Business of Betting Podcast

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Sam Sadi from LiveScore Group. Hear them discuss: 1:52 - Sam's life after leaving Turkey, and then returning to start a sportsbook in 1998 2:36 - Understanding inflation in Turkey and historical economic comparisons 3:53 - The history of how the LiveScore Group came together 8:26 - How LiveScore Group is differentiate itself from other UK sportsbooks 10:11 - Developing an in-house sportsbook platform, and current efforts to migrate to it 11:35 - Sam's definition of being a world-class sportsbook product 20:29 - How Sam think about buying versus building core pieces of the technology stack 26:02 - Sam's take on the state of sports betting in 2024 28:18 - How Sam views unregulated markets 31:08 - Insights on the role of exchanges in the future of sports betting 35:45 - Regulation, the push for transparency, and consumer empowerment 42:39 - What Sam wants to be when he grows up ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Joe "Tall" Bunevith from GLI. Hear them discuss: 01:25 - What GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) does and their global reach. 02:31 - The presidential debate and the relevance of political debates in modern media. 03:29 - Joe's take on the impact of political debates and the change in political dynamics over the years. 10:11 - Poker, Joe's career shift, and his experience in the poker industry. 13:16 - Joe's journey from Massachusetts to Southern California and launching a poker training company. 17:41 - Insight into professional poker life, the importance of emotional control, and the rise of poker solvers. 22:49 - Joe’s role at GLI and the regulatory process for sports betting applications. 25:36 - The GLI 33 certification process and discusses regulatory challenges. 31:38 - The difficulties startups face in the current regulatory environment and the impact on innovation. 34:31 - Joe’s perspective on the lack of new entrants in the sports betting industry and the role of big players. ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Jake Williams. Hear them discuss: 02:00 -Jake’s experience in fatherhood and raising daughters as Jason shares his family dynamics. 04:15 - Jason's focus on health, exercise, and therapy; benefits of a healthy lifestyle. 11:15 - Jason’s reasons for not drinking alcohol and its positive impact on his life. 14:10 - Jake's thoughts on drinking culture and its role in social and professional settings. 16:55 - The current state of the sports betting industry and significant events. 20:55 - Analysis of fluctuating GGR numbers and the impact of VIP players. 23:10 - The regulatory environments and their impact on businesses. 26:45 - Moral implications of operating in unregulated markets. 30:50 - Jason's frustrations with the regulatory landscape and compliance challenges. 32:36 - Summer plans and work-life balance with taking time off to enjoy family vacations and relaxation. ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Scott Sadin from US Integrity. Hear them discuss: 01:00 - The recent conviction of former President Donald Trump, and how that will affect his current candidacy 05:27 - What it means to have 'integrity' in professional and collegiate sports, and how US Integrity is ensuring it 08:37 - How insider information can be used for nefarious purposes 10:32 - The role that sports properties play in ensuring integrity of their events and stakeholders 13:32 - How US Integrity responds to alerts of anomalies or irregularities 17:37 - Public perception of betting-related scandals, the role that media plays in it, and conflating 'outrage' with 'surprise' 23:55 - Scott's perspective and experience as a "picks and shovels" business within the regulated betting industry 25:54 - The consolidation of B2B companies within the industry, including US Integrity's recent merger with Odds On Compliance 27:15 - Additional verticals that US Integrity is considering expanding its business into 30:48 - The business risk associated with being a B2B provider during a time of consolidation and declining customers 32:27 - How Scott is feeling as an impending first-time parent 36:50 - What Scott wants to be when he grows up ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Adam Bjorn from Plannatech. Hear them discuss: 01:11 - Adam's recent travels throughout the US 03:37 - Adam's past experience in the offshore betting industry, and how it's similar/different to regulated markets 06:30 - The difficulty for regulators and prosecutors to enforce action against offshore operators 11:15 - What made Adam want to push for moving the unregulated to the regulated 14:03 - The jurisdictions that Adam sees as having the most favorable operating models 17:16 - Whether Adam sees himself as a professional bettor first or sportsbook operator first 19:16 - The relationship between Plannatech and Prime Sports 20:19 - What changes and innovations Adam is trying to bring to the industry 23:29 - Adam's take on the role that exchanges play, and what the future of them looks like 28:14 - Whether the low margin model can work in the regulated US market 30:33 - What Adam wants to be when he grows up ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Joe Asher from IGT. Hear them discuss: 01:35 - The background of IGT, Joe's role at the company, and where sports betting fits within the IGT business 07:12 - Nevada's head start with legal mobile betting, and how its model is different from other states 10:45 - The dynamic between brick-and-mortar and online operators, and the threat of cannibalization 14:36 - The state of horse racing, and whether track owners should benefit from legislative protections 18:20 - The role of government subsidies in regulated gaming, and in private industry more broadly 20:11 - Morality and ethics for operators of real-money gaming products 25:14 - Joe's appointment by President Biden to Chair of the Wilson Center 31:00 - Remaining non-partisan when debating policy matters 34:10 - What Joe wants to be when he grows up ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Joe Dunnigan from ALT Sports Data. Hear them discuss: 01:22 - The genesis of ALT Sports Data, and the problem they set out to solve in the market 05:25 - Why alternative sports don't historically have a culture of betting despite their popularity 07:21 - The target customer persona for betting on alternative sports 09:12 - How alternative sports are segmented, and which are the most popular ones 13:15 - Why ALT Sports Data is securing official data rights instead of aggregating data themselves 16:25 - Why they are building an owned B2C media platform in addition to provisioning odds on a B2B basis 17:29 - Funding background and team composition of ALT Sports Data 19:36 - The future of the relationship between data rights holders and sportsbook operators, and the sustainability of the existing model 23:47 - The appeal of live sports content with younger generations and demographics 26:07 - Being an entrepreneur in the later career stage, and the benefits that brings 29:15 - Focusing on a niche versus being everything to everybody 31:08 - What Joe wants to be when he grows up ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Matthew Trenhaile. In a bit of a twist on the standard format, the guest is the one asking the questions to our host! Hear them discuss: 02:14 - The Smarkets origin story, and why Jason thought an exchange was needed 08:32 - How Smarkets almost became a social betting platform, and the role that social features play in the exchange experience 13:03 - The Betafir API, developer ecosystems, and why Smarkets currently operates as a "closed garden" platform 21:44 - The backstory of how Smarkets came to be its own market maker, and the challenges that came with that 29:22 - Whether the value proposition of exchanges will ever become broadly appealing to recreational bettors 37:31 - The allure of pivoting to B2B for exchanges and syndicates 47:18 - The challenges of offering political betting markets 52:23 - Trading on Betfair in the early days 60:58 - What Matthew wants to be when he grows up ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Dillon Borgida from Betonu. Hear them discuss: 01:42 - NCAA basketball talk 03:20 - Breakdown of sportsbook VIP programs and how they work 08:26 - The role of VIP hosts 10:35 - Why Smarkets doesn't have a VIP program (so far) 15:00 - Why VIP players aren't necessarily price sensitive 16:04 - The different tiers of VIPs, and what perks each tier can expect 20:23 - The role of credit and offshore sportsbooks with VIP players 23:28 - VIPs, responsible gambling, and affordability checks 30:10 - What the next 10 years look like for VIP players in the regulated US market 33:29 - What Dillon wants to be when he grows up ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Greg Kajewski from BettorEdge. Hear them discuss: 01:00 - March Madness check-in 02:30 - Jason's collegiate wrestling career 05:38 - Introduction to BettorEdge 09:18 - Mechanics of transactions on BettorEdge, and how they are structured to ensure compliance 14:08 - BettorEdge's peer-to-peer betting model 16:32 - The different ways that BettorEdge monetizes its platform 20:21 - Attracting liquidity to the exchange 23:45 - Greg's opinion of Smarkets' strategy in the US market 25:34 - Marketing a betting product in a loud and crowded landscape 26:52 - BettorEdge funding and company backgrounder 28:49 - What Greg wants to be when he grows up ⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X ⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X ⚡️ Apply to be a guest 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.