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4 days ago
4 days ago
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/
Tuesday May 19, 2026
Tuesday May 19, 2026
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/
Tuesday May 12, 2026
Tuesday May 12, 2026
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/
Tuesday May 05, 2026
Tuesday May 05, 2026
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/
Tuesday Apr 28, 2026
Tuesday Apr 28, 2026
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/
Tuesday Apr 21, 2026
Tuesday Apr 21, 2026
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/
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026
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/
Tuesday Apr 07, 2026
Tuesday Apr 07, 2026
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/
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
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.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Intelitics website
➡️ Allan Stone 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/
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
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/