iGaming Real Talk

Surya Palli
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iGaming Real Talk is a podcast where real conversations take centre stage. We speak with founders, creators, and leaders. Most of them come from the iGaming world, and some from beyond. We talk openly about what it really takes to grow, lead, and keep going. If you're building something of your own, leading a team, or simply figuring things out, you'll find something here that resonates. Hosted by Surya Palli, suryapalli.com Join our community on WhatsApp igamingrealtalk.com

  1. Sep 25

    Why the Cheapest Gaming License Can Cost You More Later | Khristina Karanskaia, My Gaming License

    Operators often start the licensing conversation with one simple question: “Which is the best licence?” Khristina Karanskaia from My Gaming License believes that is the wrong place to start. In this episode, Surya and Khristina discuss why the right licence depends on the operator's target markets, business model, taxation expectations, compliance requirements and long-term plans. An offshore licence may still work for one company, while another operator may need a local regulated licence as it scales. The conversation also looks at the UK market. With affordability checks, higher compliance demands and heavier taxation for B2C operators, the market has become much harder to enter. Khristina argues that the UK can still make sense for the right operator, but it is no longer a licence that should be chosen simply because of its reputation. They also discuss one of the most common mistakes operators make when choosing licensing and compliance partners: focusing too heavily on the initial price. A cheap offer can become expensive once additional signatures, documents and other hidden costs begin to appear. Khristina's wider point is that licensing should be treated as part of the operator's business strategy rather than as a standalone certificate. The right process starts with understanding where the company wants to operate, how it plans to grow and what regulatory framework fits that journey.

  2. Sep 23

    How Tequity is Innovating Game Development & Distribution

    Game development and distribution are often treated as two separate parts of the business. Tequity is connecting them with their full suite products: Originals, RGS, Publishing, and Exclusives. Alex Scott had joined Tequity as CPO only four days before this conversation with Surya. One of the things that attracted him to the company was its reputation for being fast, responsive, decisive and innovative. A big part of the conversation looks at how Tequity’s RGS, Originals, Publishing and Exclusives work together. Rather than building each vertical separately, the company has developed them as connected parts of the business, with each one building on the technology, experience and distribution created by the previous one. The RGS gives studios the infrastructure to build games. Originals helped Tequity develop its own content and distribution channels. Publishing then opened those channels to studios using the RGS, while Exclusives uses Tequity’s development and distribution capabilities to create bespoke content for individual brands. The conversation also looks at what comes next. Alex discusses the thinking behind Tequity’s product roadmap, keeping the company fast as it grows, and preparing to enter more regulated markets based on customer demand, commercial value and market requirements.

  3. Sep 21

    He Risked 5 Years of Profit & £22M on ONE Product | Paul Dolman-Darrall | G.Games

    Paul Dolman-Darrall does not describe G.Games as a company that followed an existing iGaming playbook. His view is that there was never really a playbook to follow. In this long-form conversation with Surya, the CEO of G.Games talks about coming into gambling as an outsider, why relationships still have enormous influence over who gets deals in iGaming, and why trying to build something genuinely different can take years of failure before the idea starts to work. A major part of that story is G.Games' multiplayer slot project. Paul says the company has spent years and around £22 million developing the idea, effectively putting years of company profit behind one product. The original vision was always built around competition and multiplayer, but getting there required Paul to challenge his own bias against slots and learn why players actually enjoy them. The conversation also goes deeper into product design. Paul argues that customers usually cannot tell a company what product should be invented, but they know very quickly whether they want something once they see it. He also gives a deliberately provocative view on game engagement, addiction and responsible gambling, arguing that a product designer's job is to create the strongest possible experience within rules set by operators and regulators. But the thread running through the full conversation is persistence. Paul talks openly about unsuccessful products, an acquisition that came extremely close to completion, being an outsider in a relationship-driven industry and the difficulty of building an independent iGaming company today. His advice to would-be founders is simple: there is no playbook. If you want to build something, you need to start and keep going long enough to find your own route.

  4. Sep 16

    Could Regulation Be the Better Path for Asia’s Online Gaming Markets? | Paul Fox, Claymore Solutions

    The Philippines has become one of the most important regulated online gaming markets in Asia, and Paul Fox believes other countries in the region can learn from how the market has developed. Paul, Founder of Claymore Solutions, speaks with Surya about why the Philippines has become a natural base for gaming operations and back-office teams, particularly for larger and publicly listed companies that need to operate carefully around regulation. The conversation also looks at where online gaming in Asia could go next. Paul describes the Philippines as a regional trailblazer, pointing to the growth of licensed online gaming alongside the country's established land-based casino market. For markets such as Thailand, he believes the Philippines offers a more relevant comparison than Europe or the United States because of the similarities within the region. Malaysia and Indonesia may face more complicated paths because of religious and cultural factors. Paul's wider argument is that gambling demand already exists across Asia, whether it is legal or not. His preference is for clear legislation that allows governments to regulate the activity properly, create safer operating conditions and collect tax revenue.

  5. Sep 15

    Why iGaming Companies Struggle to Enter Asian Markets | Pierre Wuu

    Asia's iGaming market has changed significantly over the years, but entering the region is not as simple as treating Asia as one market. In Episode 83 of iGaming Real Talk, recorded at SiGMA Asia in Manila, our host Surya Palli sits down with Pierre Wuu, Board Advisor at SiGMA Group, to discuss the development of the Philippine market, regulatory stability and what international companies need to consider before entering Asia. Pierre explains why stability from regulators is important for companies investing in the region, and why the Philippines has been able to build a stronger regulated online market than many other countries in Southeast Asia. The conversation also looks at Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore and the UAE, including why some markets have struggled to put clear regulatory frameworks in place and what Thailand needs to do before it can fully develop its gaming opportunity. Pierre also talks about why international operators need to get closer to the markets they want to enter. For him, having people on the ground and understanding local marketing, payments and compliance is essential. The discussion ends with a simple point: Asia is not one market. Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and other countries all have their own rules, habits and opportunities.

  6. Sep 10

    Can Casinos Bring the Online Experience Back to the Floor? | Joe Pasiono, Jade Entertainment

    The Philippines has one of Asia's most developed gaming markets, but Joe from Jade Entertainment believes licensed operators are still competing for only a fraction of the total opportunity. Speaking with Surya at SiGMA Asia, Joe looks back at a career in gaming that started in 1988 and covers the market's move from land-based casinos into sports betting, remote gaming and today's growing online sector. His view is that online gaming has now surpassed land-based gaming, creating a new challenge for traditional casinos: how to bring the online and physical experience together. A major part of the conversation is channelisation. Joe says legal gaming in the Philippines represents only 22% of revenue, with the rest going elsewhere. For him, licensed operators should not see each other as the main competition. The bigger challenge is moving players away from illegal and grey-market alternatives. The discussion then widens to Asia and other emerging markets. Joe sees further potential in Sri Lanka, East Africa, Vietnam and Malaysia, while remaining much more cautious about markets such as Thailand. He also argues that governments should consider regulation not only as a source of tax revenue, but as a way to introduce player protection, responsible gambling and KYC. Surya and Joe also discuss crypto casinos, tax structures and the importance of making regulated products competitive. Joe's wider point throughout the conversation is consistent: demand for gaming does not disappear because legal options are removed. If regulated gaming is not available, illegal alternatives will continue to exist.

  7. Sep 9

    Why Is Trust Breaking Down Between Affiliates and Operators? | John Wright, Nousviz

    Trust between affiliates and operators is becoming harder to maintain, and John Wright believes better access to data could force both sides to become more accountable. John, Co-founder of Nousviz, returns to iGaming Real Talk to speak with Surya about affiliate shaving, aggressive commercial deals, traffic quality and why the problem is not always one-sided. He argues that operators can lack transparency, but affiliates can also take advantage of operators through deals or placements that do not deliver what was promised. A large part of the conversation looks at whether industry-wide benchmarking could help. John explains how anonymised affiliate data could be used to show conversion rates, player value and operator performance more clearly. His view is that once affiliates can compare where their traffic actually performs best, operators will have more pressure to fix weak CRM, VIP programmes, payments and other parts of the player experience. They also discuss the technology behind affiliate management. John talks about fragmented APIs, the StatsDrone Affiliate Software Report, the number of affiliate platforms in the market and why standardised data is still missing. Nousviz is being built around bringing information from different systems into one place rather than trying to replace every individual tool. The final part turns to AI agents. John sees 2026 as the year agents become more important, particularly for companies that want better data, customer support and analysis without building large BI or engineering teams. But AI also creates a new problem for SaaS companies: if software becomes easier to build, every product needs a clearer moat and stronger reason for customers to stay.

  8. Sep 7

    Are CPA and RevShare Models Starting to Change? | Paul Puolakka

    Affiliates can spend time and money bringing in players, but what happens after that traffic reaches the operator? Surya speaks with iGaming Marketing Executive Paul Puolakka about the changing affiliate and operator relationship, especially as traffic becomes more expensive and player retention becomes harder. Paul explains that affiliates currently have limited control once they deliver the click. If the operator fails to retain the player, the value of that traffic is also lost for the affiliate. He believes this could lead to closer cooperation around CRM, retargeting, reactivation and the wider player lifecycle. The conversation also looks at the future of CPA, RevShare and hybrid deals, along with how affiliation may move beyond traditional SEO. Paul expects affiliates to work more like media businesses across different channels, while AI becomes part of areas such as testing, tracking and retargeting.

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About

iGaming Real Talk is a podcast where real conversations take centre stage. We speak with founders, creators, and leaders. Most of them come from the iGaming world, and some from beyond. We talk openly about what it really takes to grow, lead, and keep going. If you're building something of your own, leading a team, or simply figuring things out, you'll find something here that resonates. Hosted by Surya Palli, suryapalli.com Join our community on WhatsApp igamingrealtalk.com

Information

  • Creator
    Surya Palli
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Surya Palli
  • Show Website
    iGaming Real Talk

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