motivation to start a business
Learn More:
➡️ Thomas Willomitzer on Linkedin
➡️ SnapOdds website
Ep. 26 introduces you to Robin MacDonald, co-founder and managing partner of Rubik Talent, which cultivates smart, diverse talent for global iGaming, PayTech & FinTech enterprises.
Hear him discuss:
- The unique way that Rubik is developing talent with specialized skills specific to the iGaming industry, and how it is helping to deploy that talent into partner organizations
- Why Rubik prefers to work with industry employers that “have a long-term view of the skills” they want to develop within their organizations, and why stakeholder buy-in is so important
- What he thinks about the iGaming industry’s effort to market and position itself as it competes to attract talent with other fast-growing sectors
- Why he decided to focus on the iGaming industry despite the fact that it’s not the only industry that is struggling to develop digital talent
- Why he thinks the current market contraction “is a very short term one”, and why macroeconomic headwinds will not decrease the demand for people with digital skills
Learn More:
➡️ Robin MacDonald on Linkedin
➡️ Rubik Talent website
Ep. 25 introduces you to Pete Smaluck, founder and CEO of props.cash, which is the most comprehensive and effective player prop research tool on the market.
Hear him discuss:
- His former career as an elementary school math teacher, and how his passion for finding intuitive ways to teach math has influenced the props.cash product
- How he developed math learning software using NBA data, and how he pivoted that software from education to become a props research tool that ultimately became props.cash
- Why he decided that props.cash would be a subscription-based business model, and the challenges of scaling a subscription-based B2C product
- How his experience working at VC-funded startups has informed his decision to bootstrap props.cash and focus on organic growth
- His perception of the newly regulated Ontario gaming market as a resident of that province, and why "there's a huge culture of sports betting" in Ontario
Learn More:
➡️ Pete Smaluck on Linkedin
➡️ props.cash website
Ep. 24 introduces you to Benjie Cherniak, principal at Avenue H Capital, which invests in some of the most promising betting industry startups.
Hear him discuss:
- His transition from operating businesses to investing in them, and what he misses most about his days at Don Best
- The importance of having founder/investor alignment of vision and ensuring both are "rowing the boat in the same direction"
- How he's thinking about the current macroeconomic headwinds, and what downstream impact he sees for earlier-stage companies
- His assessment on the current state of the betting industry, and where he sees opportunity for startups entering it
As well, Benjie and Jesse take a little trip down memory lane together in the last few minutes of the episode!
Learn More:
➡️ Benjie Cherniak on Linkedin
Ep. 23 introduces you to Ted Mauze, co-founder and CEO of Chalkboard, which is a mobile app that offers messaging and synced bet tracking for sports bettors and fans.
Hear him discuss:
- How discussing sports betting in group messages with his college friends sparked the idea for building Chalkboard
- Why he pushed back on the traditional advice of "launch early" in favor of staying in stealth mode while developing the core technology
- How Chalkboard is tapping into the creator economy to help fuel its growth, which has resulted in 25% week-over-week growth
- How he is adjusting to the changing macroeconomic environment ahead of raising a seed round, and why he believes it's "a good thing" that valuations are coming down in response
Learn More:
➡️ Chalkboard website
➡️ Ted Mauze on Linkedin
➡️ Ted Mauze on Twitter
Ep. 22 introduces you to John Latella and Grady Toombs, cofounders of Legacy Fantasy Sports, which is fantasy sports platform that includes both current and historical legacy athletes.
Hear them discuss:
- How a father/son debate about sports helped spark the idea for incorporating retired athletes into modern fantasy sports
- Why their game is "pandemic proof" and how it can be played during gaps in the live sporting calendar
- The story of how they got four-time Pro Bowler and Detroit Lions legend Herman Moore to join as a co-founder
- Why their subscription-based model allows them to fall outside of DFS and sports betting regulations, allowing them to offer the game to players of all ages
- Their thoughts on the economics of the traditional fantasy sports and betting business models, and why theirs is a more sustainable model
Learn More:
➡️ Legacy Fantasy Sports website
➡️ John Latella on Linkedin
➡️ Grady Toombs on Linkedin
Ep. 21 introduces you to Dan Healy, co-founder and CEO of PickUp, which is an incentivized fan engagement platform.
Hear him discuss:
- How starting an online food delivery service during college in 2005 launched his career in consumer tech, which included developing mobile apps for brands such as lululemon, SoulCycle, American Express, and more
- The unique way that PickUp is engaging the 80% of sports fans that have an opinion on sports, but aren't yet betting on sports
- How his partners at NASCAR are leveraging betting to drive interest in the sport, and how PickUp is helping make that possible
- Why he believes that "NFTs will play a massive part in the sports landscape going forward", and the role that utility will play in the fan experience
Learn More:
➡️ PickUp website
➡️ Dan Healy on Linkedin
➡️ Dan Healy on Twitter
Ep. 20 introduces you to Ryan Murphy, co-founder of SharpSports, which is building infrastructure for sports betting developers.
Hear him discuss:
- How his experience working at Google and Stripe helped him to become "enamored" with the API economy, which helped spark the idea for SharpSports
- Some examples of apps and products that developers are building with their APIs and tools
- Why sportsbooks allow SharpSports to integrate with their platforms, and why some (such as BetMGM) have signed even deeper marketing partnership agreements
- Why being the Plaid for sports betting made "perfect sense" to his existing investors, and his plans to raise a new round of funding later this year
Learn More:
➡️ SharpSports website
➡️ Ryan Murphy on Linkedin
Ep. 19 introduces you to Eric Frank, co-founder and CEO of Odds on Compliance, which helps gaming companies navigate the rapidly changing regulatory compliance landscape.
Hear him discuss:
- His experience as Group Compliance Officer for Poker Stars where he responsible for over 25 of the group's international gaming licenses
- How his career as a lawyer and at Poker Stars revealed the operational inefficiencies of compliance management, which he saw as the opportunity for Odds on Compliance
- How Odds on Compliance is innovating with its AI-driven technology that automates many aspects of compliance management
- Why he wanted to partner with strategic investors like SeventySix Capital and Tekkorp Capital who are "at the pulse of the US sports betting industry"
- His biggest surprise in the transition going from corporate executive to startup founder
Learn More:
➡️ Odds on Compliance website
➡️ Eric Frank on Linkedin
Ep. 18 introduces you to Jason Mezrahi, co-founder of Sharp App, a sports media and bet tracking platform that makes sharp betting easy.
Hear him discuss:
- His career as a professional DFS player, and how the ups and downs of high-level DFS competition prepared him for business and life
- Stepping out of his comfort zone to write a book, and how he was able to convince Pete Rose to write the foreword for it
- How he built what has become one of the largest and most engaged DFS communities at Win Daily Sports
- Why he believes "the opportunity is massive" for Sharp App to innovate with new types of betting tools for every day bettors
- How having passion for your business is the key to getting through the challenges and hurdles of entrepreneurship
Learn More:
➡️ Sharp App website
➡️ Jason Mezrahi on Linkedin
Ep. 17 introduces you to Jonathan Bierig, co-founder and co-CEO of Ultimate Odds, a next generation fantasy sports platform that combines sports betting lines and odds with fantasy players into one experience.
Hear him discuss:
- Their unique concept of creating fantasy matchups using betting odds instead of players, and where this type of product sits within the ecosystem
- "Betting on himself" and making the decision to drop out of college to start Ultimate Odds
- How asking for help and advice led to investment in his company from some of the betting industry's top names
- Opening up and being vulnerable enough to embrace his failures as part of his own story and journey
- The importance of focusing on mental health, and his advocacy work with Same Here Global
Learn More:
➡️ Ultimate Odds website
➡️ Jonathan Bierig on Linkedin
Ep. 16 introduces you to Kelly Pracht & Drew Williams of nVenue, which is using machine learning and artificial intelligence to quickly and accurately generate probabilities for every outcome of a play.
Hear them discuss:
- How they solved the technical challenges to deliver a zero latency micro betting feed that is perfectly synchronized to live sports broadcasts
- Being selected as one of 10 startups (out of over 1,000 applicants) for the inaugural cohort of the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator
- How facing major obstacles and adversity led them to the "aha moment" that resulted in a successful pivot from B2C to B2B
- Their recently announced $3.5M round of funding, and addition of industry advisors including ESPN's Matthew Berry
Learn More:
➡️ nVenue website
➡️ Kelly Pracht on Linkedin
➡️ Drew Williams on Linkedin
Ep. 15 introduces you to Brandon Stakenborg, co-founder and CEO of Underdog Fantasy, which is bringing fun, approachable contests and games to the masses.
Hear him discuss:
- The story of his former company Draft, which was acquired by Paddy Power Betfair for $48 million
- Why "getting the band back together" from Draft was a no-brainer, and how that has helped them accelerate progress with Underdog
- The buy-versus-build decision that led to Underdog's acquisition of sports betting platform provider GOAT Gaming in September 2021
- How Underdog is thinking about being "like a game studio" that continuously innovates and incubates new product concepts
- The experience raising their Series A from investors such as Mark Cuban and Kevin Durant, and what they are hearing from investors now as they raise a Series B
- His experience transitioning from iOS developer to CEO, and stepping up from an individual contributor to a manager
Learn More:
➡️ Underdog Fantasy website
➡️ Brandon Stakenborg on Linkedin
Ep. 14 introduces you to Greg Kajewski & James Seils of BettorEdge, a no-fee social betting marketplace that is on a mission to democratize sports betting by giving the edge back to the bettor.
Hear them discuss:
- How BettorEdge is fundamentally different from other betting products, and why they prefer to be compared to social fintech platforms like Venmo or Robinhood
- Why their social betting marketplace is able to operate in 45 states when traditional betting exchanges cannot
- Their focus on educating consumers about the "hidden fees" within fixed-odds sportsbooks and betting exchanges
-
How localizing the product and marketing has enabled them to seed the marketplace and overcome the cold start problem
-
Why they have made charitable giving a priority, and what it meant to donate $10,000 to Chad Greenway's 'Lead the Way Foundation'
Learn More:
➡️ BettorEdge website
➡️ Greg Kajewski on Linkedin
➡️ James Seils on Linkedin
This episode is presented by The Betting Startups Newsletter, a monthly Roundup of key developments from the betting industry's most promising startup companies. Keep your finger on the pulse of the early stage ecosystem and subscribe now! news.bettingstartups.com
Ep. 13 introduces you to Tomash Devenishek, founder and CEO of Kero Sports, a curated in-game betting engine that powers the apps of major teams, leagues, and sportsbook operators.
Hear Tomash discuss:
- The changing relationship between fans and live sports in an age of shortening attention spans
- Why delivering continuous entertainment through algorithmic curation is the "north star" for his company
- How designing a user experience with accessibility and immersiveness in mind has helped differentiate Kero Sports from other fan engagement products
- Why he is relocating from San Francisco to Miami and how he expects the move to benefit his company
Learn More:
➡️ Kero Sports website
➡️ Tomash Devenishek on Linkedin
This episode is presented by OneComply, which is changing the game for licensing and compliance management.
Its innovative platform enables companies large and small to organize all their licensing related data in one central repository and automate the creation of licensing applications for multiple jurisdictions, at the push of a button.
Whether for key person, entity or occupational licensing, OneComply streamlines the process and helps you manage and protect your company’s most valuable asset: your gaming license.
Learn more at www.onecomply.com
Ep. 12 introduces you to Marvin Sanderson, co-founder and CEO of Xpoint, which provides an essential geo compliance solution to the sports betting and gaming industries globally.
Hear Marvin discuss:
- How Xpoint sees geolocation compliance as a business opportunity for partners instead of a utility or "a box to be checked"
- The importance of getting market validation as a new B2B supplier, and how the deal came together with Sporttrade as the first customer
- The biggest differences he sees between the US regulated market and other non-US markets
- Why investors were very excited about the opportunity that Xpoint is pursuing, what made Bettor Capital the ideal investor partner for Xpoint, and a teaser about further funding announcements coming soon
Learn More:
➡️ Xpoint website
➡️ Marvin Sanderson on Linkedin
This episode is presented by The Betting Startups Newsletter, a monthly Roundup of key developments from the betting industry's most promising startup companies. Keep your finger on the pulse of the early stage ecosystem and subscribe now! news.bettingstartups.com
Ep. 11 introduces you to Martina Åkerlund, CEO of Triggy, which develops products that connect sports data, live odds, and user insights to increase customer engagement, acquisitions, and lifetime value.
Hear Martina discuss:
- How Triggy has been able to secure partnerships with international betting operators, while also expanding to work with leagues and teams in the US market
- Why the founders of Triggy decided to bring in an external CEO at this stage of its growth, and how that transition has been going
- The feedback she is hearing from investors about the 'customer engagement' category as Triggy currently works to secure a new round of growth capital
- Why she thinks that entrepreneurs will be a leading force in helping to bring more diversity to the betting industry
- What has been the biggest surprise to her about the betting industry since she joined it in October 2020
Learn More:
➡️ Triggy website
➡️ Martina Åkerlund on Linkedin
This episode is presented by The Betting Startups Newsletter, a monthly Roundup of key developments from the betting industry's most promising startup companies. Keep your finger on the pulse of the early stage ecosystem and subscribe now! news.bettingstartups.com
Ep. 10 introduces you to Daniel Kustelski, co-founder and CEO of Chalkline, the leading independent provider of free play and real money games for operators and media companies
Hear Dan discuss:
- How the experience of founding and operating an online sportsbook in South Africa gave him the insights that led to Chalkline
- Why Chalkline is focused on developing sports betting products that help drive the "education and acclimation" of the US market
- The importance of tapping into local fan bases to help convert sports fans into sports bettors in the US market
- How the process of raising a $2.7 million Series A highlighted the importance of working with investors that understand the unit economics of the sports betting business
- What has been the most surprising thing about the US regulated market that he didn't expect before PASPA was repealed
Learn More:
➡️ Chalkline website
➡️ Daniel Kustelski Linkedin
This episode is presented by The Betting Startups Newsletter, a monthly Roundup of key developments from the betting industry's most promising startup companies. Keep your finger on the pulse of the early stage ecosystem and subscribe now! news.bettingstartups.com
Ep. 9 introduces you to Kelly Brooks and Danijela Covic, co-founders of Quarter4.io, an AI-driven predictive sports data and analytics provider.
Hear them discuss:
- The opportunity they see in the current "landscape of convergence" with media and leagues entering the regulated betting ecosystem
- How their prediction platform is being leveraged by B2B customers to engage users and audiences with AI-driven content
- How they responded to adversity when their planned launch in March 2020 was postponed due to Covid's arrival, and how they used that time to their advantage
- The value of having a co-founder that you've worked with before, and how that has benefitted them with Quarter4
Learn More:
➡️ Quarter4 website
➡️ Kelly Brooks on Linkedin
➡️ Danijela Covic on Linkedin
This episode is presented by The Betting Startups Newsletter, a monthly Roundup of key developments from the betting industry's most promising startup companies. Keep your finger on the pulse of the early stage ecosystem and subscribe now! news.bettingstartups.com
Ep. 8 introduces you to Lloyd Danzig, Managing Partner at Sharp Alpha Advisors, a venture capital firm specializing in sports betting & online gaming.
Hear Lloyd discuss:
- Why he thinks "there is a massive innovation gap" in the betting industry today, and how that underpins his firm's investment thesis
- How he views sports betting as part of a broader category he calls "competitive entertainment", which includes several betting-adjacent business types
- How founders should determine whether their business is a suitable candidate to receive venture capital funding
- The 4 core questions he asks to determine if a startup is one that meets his investment decision criteria
- What types of companies he is looking to invest in with his firm's $10 million fund
Learn More:
➡️ Lloyd Danzig on Linkedin
➡️ Sharp Alpha Advisors website
This episode is presented by The Betting Startups Newsletter, a monthly Roundup of key developments from the betting industry's most promising startup companies. Keep your finger on the pulse of the early stage ecosystem and subscribe now! news.bettingstartups.com
Ep. 7 introduces you to Spencer Marell and David Mason, authors of The Handle, a weekly betting industry newsletter aimed at the Gen Z audience.
Hear Spencer & David discuss:
- How they got into the betting industry while studying full-time in their junior year of college
- Why they were unable to launch HmmrBet, their odds comparison tool, and how that led them to create The Handle
- How they grade the US regulated betting industry at appealing to Gen Z consumers from both a product and marketing perspective
- Whether they think that sports betting products with more immediate gratification (such as micro markets) are the answer for operators to acquire more Gen Z customers
- The role they see NFTs and web3 playing in the growth of the total addressable market of sports betting
Learn More:
➡️ The Handle Newsletter
➡️ Spencer Marell on Twitter
➡️ David Mason on Twitter
Ep. 6 introduces you to Dan Fabrizio, co-founder and President of Unabated Sports.
Hear Dan discuss:
- Getting his start in the industry in the late 90's when he moved to the Caribbean to help a friend launch one of the first online sportsbooks
- Starting his first company (Sports Insights/Fantasy Labs) as a side hustle, and choosing to bootstrap it and grow organically versus raising outside capital
- Selling his company to The Action Network, and his experience transitioning into a more corporate environment following the acquisition
- Why he chooses to not focus on monetizing his businesses as an affiliate, even though it would likely mean a quicker path to revenue
- His advice for other founders and entrepreneurs that are getting their start within the betting industry
Learn more:
➡️ Unabated Sports website
➡️ Dan Fabrizio on Linkedin
Ep. 5 introduces you to Mark Silver & Steve McAllister, two of the cofounders of Parleh Media Group.
Hear them discuss:
- How they've quickly built The Parleh into an integrated media company through experimentation and iteration
- Why they find the betting industry to be "refreshing" compared to the traditional sports media business that they came from
- The importance of finding investors that can add value to your startup beyond the check they are writing
- What makes The Parleh uniquely positioned to succeed in Canada as sports betting regulation is adopted by provinces
Learn more:
➡️ The Parleh Website
➡️ Mark Silver on LinkedIn
➡️ Steve McAllister on LinkedIn
This episode of the Betting Startups podcast is brought to you by HPL Digital Sport, a specialist agency that understands the sports betting, fantasy sports, and gaming markets like no other. To learn more, visit https://www.hpldigitalsport.com/
Ep. 4 introduces you to Chris Adams, founder and CEO of SharpRank.
Hear Chris discuss:
- The role that SharpRank is playing to increase the total addressable market of the betting industry
- How SharpRank is using advanced technology and data science to create independent ratings for sports betting
- Why he believes there "is a day of reckoning coming for those snake oil salesman" that are selling unverified picks to the public
- The advice he received from his parents that prompted him to quit his job and go all-in on the SharpRank idea
Learn more:
➡️ SharpRank website
➡️ Chris Adams on Linkedin
Ep. 3 introduces you to Omer Dor, founder and CEO of Sports IQ.
Hear Omer discuss:
- Why he thinks the regulated US sports betting industry is still early when it comes to productization
- How innovations in data are enabling new types of models and sports betting product
- How he thinks about product-market fit, and whether he thinks that Sports IQ has found it
- His journey raising $7m in funding this year from leading sports execs, including the Kraft Group, Fenway Sports Group, and Theo Epstein
Learn more:
➡️ Sports IQ website
➡️ Omer Dor on Linkedin
This episode of the Betting Startups podcast is brought to you by SBC Events, organizers of the world’s best sports betting and gaming industry events. To view the events calendar, visit www.sbcevents.com
Ep. 2 introduces you to Adam Weinstein, founder and CEO of ThriveFantasy.
Hear Adam discuss:
- How ThriveFantasy is differentiated from the DFS incumbents, and what opportunity he sees
- Making the decision to quit his job with the New York Yankees in order to start ThriveFantasy
- How ThriveFantasy is capturing the fast-growing esports market through partnerships with streamers and in-stream product integration
- The long and difficult journey getting to "yes" with investors, who recently backed ThriveFantasy with $3m in funding
Learn more:
➡️ ThriveFantasy website
➡️ Adam Weinstein on Linkedin
This episode of the Betting Startups podcast is brought to you by SBC Events, organizers of the world’s best sports betting and gaming industry events. To view the events calendar, visit www.sbcevents.com
The Betting Startups podcast is live! 🚀
Ep. 1 introduces you to John Gordon, co-founder and CEO of Incentive Games.
Hear John discuss:
- What he learned competing against DraftKings and Fanduel in the UK and European markets
- Why he decided to pivot from a B2C to B2B business model
- How taking a scientific approach to gamification has helped Incentive Games become a leading developer of free-to-play games
- His strategy for taking Incentive Games into the regulated USA sports betting market
Learn more:
➡️ Incentive Games website
➡️ John Gordon on Linkedin
This episode of the Betting Startups podcast is brought to you by SBC Events, organizers of the world’s best sports betting and gaming industry events. To view the events calendar, visit www.sbcevents.com