The Betting Startups Podcast

Ep. 217: Turning sports narratives into "momentum markets" w/ Nick Meader from SpeedLabs

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: Childhood games with adult stakes w/ Jackson Erminio from Spina

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: Unpacking WagerWire's new prediction market license w/ Travis Geiger

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/

Bonus Episode: First place at First Pitch w/ Andrew Gonzalez from ParlayX

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: Combining responsible gaming with player retention to fix a leaky safety net w/ Alec Gehlot from PlaySignal

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: Meet the intelligence layer for the outcome economy w/ Gregory Tolmochow from Trendline Labs

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: Meet the First Pitch finalists competing for $100k in prizes

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: Building the AI-native orchestration layer for payments in gaming w/ Filip Michalsky from Soap Payments

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: Building DFS 3.0 to prioritize "less spreadsheets and more friends" w/ Matt Kelley from Fast Draft

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: Building the "aspirin" for casino game distribution headaches w/ David & Kavin from Hydrastack

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/