The Betting Startups Podcast

Ep. 136: Fueling betting model development w/ Matt Bresler from Odditt

Ep. 136 features Matt Bresler, Founder and CEO of Odditt, a suite of world-class sports betting tools and analytics. This episode was recorded in person with Jesse at the G2E conference in Las Vegas.Hear them discuss:
Why Matt relocated to Las Vegas to work on Odditt, and the value that move has brought to the company
Matt's experience participating in ZeroLabs' inaugural cohort, and more recently as a mentor in the latest cohort
How developing his own betting models uncovered the problem that Odditt is now solving
The distinction that prompted Odditt to pivot from its original idea
How Odditt's platform helps to bring closer alignment between quant teams and trading teams within sportsbooks
The challenges of compiling a data set that spans thousands of leagues, 150+ countries, and 30+ sports
Why Matt is thinking about launching "a data accelerator with early stage startups"
News that Odditt has recently closed a new round of funding, and why Matt chose to avoid institutional capital for the round
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Odditt website
➡️ Matt Bresler on Linkedin
 
 
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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. 135: Investor Vibe Check - Q3 2024

Ep. 135 is our quarterly Investor Vibe Check, where we chat with 3 industry investors to get their perspective on the landscape from their side of the table.The vibe check for Q3 features Evan Meyer (Astralis Capital), Paris Smith (Life Winning), and Joel Simkins (XST Capital).
Hear them discuss:
Their investing background, and current focus areas within real-money gaming
Recent consolidation amongst micro-betting technology providers, and how they see that shifting the dynamics within the category
Why legacy media has struggled integrating betting content, while many startups are seemingly make it work
Why new media strategies have greater impact driving player behavior
Brazil market expectations post-regulation, how it's similar/different to the US, how operators are preparing for regulation, and opportunities for startups in that market
Their perspectives on the sweepstakes model, and its attractiveness as capital allocators
Advice for founders on seeking mentorship and support from industry veterans
 
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribed to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
 
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
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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. 134: Life after product-market fit w/ Evan Kirkham from Outlier

Ep. 134 features Evan Kirkham from Outlier, which is a cutting-edge sports betting app that helps users make smarter bets, no matter the sportsbook. 
 
Hear him discuss:
How life has changed for Evan and the Outlier team after finding product-market fit since his last appearance on the podcast
Insight into Outlier's internal product development process, and how they maintain a strong shipping cadence with a lean team
The flywheel that has led to Outlier pushing over 500,000 bets per week to sportsbook partners
His guiding principles on team building and scaling headcount
Why Outlier has eschewed affiliate revenue despite it being an obvious monetization channel
His assessment of the competitive landscape within the betting tools category
What he learned after launching a fundraising process earlier this year, and why he ultimately abandoned it in favor of organic growth
His approach to doing cold outreach to get calls with in-demand people
 
G2E Quick Hits interest form 👇 https://forms.monday.com/forms/396c8ee610fafa76488de31ab2522442?r=use1
📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribed to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/
Catch the video version of this episode here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Outlier website
➡️ Evan Kirkham on Linkedin
 
 
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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. 133: Winning the SBC First Pitch w/ Radek Psurny from Match Hype

Ep. 133 features the winner of SBC's First Pitch, Radek Psurny from Match Hype.
 
Hear them discuss:
Radek's reflections on winning the SBC First Pitch competition and pitching on the big stage
The journey of building Match Hype, a platform for dynamic sportsbook video content
How Match Hype automates videos with real-time stats, predictions, and content in 30+ languages
The tech behind Match Hype being built by an experienced team
Match Hype's future plans with live content
The opening of their seed fundraising round to embrace growth.
Radek's 5-year vision to make Match Hype a global leader in sports content
 
G2E Quick Hits interest form 👇 https://forms.monday.com/forms/396c8ee610fafa76488de31ab2522442?r=use1
 
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Match Hype website
➡️ Radek Psurny on Linkedin
 
 
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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. 132: Driving golf's betting culture w/ Keith Stewart from Read the Line

Ep. 132 features Keith Stewart from Read the Line, which delivers actionable golf betting insights & analysis from the perspective of a PGA Professional.
 
Hear him discuss:
His life's journey in golf and how becoming a PGA Professional has elevated his career
Four reasons why golf is one of the best sports for betting
The origins of Read the Line and how it's filling a gap in the golf content space.
The importance of why Read the Line covers the LPGA
How proactive content is a key differentiator in the golf media industry
His efforts on growing Read the Line's media partnerships
The three main revenue drivers for Read the Line
The plan to grow and scale Read the Line, including venturing into additional secondary sports
G2E Quick Hits interest form 👇 https://forms.monday.com/forms/396c8ee610fafa76488de31ab2522442?r=use1
 
Looking to attend SBC Summit? If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/tickets
 
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Read The Line website
➡️ Keith Stewart on Linkedin
 
 
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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. 131: Breaking Barriers in Betting w/ Kelly Kehn, Paris Smith, and Sue Schneider from Defy the Odds

Ep. 131 features Kelly Kehn, Paris Smith, and Sue Schneider from Defy the Odds, which leverages community, mentorship, and capital to drive innovation for the future of gaming.Hear them discuss:
Kelly’s broad industry experience that includes time Bodog, to launching the All-in Diversity Project as a not-for-profit, to venture capital with HappyHour.io
Paris’ 17-year experience as CEO of Pinnacle, and transition to angel investing and advising in her post-Pinnacle career
Sue’s unique career path from social services to most recently leading growth & strategy in the Americas for SBC
The origins of Defy the Odds, and how a meetup in Curacao solidified their plans to launch the project
How the 3 of them will leverage their collective 7+ decades of industry experience to create new pathways into the industry for underrepresented founders
The qualities and characteristics that Defy the Odds looks for in the founders it supports
The engagement model for Defy the Odds, and ambitions to launch a corresponding fund
Their first partnership with Zero Labs ahead of the incubator's 3rd cohort next month
What excites the 3 of them about the real-money gaming industry in 2024
 
Looking to attend SBC Summit? If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/tickets
 
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Defy the Odds website
➡️ Kelly Kehn on Linkedin
➡️ Paris Smith on Linkedin
➡️ Sue Schneider on Linkedin
 
 
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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. 130: Betting on the growth of truck and tractor pulling w/ Chase Richardson from Full Pull

Ep. 130 features Chase Richardson from Full Pull, which is growing the sport of truck and tractor pulling through innovative real money gaming and digital streaming platforms.
 
Hear him discuss:
An introduction to the sport of truck and tractor pulling, and why it's perfectly suited for betting
The launch of Full Pull's real-money gaming product, and how the early response has been
How content and streaming will attract new fans, including through its partnership with Betr
The role of sponsorship in generating revenue to support the sport’s growth
How his background as an NCAA Div. 1 basketball coach helped prepare him to compete in business
The unique story of how industry veteran Benjie Cherniak, became involved in Full Pull
His experience entering the real-money gaming space, and his advice for other founders looking break into it
 
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Full Pull website
➡️ Chase Richardson on Linkedin
 
 
--
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. 129: Meet the SBC First Pitch Finalists!

Ep. 129 is the official First Pitch preview episode, where we will meet the 5 startups selected to present at SBC Summit on September 24 in Lisbon, Portugal.Sue Schneider, VP of Growth and Strategy for the Americas at SBC, shares her perspective of the upcoming event, discussing the diversity of submissions, the evolution of First Pitch, and opportunities for all startups at the Summit.
In this episode, you will hear from the five finalists:
Adam Fonsica from Random State
Tom Lemke from SavageTech
Shawn Tucker from StatX Sports
Radek Psurny from Match Hype
Mark Flores Martin from XGENIA
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 around €118,800 to assist in the winner’s development and growth plans.
The First Pitch event is hosted by BettingStartups.com's Jesse Learmonth.
Judges for the event:
Paris Smith from Life Winning
Mark Blandford from Burlywood Capital
Javier Altamirano from Sportradar
Adam Krejcik from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC
Martin Collins from Soft2Bet
If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass. Grab your ticket here. 
Watch this episode on Youtube.
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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. 128: The quest to eliminate sportsbook downtime w/ Rob Urwin and Sabin Brooks from Bettormetrics

Ep. 128 features Rob Urwin and Sabin Brooks from Bettormetrics, which offers next-generation sports trading analytics.
 
Hear them discuss:
Rob’s background co-founding BetNOW, a VC-backed startup that enabled mobile betting via SMS (before iPhones were invented!)
Sabin’s journey through working at Sky Sports, SkyBet, and PartyPoker.com
How Bettormetrics is helping trading teams reduce market downtime, and how that's positively impacting sportsbook KPIs
A look behind the curtain at trading operations at sportsbooks, and why live markets get suspended in the first place
Overcoming objections in the B2B sales cycle
Bettormetrics’ recent Series A funding led by BettorCapital and Velo Partners
Comparing and contrasting sportsbook trading approaches in the UK and the US
 
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
 
Learn more 👇
➡️ Bettormetrics website
➡️ Rob Urwin on Linkedin
➡️ Sabin Brooks on Linkedin
 
 
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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. 127: Blazing the trail in "DFS 3.0" w/ Daniel Zimmerman from Verse Fantasy

Ep. 127 features Dan Zimmerman from Verse Fantasy which fuses fantasy sports and real-money gaming.
Hear him discuss:
His original idea of launching a betting exchange, which he realized would be "a very difficult endeavor" - thus triggering an early pivot to DFS
How the LeagueSync product allows season-long fantasy players to win real-money on weekly matchups
Using product-led growth tactics to drive user adoption of the Verse Fantasy app
The recent launch of Verse Media, which was "built to serve as Verse Fantasy's own affiliate"
The various content-led marketing tactics that Verse is focusing on, and the metrics they're seeing from it
A breakdown of his current thesis on the emergence of DFS 3.0
Why he feels that Verse Fantasy is well insulated from any potential regulatory changes to DFS in various states 
Exclusive breaking news that Verse Fantasy just closed a $1.1 million pre-seed round led by Frontstage Ventures
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Verse Fantasy website
➡️ Daniel Zimmerman on Linkedin
 
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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.