The Betting Startups Podcast

BettingStartups.com
The Betting Startups Podcast

Interviews and conversations with the founders & CEOs of the most promising startups competing for a piece of the multi-billion dollar betting, fantasy sports, and iGaming industry

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Ep. 141: Building bet slips with a copilot w/ Cal Spears & Jonathan Bales from Gambly

    Recorded on the day of their public launch, Ep. 141 features Cal Spears and Jonathan Bales from Gambly, which is your sports betting copilot. Hear them discuss: How Cal and Jonathan came together to launch Gambly after their non-competes expired following their last exits The inspiration for Gambly, and the founding use cases for the product Why they think Gambly will add value to both casual and sharp bettors alike How they're thinking about the journey towards finding product-market fit Why they think that Gambly can catalyze a new affiliate model with sportsbooks Developing the underlying technology that powers the product, and how they've abstracted its complexity with an intuitive UX The background on their strategic partnership with Unabated Choosing to preserve equity by self-funding Gambly's development over raising seed capital Why Cal thinks that we "might be in a golden age" for smaller affiliates, despite the recent headwinds for larger affiliate companies Their top pieces of advice to other entrepreneurs building within real-money gaming   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Cal was also a former guest on Ep. 80 of The Betting Startups Podcast, where he told the full story of his 20-year journey building, scaling, and exiting several businesses within real-money gaming. Catch that episode if you missed it: Apple Podcast Spotify     Learn more 👇 ➡️ Gambly website ➡️ Cal Spears on Linkedin ➡️ Jonathan Bales 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.

    34 min
  2. NOV 12

    Ep. 140 - Building speed trains vs. rocket ships w/ Robert Lenzhofer from Hölle Games

    Ep. 140 features Robert Lenzhofer, CEO of Hölle Games, which produces slot games and gaming platforms, with a focus on regulated markets and localized content.   Hear Robert discuss: His journey in gaming, from tech in Austria to founding Hölle Games The origins and growth of Hölle Games, which focuses on the German market with localized content The challenges and nuances of slot game development and creating a unique platform How Hölle Games differentiates in a crowded slot market through compliance and tailored products The company's dual focus on a slot studio and remote gaming server (RGS) technology His choice to bootstrap the company, opting for revenue-driven growth over investor funding The strategy behind launching multiple studios for targeted markets, including upcoming studios for the UK, Brazil, and Asia Reflections on the impact of AI in game development, both in art and automation   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Hölle Games website ➡️ Robert Lenzhofer 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.

    34 min
  3. NOV 6

    Ep. 139 - Acquiring customers through innovative games w/ Adam Wilson from Splash Tech

    Ep.139 features Jesse live from the SBC Summit in Lisbon, joined by Adam Wilson from Splash Tech, Hear them discuss: How Adam's early journey in the betting industry took shape and evolved The post-mortem on his first startup Bookee, which became known as the "Tinder for Betting" The origin story of Splash Tech, and how his learnings from the Bookee journey influenced his approach to building Splash Tech How Splash Tech’s free-to-play games drive customer acquisition and engagement, and what sets them apart from other F2P providers Why "you are only as good as your integrations" as a B2B supplier in this industry Splash Tech's product integration with Optimove, and the unique ways that partnership enables operators to engage with their players Why he wanted "to get to profitability as soon as possible" with Splash Tech in order to avoid raising further capital His perspective on the betting industry trends driving innovation What fuels Adam’s motivation and resilience as an entrepreneur   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Splash Tech website ➡️ Adam Wilson 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.

    36 min
  4. OCT 29

    Ep. 138 - Innovating the 'money in / money out' experience w/ Rob Rubio from Fluid

    Ep. 138 features Jesse live from the SBC Summit in Lisbon, joined by Rob Rubio from Fluid, which is a cutting-edge checkout solution powered by machine learning.   Hear them discuss: Rob’s journey through the industry, and how his time working for an operator helped him identify the pain point that Fluid is now solving The positive response that Fluid got from the market after launching at ICE earlier this year, and the traction they have experienced since How is improving the "money in, money out" process though intuitive UX combined with data-driven optimization Why Fluid opted to commercialize its platform using a straightforward SaaS pricing model The role of responsible gambling (RG) and KYC within Fluid’s core services Fluid's new seed funding round backed by HappyHour.io, and what this investment means for future growth Lessons from Rob’s past investing experience that have shaped Fluid’s growth What Rob sees for the future of Fluid, including some new verticals he sees opportunity in   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Fluid website ➡️ Rob Rubio 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.

    25 min
  5. OCT 22

    Ep. 137 - Creating intelligent sports bettors w/ Jack Andrews and Justin Phan from Unabated

    Ep. 137 features Jack Andrews and Justin Phan from Unabated, which is the tools and resources you need to become a winning sports bettor.   Hear them discuss: The recent G2E conference in Las Vegas, and Jack's biggest takeaway from it What has surprised Jack the most since launching Unabated 4 years ago Jack's view of how the American betting population "breaks down in cultural generations" The crazy story of serendipity that led Justin to joining Unabated as their new Managing Director Why Unabated has been steadfast in its commitment to building the business through subscription revenue Their commitment to maintaining product velocity, and why that excites Justin What led them to enter the B2B data business How they see the trend of operator consolidation impacting the betting public   Catch the video version of this episode here.   You can also  check out Unabated YouTube channel here.     Learn more 👇 ➡️ Unabated website ➡️ Justin Phan 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.

    38 min
  6. OCT 15

    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     -- 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.

    31 min
  7. OCT 5

    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.   -- 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.

    57 min
  8. OCT 1

    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     -- 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.

    37 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Interviews and conversations with the founders & CEOs of the most promising startups competing for a piece of the multi-billion dollar betting, fantasy sports, and iGaming industry

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada