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Episodes
Monday Aug 12, 2024
Monday Aug 12, 2024
We're back with Ep. 9 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry. In this one, we speak with Jay Deuskar & Dylan Cooper from PrizePicks.Hear them discuss:
The origin story of PrizePicks with its goal to simplify the DFS experience for casual fans
How the PASPA repeal created an opportunity for PrizePicks to attack DFS while the incumbents shifted focus to sports betting
The key early growth moment that made them realize they had found product-market fit
How leveraging partnerships with athletes, sports teams, and arenas has helped them build a mass market brand
Scaling company culture while managing rapid growth in the business
The company’s lean fundraising journey and heavy focus on intentional growth
Why PrizePicks is investing so heavily in esports, and how that's translating into business results
What motivates them to keep pushing forward despite all of the success thus far
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇➡️ PrizePicks website➡️ Jay Deuskar on Linkedin➡️ Dylan Cooper 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
Tuesday Aug 06, 2024
Tuesday Aug 06, 2024
We're back with Ep. 126 of The Betting Startups podcast, where guest host Thomas Coiner chats with Jake Gillikin from Ranked, a community-driven college football stats platform.
Hear them discuss:
Jake's background in tech and the inception of Ranked
The inspiration for creating a dedicated college football app
Jake teaching himself to code and building Ranked as a one-man-band
Overcoming early challenges and organic growth strategies
The importance of solving a specific pain point for college football fans
Innovative features like "My Game Day" and advanced stats for bettors
The role of community and message boards in building the Ranked brand
Leveraging user fandom to enhance the app's utility
The integration of web embeds for content creators and their potential growth impact
Growth strategies and initiatives for the upcoming college football season
The importance of maintaining an open and engaging community environment
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Ranked website
➡️ Jake Gillikin 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.
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
Ep. 125 features Jon Robin from Dabble, which takes an innovative approach of combining social elements with sports betting. This episode is guest hosted by Benjie Cherniak.
Hear them discuss:
Jon's entrepreneurial background led to the founding of Dabble
The unique social betting experience that differentiates Dabble in the crowded Australian market
Strategies for effective user acquisition through leveraging social features within the app
The significant investment and strategic partnership with Tabcorp
Insights into the fundraising process and the importance of building investorrelationships
Dabble’s expansion into the U.S. market while learning the cultural similarities and differences
Future plans for global expansion and targeting new markets
Jon’s perspective on balancing innovation with long-term strategic planning
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Dabble website
➡️ Jon Robin 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.
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Monday Jul 29, 2024
We're back with Ep. 8 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry. In this one, we speak with Steven Salz from Rivalry. Hear him discuss:
How his background laid the foundation for Rivalry
The origin story of Rivalry, starting from trading in-game items to becoming a top esports betting brand
The importance of understanding the demographic and psychographics of esports bettors
How Rivalry maintains brand authenticity to attract Gen Z and Millennial demographics
Rivalry's journey to product-market fit, and how Steven knew the company had found it
His transition from a startup founder to a public markets CEO, and the resulting adaptations he's made in response
The rationale for focusing so intently on brand building as a young company, and how that's created competitive advantages now that Rivalry has reached scale
Why Rivalry is launching a crypto token later this year, and how he expects that to enhance customer engagement
Why he has the words "mint founders" permanently written on his whiteboard, and how this has influenced the culture he's created at Rivalry
Balancing fatherhood and entrepreneurship, and the importance of compartmentalization and focused thinking
Future plans for Rivalry and the vision for the company's growth
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇➡️ Rivalry website➡️ Steven Salz 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
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Ep. 124 features Jay Huffman from Propellor on redefining fantasy sports with friends.
Hear him discuss:
His early career movement inside the startup environment.
The importance of securing legal approval to proceed with Propellor.
The concept of Propellor where they're reversing traditional parlay dynamics.
Propellor's unique approach to leveraging text messages for group play.
Creative game features like the shame bell, veto options, and other engaging social interactions.
His product design philosophy of keeping UI intuitive, simple, and user-friendly.
Sourcing the initial angel investment and aiming for a million-dollar raise.
Gearing up for the Fall season through expanding features, integrating cash games, and aiming for significant growth.
▶️ Watch this episode on Youtube.🎁 Bonus segment -See a demo of Propellor.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Propellor website
➡️ Jay Huffman 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.
Wednesday Jul 17, 2024
Wednesday Jul 17, 2024
Ep. 123 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 Q2 features Chris Grove (Acies Investments), Roger Ehrenberg (Eberg Capital) and Davis Catlin (Discerning Capital).
Hear them discuss:
Reflections on Q2 and the six-year anniversary of PASPA’s repeal, and its implications on the iGaming industry.
The surprising consolidation of operators in the U.S. market and what challenger brands can do to compete with incumbents.
The growing popularity of the sweepstakes model, its sustainability, and future potential within the broader real money gaming ecosystem.
Opportunities in betting on niche and alternative sports, and their impact on expanding the total addressable market in the U.S.
Practical advice for early-stage founders on navigating the uncertain economic environment and achieving cash flow positivity.
Future predictions for the iGaming industry, including potential M&A deals, cybersecurity concerns, and regulatory changes to watch for in the next six months.
Video version of this episode can be viewed here.
Learn more 👇
➡️ Chris Grove with Acies Investments
➡️ Roger Ehrenberg with Eberg Capital
➡️ Davis Catlin with Discerning Capital
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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.
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Ep. 122 features Björn Nilsson from FTDx, which is transforming blocked traffic.
Hear him discuss:
His career journey through various payment and operator roles, including consulting for Betfair, Unibet, and others.
The origins and evolution of Triggy, a product aimed to convert fans into bettors.
The founding of FTDx, focusing on monetizing non-local traffic for gaming operators.
Challenges in managing regulatory environments and non-monetized traffic.
FTDx's simple integration process and the positive reception from early adopters in Finland and Brazil.
Insights into FTDx's fundraising process.
Lessons learned from Triggy about building sustainable, cash flow positive businesses.
His perspective on innovation within the gaming industry, highlighting the influx of new ideas from the US and Eastern Europe.
Learn more 👇
➡️ FTDx website
➡️ Björn Nilsson 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.
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
Ep. 121 features Kelson Quan from Wager Games, which is the social content plugin for sports betting apps.
Hear him discuss:
Growing up in San Francisco, and his background working in tech at companies like Apple
Why he thinks the betting industry hasn’t received more attention from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors
How Wager Games is using video content to make sports betting more accessible for people without betting domain expertise
Building product, and his team’s approach to customer-driven development
Why he’s so bullish on the sports betting industry as a space to be building in
Building WagerGames in a lean way while living “on the ramen noodle diet”, and being “super intentional about everything”
Why he doesn’t think he’ll ever feel like Wager Games has found product/market fit
A crazy story of scrappiness that included a last-minute flight to show up unannounced at the offices of a key partner
Learn more 👇
➡️ Wager Games website
➡️ Kelson Quan 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.
Tuesday Jun 25, 2024
Tuesday Jun 25, 2024
Ep. 120 features Nic Sulsky from The Curling Group, which is focused on transforming and promoting the sport of curling.
Hear him discuss:
His journey from co-founding Monkey Knife Fight and working at PointsBet to leading The Curling Group
How he put together the deal to acquire the Grand Slam of Curling from Sportsnet
The untapped potential of curling as a major sport and betting market
The importance of content creation and engagement to attract a younger audience to curling
Challenges and strategies in transforming curling events to be more vibrant and fan-friendly
The role of gambling in increasing engagement and revenue for curling
Nic's personal reflections on his passion for startups, brand building, and the future of curling.
Learn more 👇
➡️ The Curling Group website
➡️ Nic Sulsky 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.
Thursday Jun 20, 2024
Thursday Jun 20, 2024
We're back with Ep. 7 of The Gamble & The Glory, where we meet founders that have built their companies to become stalwarts of the sports betting, fantasy, and iGaming industry.
In this one, we speak with Jai Maw & Jeremy Jakary from Betting Hero.
Hear them discuss:
How their backgrounds laid the foundation for Betting Hero
The origin story of Betting Hero, originally called Sports Betting Street Team
How they leveraged the Covid-19 shutdown as a way to get ahead of the competition
The importance of their mission statement, “We help people enjoy their experience betting with mobile,” in guiding their business decisions
The operational hurdles and strategies of managing a large team of betting heroes across various states
Their approach to launching a new research division and how it complements their core business
Their personal sacrifices and work-life balance required to grow a successful business
Their long-term vision for success and the importance of building a strong, mission-driven company
Learn more 👇
➡️ Betting Hero website
➡️ Jai Maw on Linkedin
➡️ Jeremy Jakary 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