Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
Ep. 167: Reduced juice for all w/ Gino Donati from BetOPENLY
Ep. 167 features Gino Donati from BetOPENLY, a peer-to-peer betting exchange eliminating the traditional sportsbook model by letting users bet directly against each other at true odds. This episode was recorded on-site at SBC Summit North America 2025 in Fort Lauderdale.
Hear him discuss:
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Growing up in a sports-betting Italian family and booking bets in high school
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How running numbers for syndicates gave him a window into the business
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Why BetOPENLY was originally built offshore and pre-PASPA repeal
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The core value prop of “win more, lose less” and how the 1% fee works
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How trolls on TikTok helped drive the platform’s early growth
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Why casual bettors and big action players both find value in the model
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How BetOPENLY avoids deposit bonuses and operates with ultra-thin margins
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Their “bet with friends” feature and zero-fee social sharing mechanic
- How the team is solving liquidity challenges through third-party partnerships with companies like Kutt, BettorEdge, and THNDR
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The legal framework that enables BetOPENLY to operate in 45 U.S. states
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Expansion plans including peer-to-peer blackjack, DFS, and prediction markets
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Gino’s other startup, Seed to Scale, and how he self-funds BetOPENLY
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Why he’s in no rush to raise or exit—and where he sees the ceiling for P2P betting
Catch the video version of this episode here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ BetOPENLY website
➡️ Gino Donati on Linkedin
The Canadian Gaming Summit is happening June 17–19 in Toronto! Don’t miss out — get 50% off your Full Event Pass using code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP at checkout. Grab your ticket now: https://sbcevents.com/canadian-gaming-summit/ticket-options/
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