The Betting Startups Podcast

Ep. 192: Ask Me Anything w/ Jesse from BettingStartups

Ep. 192 features Jesse Learmonth in a special "Ask Me Anything" edition of the Betting Startups Podcast, where he flips the script and answers questions from founders, operators, and builders across the gaming ecosystem.Hear him discuss:
The biggest lessons from nearly 200 podcast episodes, including why industry experience and distribution matter more than ever for startup success
What surprised him most in 2025: prediction markets, the blurring lines between betting, finance, and speculation, and what that means for founders
Common mistakes founders make, from confusing personal pain points with real market opportunities to poorly framing “use of funds” in pitch decks
How bettors are evolving, why access (not tools) is now the biggest constraint, and how prediction markets are changing the landscape in 2026
Jesse’s vision for Betting Startups in 2026, including new products, events, a tech platform, and plans to raise strategic (non-institutional) capital
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Jesse Learmonth 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/
 
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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.

Ep. 191: Why web betting is dead w/ Joshua Swerdlow from ChatBet AI

Ep. 191 features Joshua Swerdlow, from ChatBet AI, an AI-powered sports betting platform built to deliver smarter, more personalized betting experiences through data and conversational technology.
 
Hear him discuss:
Josh’s background and the leap he took moving from England to Tel Aviv 
What ChatBet is and how he is using AI to reshape the sports betting experience
What his go-to-market strategy was and major lessons from launching 
Why Josh believes that the user experience sits at the center of ChatBet’s product philosophy and why it is so key 
The realities when it comes to gaining capital in the start up world 
How Josh has navigated the startup ecosystem from working with startups to now running his own
How Chat Bet AI uses data-driven insights to create better outcomes for bettors
Key lessons learned as a first-time founder
The vision for 2026 and ChatBet’s long-term growth and engagement strategy, hint the World Cup is involved
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
 
➡️ ChatBet AI website
➡️ Joshua Swerdlow 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/
 
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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.

Ep. 190: Inside the Retention Shift w/ Irakli “Marcus” Davarashvili from Promofy

Ep. 190 features Irakli “Marcus” Davarashvili, Founder & CEO of Promofy, for a deep dive into the global rise of AI-powered gamification and how operators are rethinking loyalty, engagement, and retention.
Hear him discuss:
His 13-year journey across advertising, brand building, and iGaming leadership and how operational pain points at scale inspired him to build Promofy
What Promofy is: an AI-driven, no-code gamification platform that lets operators launch loyalty systems, missions, sports predictors, prize drops, kiosks, and full-page engagement experiences in minutes
How Promofy’s rapid traction and product innovation led to winning “Launch of the Year” at the Starties, and why that recognition validated the team’s vision and executio
Why global operators misunderstand “gamification,” and how true gamified ecosystems differ from simple bonuses, cashbacks, and tournament
The massive market shift away from bonus-led retention to personalized and behavior-driven engagemen
Regional adoption trends across LATAM, Europe, Asia, CIS, and North America plus why gamification is becoming “must-have” instead of “nice-to-have
How Promofy differentiates itself with AI design tools, content generators, sports prediction engines, casino loyalty, and a full library of mechanics that operators can test and optimiz
The challenges and realities of fundraising as a first-time founder, why saying “yes” and “no” matter equally, and what kinds of investors Promofy is seeking today
The transition from operator to entrepreneur expectations vs. reality, resilience, failure tolerance, and why agility is a survival skil
Why 2026 will be a breakout year driven by global expansion, new product launches, and massive demand heading into the World Cup
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
 
➡️ Promofy website
➡️ Irakli  Davarashvili 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/
 
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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.

Ep. 189: Bringing the fun back to sports betting w/ Artie, Ben & Ryan from Golden Camel

Ep. 189 features the three co-founders of Golden Camel, Artie, Ben, and Ryan, for a lively deep dive into building a sports-betting lifestyle app rooted in community, fun, and authenticity.
Hear them discuss:
How a series of career pivots led them to partner up on Golden Camel a number of years after the original idea was sparked
Why Golden Camel rejects “beat the house” culture, instead leaning into fun and community - while also still providing utility 
Why they see brand as a differentiator within the betting tools category, and how they plan to leverage that to acquire users
The state of U.S. betting culture in 2025, the rise of prediction markets, and why they feel they're in the right place at the right time with Golden Camel
Their go-to-market strategy in Arizona, and why authentic content + in-person community building is their biggest growth engine
Why they think that Silicon Valley VC's have largely been absent from the sports betting industry, and how they see that evolving
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
 
➡️ Golden Camel website
➡️ Artie Baxter on Linkedin
➡️ Ben Ramirez on Linkedin
➡️ Ryan Magrum 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/
 
---
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.

Ep. 188: Building 'Zapier for iGaming' w/ James King from Flows

Ep. 188 features James King, CEO & Co-Founder of Flows, for a deep dive into building a no-code automation platform powering some of the biggest operators in global gaming.
Hear him discuss:
His 16-year industry journey across iGB Affiliate, Clarion Events, and Gaming Innovation Group and how industry-wide tech frustration inspired the founding of Flows
What Flows actually is: a no-code automation layer that ingests real-time data and lets teams build alerts, bonus engines, jackpots, omnichannel loyalty, and more all without developers
How operators integrate Flows, the speed of deployment, and why its Zapier-like interface is built to handle billions of gaming events
The company’s commercial model, recent traction, and major U.S. launches
Why the U.S. remains the biggest long-term opportunity despite slow sales cycles, and how Flows is navigating sweeps, prediction markets, and regulated operators
Why Flows sees itself as a tech company in gaming and how its technology can extend to fintech, retail, and other enterprise verticals
The rationale behind choosing a strategic investment from Light & Wonder over traditional VC, and how the partnership has helped accelerate growth
A candid look at the overloaded conference landscape, which events actually deliver ROI, and which ones startups should prioritize
What’s coming in 2026, new products, AI-driven innovation tools, expanded U.S. growth, and deeper empowerment for teams to build and automate faster than ever
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
 
➡️ Flows website
➡️ James King 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/
 
---
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.

Special Episode: The future of racing w/ Daniel O' Sullivan & Sebastian Butterworth

This special episode features Seb Butterworth from Flutter and Dan O’Sullivan from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), for a deep dive into the future of horse racing — and how the sport is preparing to engage a new generation of fans.
 
Hear them discuss:
The origins and findings of Project Beacon, and what the research reveals about younger and casual audiences
Why horse welfare, race education, race day experience, and behind-the-scenes access are the four critical innovation themes
How behind-the-scenes content can build emotional connection and improve understanding of horse welfare
Why racing struggles with context and “the why” for non-core audiences — and how narrative and storytelling can change that
Flutter’s approach to modernizing a tradition-rich sport while preserving what makes racing special
How simplifying the race card (without removing complexity) can make the sport more accessible to newcomers
The role of technology, wearables, and data in creating richer fan experiences and improving equine welfare
Early signals from other sports and how innovations like ref-cam, jockey cam, and training-yard content could shape racing’s future
Why digital platforms will be essential to reaching the next generation of fans
Details of the Future of Racing startup program: application window, pitch event, evaluation criteria, and potential commercial opportunities
Applications for the program are open until November 23, culminating in a Shark Tank style pitch at York Racecourse in February 2026.
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Daniel O'Sullivan on Linkedin➡️ Sebastian Butterworth 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/

The Gamble & The Glory: S2 E2 - John Levy from theScore

The Gamble & The Glory showcases founders that built their companies into category leaders in the betting and gaming industry.
In S2 E2, we speak with John Levy, founder and former CEO of theScore. John shares the remarkable 25+ year journey behind one of Canada’s most iconic sports media and betting brands from its roots in cable television to becoming a digital powerhouse and ultimately exiting for over $2 billion.Hear him discuss:
The early days of Sportscope and how it evolved into theScore
How selling the TV network unlocked theScore’s digital transformation
Selling the media assets to bet the future of the company on digital media and technology
Why Penn’s acquisition derailed early and what went wrong with the integration
Lessons from scaling a family-run business and defining clear leadership roles
His candid thoughts on ESPN BET, Barstool, Dave Portnoy, and partnership misalignment
How theScore Bet could have continued to grow under an independent model
The future of sports betting across AI, microbetting, and next-gen fan behavior
How theScore was able to punch above its weight, and John's advice to startup founders on how to do the same
Why authenticity, resilience, and focus define long-term winners
What’s next for John Levy, and whether another venture is on the horizon
For more of John's comments on the recent ESPN Bet news, check out his recent podcast with Steve McAllister on Gaming News Canada: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uocQx14rRzS92YF8wlnqC?si=ce3b2267cfad4a57
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇➡️ theScore website➡️ John Levy on Linkedin
 
 
The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose-built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca.

Ep. 187: Finding a forever home as a prediction market w/ Jake Benzaquen from ProphetX

Ep. 187 features Jake Benzaquen, Co-Founder and CEO of ProphetX, for a deep dive into the company’s latest evolution from regulated exchange to sweepstakes model, to now filing with the CFTC to operate as a fully regulated marketplace for sports event contracts.Hear him discuss:
The journey from launching in New Jersey as an OSB to building a national presence under the sweepstakes model
Why ProphetX is now pivoting to the CFTC model and what it means for the future
Lessons from scaling a sports betting exchange across multiple states
How product validation and customer feedback shaped ProphetX’s direction
Building an RFQ (Request for Quote) system for parlays, and why it’s a game-changer
Why ProphetX will focus on sports-first markets, and why it's not launching with political or pop culture markets
The two primary reasons why they decided to launch without an affiliated trading arm
Competing with industry giants like Kalshi, Polymarket, and DraftKings through product innovation
The growing cultural influence of prediction markets
How distribution partnerships and B2B integrations will drive user acquisition
Jake’s reflections on seven years of startup grit, team growth, and finding motivation for the next phase
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
 
➡️ ProphetX website
➡️ Jake Benzaquen 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/
 
---
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.

Ep. 186: The esports betting infrastructure layer w/ Marek Suchar from Oddin.gg

Ep. 186 features Marek Suchar, Co-founder and Managing Director at Oddin.gg, a leading B2B provider of end-to-end esports betting solutions for global bookmakers.
 
Hear him discuss:
His journey from nearly a decade in finance at Citibank to co-founding one of the industry’s fastest-growing esports betting platforms
How an early pivot from B2C to B2B set Oddin.gg on the path to success
Why esports audiences are fundamentally different, and how authenticity and community are key to engaging them
The challenges of building a live in-play esports betting product, from latency to constantly evolving game metas
How Oddin.gg differentiates itself with a one-stop-shop offering, including data feeds, odds models, risk management, simulators, and marketing support
Why Oddin acquired a marketing agency to help partners connect with esports fans through influencers, teams, and content
The company’s focus on profitability, M&A opportunities, and building a larger tech-driven group beyond esports betting
What Marek sees as the next wave of growth for esports betting and why consolidation is accelerating across the sector
Lessons learned transitioning from startup survival to scale-up leadership and the importance of process and structure as the team grows past 300 people
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
 
➡️ Oddin.gg website
➡️ Marek Suchar 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/
 
---
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.

Ep. 185: Productizing a passion for baseball w/ Adam Rosenberg

Ep. 185 features Adam Rosenberg, co-founder of HandiGraphs, a betting analytics platform built by and for baseball fans.
 
Hear him discuss:
His journey from political fundraising and brand strategy to PR and marketing in the sports betting industry
How a friendship in the Outlier Discord led to co-founding HandiGraphs with CJ Buskey
Why baseball’s intimidating data landscape inspired the creation of a simpler, more visual analytics tool
How HandiGraphs identifies edges using proprietary plate appearance metrics (30/60/90 PA splits)
Lessons learned from building a sticky, subscription-based product with near-zero churn
Why education and “over-teaching” users became central to their go-to-market strategy
Balancing side project and startup life — and what comes next for HandiGraphs in 2025
The role his podcast Dads Bet Baseball plays as both creative outlet and marketing engine
Common mistakes early-stage founders make in PR and how to tell a clear, differentiated story
Why Adam lives by the philosophy “Be helpful” — and how generosity and curiosity drive success in this industry
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
 
➡️ Handigraphs website
➡️ Adam Rosenberg's socials
 
📩 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/
 
---
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.