

Business of Betting Podcast
Jason Trost
A podcast about the business side of the betting, wagering and investing world. Hosted by Jason Trost, and presented by Optimove.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 30, 2024 • 32min
E199 - David Frohardt-Lane from DL Trading
On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by David Frohardt-Lane from DL Trading.
Hear them discuss:
01:09 - David's background in high frequency market making
03:22 - Why David invested in Sporttrade's Series A funding round
05:20 - The price sensitivity of American bettors
07:54 - Comparing financial trading to trading sports betting markets
10:15 - Deep dive on DL Trading's role as Sporttrade's principal market maker
14:22 - The challenges of trading sports at scale
16:39 - Attracting liquidity to betting exchanges
21:58 - Revisiting the 2020 US Presidential Election on betting exchanges, and thoughts on the upcoming 2024 election
25:03 - David's thoughts on Smarkets
26:44 - DL Trading's B2B ambitions
29:59 - What David 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.

Jan 20, 2024 • 27min
E198 - Brad Allen from Eilers & Krejcik
On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Brad Allen from Eilers & Krejcik.
Hear them discuss:
01:34 - The origin of Brad’s weekly podcast, Zero Latency
03:05 - Brad takes control of the host chair and asks Jason questions
03:48 - Smarkets’ initial plans to enter the US market, and how that’s changed over time
06:46 - How Smarkets is localizing its core product to the US market
09:27 - Smarkets’ future prospects and opportunities in the US
11:31 - The allure of high margin products like same-game parlays
13:30 - Why Smarkets decided to build its own geolocation solution internally
17:17 - The B2B opportunity for Smarkets to commercialize its geolocation solution
18:58 - Brad’s view of the industry, and which operator he thinks could be a “game changer”
21:27 - Where ESPN Bet fits into the landscape since its launch
25:04 - Why Brad thinks that Rush Street Interactive is a good acquisition candidate
25:54 - What Brad 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.

Jan 16, 2024 • 35min
E197 - Jacob Fortinsky from Novig
On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Jacob Fortinsky, co-founder & CEO of Novig.
Hear them discuss:
02:43 - The current controversy at Harvard, Jacob's alma mater
06:40 - Companies taking political stances, and how Jason and Jacob think about that within their companies
09:31 - Jacob's experience meeting Paul Graham, the founder of Y Combinator
12:04 - High concept overview of Novig
13:35 - Raising $7 million from investors to build Novig
15:30 - What Jacob thinks Jason should have done differently building Smarkets
17:48 - Attracting institutional liquidity providers to sports betting exchanges
20:05 - Sports betting as a zero sum game
24:14 - Price sensitivity of different customer segments
25:50 - Novig's recent launch in Colorado
29:42 - The Novig business model
31:09 - Why the Novig exchange had to launch as a fixed odds sportsbook
32:47 - What Jacob 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.

Dec 15, 2023 • 30min
E196 - Paris Smith
On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Paris Smith, the former CEO of Pinnacle.
Hear them discuss:
00:47 - Thoughts on the US
02:45 - When Paris beat Jason in a poker tournament
06:42 - The low margin sportsbook model
10:37 - Her tenure at Pinnacle
13:53 - Comparing Pinnacle to bet365
16:31 - Her take on the exchange model
20:40 - Departing Pinnacle after 17 years as CEO
23:07 - The importance of getting peer support
26:14 - Life living in the Caribbean
⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X
⚡️ Follow Jason on Twitter/X
⚡️ Apply to be a guest: businessofbetting@gmail.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 11, 2023 • 31min
E195 - Jesse Learmonth from The Betting Startups Podcast
On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Jesse Learmonth, host of The Betting Startups Podcast.
Jesse has interviewed almost 100 industry startup founders, and has a unique lens on the industry's early-stage ecosystem. He has been in the industry for 14 years as a founder, an executive at Pinnacle Sports, and advisor to several industry startups.
Timecodes:
00:54 - Launching The Betting Startups Podcast
04:01 - Choosing a podcast format
06:42 - Authenticity in interview-based podcasts
09:31 - Areas of pushback on startup founders
13:45 - Competing on price in sports betting
19:41 - Why the low-margin model isn't more mainstream
24:27 - Why BoB hasn't had a new episode in 3 months
25:27 - Partnership announcement between BoB and The Betting Startups Podcast
27:56 - Future plans for BoB and call for guests
30:29 - Jason and Jesse's boring video backgrounds
Follow us on: https://twitter.com/bettingpod / @businessofbetting
Get in touch: https://twitter.com/jasontrost
businessofbetting@gmail.com
#business #betting #podcast #businessofbetting #smarkets #exchange #sportsbook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 1, 2023 • 36min
E194 - Joey Levy from Betr
On this weeks edition of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Joey Levy from Betr.
With the backing of social media personality and boxer, Jake Paul, Joey is the Founder and CEO of Betr which is the first direct-to-consumer micro-betting focused sports betting company. Betr has also launched a new media venture for the next generation of sports fans. Betr is setting out to disrupt legacy gambling and legacy media, with a mission of making sports and betting Betr.
Timecodes:
00:46 - Who is Joey Levy and what is Betr?
07:46 - What type of product is Betr?
09:51 - What is the vision with Betr?
13:21 - Customer / revenue numbers
18:35 - What is it like working with somebody else's code?
21:43 - What is Joey's view on the Friedberg hypothesis?
31:48 - What is the goal with Betr?
35:23 - What does Joey want to be when he grows up?
#betting #business #exchange #podcast #smarkets #betr
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 18, 2023 • 39min
E193 - Vinit Bharara from Mojo
On this weeks edition of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Vinit Bharara, Co-Founder & CEO of Mojo.
After just over two years working as an attorney in New York in the late 1990's, Vinit decided to change career paths and become an entrepreneur.
Vinit is now onto his fifth start-up with Mojo which is the first ever licensed sports betting stock market.
Timecodes:
00:20 - Introduction
02:05 - Vinit's background story
03:55 - Vinit's early days as an entrepreneur
05:30 - What kind of entrepreneur is Vinit?
06:45 - What is Mojo?
10:23 - The mechanics of Mojo
22:39 - Mojo's business of model
24:22 - What is becoming a bigger part of Mojo?
27:23 - Why was Mojo set up?
29:43 - What does Mojo class itself as?
33:33 - What is next for Mojo?
34:44 - What does Vinit want to be when he grows up?
#betting #business #podcast #businessofbetting
Download SBK: https://getsbk.com
Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/sbk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 25, 2023 • 35min
E192 - Evan Kirkham from Outlier
On this edition of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Evan Kirkham, Co-Founder & CEO of Outlier.
Having previously worked as an attorney for over 10 years, in October 2020 Evan launched Outlier as a startup CEO and hasn't looked back since almost three years down the line.
Outlier is a first-of-its-kind sports betting platform where sports fans can browse, analyze, and execute bets with confidence.
Timecodes:
00:35 - A message to fans of the podcast
02:38 - Getting to know Evan Kirkham
07:18 - What is Outlier?
08:30 - Why did Evan launch Outlier?
12:45 - Is this a good time to be a startup?
15:23 - Outlier's business model
17:09 - What makes a customer want to join Outlier?
19:48 - Where do Outlier get their insights?
20:45 - Discussion on the different sports data providers
23:44 - Who are Outlier's competitors?
25:56 - Sports betting in Texas
30:26 - Evan's vision for sports betting
33:59 - What does Evan want to be when he grows up?
Follow us on: https://twitter.com/bettingpod / @businessofbetting
Get in touch: https://twitter.com/jasontrost
businessofbetting@gmail.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 24, 2023 • 43min
E191 - Chris Bevilacqua from SimpleBet
On this edition of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Chris Bevilacqua, Founder & CEO of SimpleBet.
With a passion for sport held from an early age, Chris started his career as part of the video production team at NBC, making promos for NBA & NFL games.
After a successful period in the TV industry in which Chris won awards, he decided to launch SimpleBet in 2018. SimpleBet is a B2B product development company using machine learning and automation to make every moment of every sporting event a betting opportunity.
Timecodes:
00:30 - Introduction to SimpleBet
01:13 - Chris' passion for wrestling and the lessons it has taught him
07:53 - Chris's background story
16:18 - The future of live sports broadcasting
23:50 - Why did Chris co-found SimpleBet?
26:38 - The SimpleBet product and how it generates money
28:35 - Does SimpleBet have competitors? How does it stand out?
30:09 - Example of a SimpleBet market which can't be found elsewhere
31:16 - How do SimpleBet get their data?
35:25 - Will the likes of Draft Kings start to do this themselves?
36:55 - The makeup of the business & what's next for SimpleBet
41:42 - What does Chris want to do when he grows up
Follow us on: https://twitter.com/bettingpod / @businessofbetting
Get in touch: https://twitter.com/jasontrost
businessofbetting@gmail.com
#business #betting #podcast #businessofbetting #smarkets #exchange #sportsbook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 9, 2023 • 35min
E190 - Soo Kim from Bally’s
On this edition of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally's Corporation.
Soo is the founding partner of investment firm Standard General L.P. & is the firm's Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer. Soo has a wealth of experience in the investment space, but has also been involved in the evolution of the gaming industry.
Timecodes:
00:57 - Soo's background
03:30 - What kind of entity is Standard General?
05:09 - The structure of a Hedge Fund
07:55 - Types of investment
13:15 - What does Soo class himself as?
17:35 - Bally's thesis
23:48 - How does Bally's differ from its competitors?
25:07 - Bally's acquisition strategy
26:56 - Raising share price
29:39 - Could the physical and online business be separated?
30:47 - Soo's view on sports betting
33:11 - What does Soo want to be when he grows up?
Follow us on: https://twitter.com/bettingpod / @businessofbetting
Get in touch: https://twitter.com/jasontrost
businessofbetting@gmail.com
#business #betting #podcast #businessofbetting #smarkets #exchange #sportsbook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.