NEXT.io Podcast

Jesper Kärrbrink has a background in e-commerce, media and gambling. Several CEO positions since 1993, among those; Svenska Spel and Mr Green. Co-founder of gaming studio Green Jade Games.

Peter-Paul de Goeij is the managing director of Dutch online gambling trade organisation, ‘Speel Verantwoord’. Speel Verantwoord aspires to achieve and promote a safe and responsible online gambling offering in the Netherlands.   Next to MD of Speel Verantwoord, De Goeij is also the founder of Quod Bonum Consulting, an independent Dutch IT & telecom, gambling and lottery consulting firm, drawing on his more than 20 years’ experience in the fields of general management, licence application, legal and regulatory and public affairs.

Heidi Lofthus is an iGaming industry veteran, closing in on 15 years within the industry having worked both with suppliers and operators alike. Her iGaming journey started with operational roles in Gibraltar and Sweden and she has been active in Malta over the last 10 years. She has broad experience ranging from managing start-ups, mid-sized and larger corporates. She currently holds the position as Chief People Officer of ComeOn Group and oversees an 550+ staff strong operation, active across multiple geographical locations, heading a team of 20 with functions ranging from People Experience to traditional Human Resources.

Todd Haushalter is Chief Product Officer at Evolution Gaming. Todd is responsible for all aspects of Evolution’s game innovation and new product development, including the creation of award-winning titles such as MONOPOLY Live and Lightning Roulette. Prior to this, he was Corporate Vice President of Gaming Operations at MGM and Vice President of Business Strategy at Shuffle Master. He has a wide and varied knowledge of the casino industry.

Carl Fredrik is the Secretary General of the Norwegian Trade association (NBO) representing several major iGaming organisations since May 2019. Background: 20 years working for the monopoly in Norway, Commercial director for Rikstoto 2013 - 2019 (jan).

Leading the GamingMalta Foundation - a non-profit foundation set up by the Government of Malta and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) - since 2018, Ivan together with his team spearheads efforts in promoting Malta as a centre of excellence in the digital and remote gaming sector globally. Ivan is also responsible for liaising with the local relevant authorities to improve Malta’s attractiveness as a jurisdiction and enhance the ecosystem surrounding the gaming industry. Under Ivan’s leadership the GamingMalta Foundation has taken a broader of gaming encompassing iGaming, esports and video gaming.

Gustaf Hoffstedt is the Secretary General of BOS, the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling, since 2015. Prior to joining BOS, Gustaf served as a Member of the Swedish Parliament for the Moderate party. Gustaf has fought for the abolition of the Swedish gambling monopoly and the implementation of a licensing system for more than a decade. He is pleased with the Swedish regulation but at the same time concerned about political attempts to drastically change the newly implemented regulation.

Angelo Dalli is an AI expert and serial tech entrepreneur, combining deep technical ability with commercial acumen.  Angelo founded 9 startups, was involved in 4 IPOs, invested in numerous Technology, Entertainment and Fintech companies, and secured investments from EU funds, Angel Investors and VCs. Angelo is an EBAN member, WBAF senator and BAM president, and was twice named as Malta’s Top Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014 and 2019.  Holding a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Angelo authored over 23 papers about Artificial Intelligence, Language Processing and Search Engines. Angelo won a bronze medal at the 1995 International Olympiad in Informatics.

Jesper Svensson has been in the gaming industry since the mid-2000s. Over the years he worked in senior positions in several gaming companies in Europe and Asia. He joined Betsson in 2013 as the managing director of its flagship brand, betsson.com. In 2015 he became Betsson’s Chief Commercial Officer and was then made acting CEO in September 2017. Just three months later, he was appointed as CEO for Betsson Operations. Jesper holds a Master in International Business from EAE Business School (Barcelona) and a Bachelor in Marketing from BI Norwegian Business School (Oslo). Jesper is passionate about sports and gaming.  📍 Channelisation in the Swedish market 📍 Ethical approach to marketing in the current climate 📍 What emerging markets are Betsson looking into? 📍 How does a deal like Rizk happen? What considerations are taken to understand value, synergies etc. 📍 What are the secrets to Betssons success in its company culture? 📍 Where is Betsson in five years?

Robin Eirik Reed Co-founded GiG 10 years ago and successfully grew the company to €150m revenue. In 2019, Robin became an inductee in the iGaming IDOL Hall of Fame. In this episode we discuss what Robin has been up to since leaving GiG, the current state of the industry, and the recently announced stricter regulation in Sweden.