The Betting Startups Podcast

BettingStartups.com
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Meet the people building the most promising startups competing for a piece of the multi-billion dollar real-money gaming industry. Presented by Optimove.

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

    5D AGO

    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.

    34 min
  2. Ep. 184: Fantasy football puzzles for the masses w/ Brian Birt from Griddy

    OCT 14

    Ep. 184: Fantasy football puzzles for the masses w/ Brian Birt from Griddy

    Ep. 184 features Brian Birt, founder of Griddy, the fantasy football puzzle game bringing year-round engagement to sports fans.   Hear him discuss: His journey from childhood sports fanatic to building products at Sleeper and launching Griddy How Griddy turns fantasy football into a strategic, bite-sized mobile game playable 365 days a year Solving the seasonality problem in fantasy sports with an innovative “chemistry” team-building mechanic Why he intentionally built Griddy as a free-to-play game without real money components How a community-driven approach led to 30,000 users and 3M+ games played with zero ad spend The role of Reddit and storytelling in driving organic, founder-led growth Lessons from Sleeper: building trust and community before monetization Finding product–market fit through retention and user obsession, not growth hacks Getting early believers on the cap table, including Joel Simkins from XST Capital, and why he seeks to preserve optionality for future capital needs How psychological resilience and consistency fuel startup success What’s next for Griddy, from new game modes and rewards to expansion into other sports and fandoms     Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Girddy website  ➡️ Brian Birt 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.

    35 min
  3. Ep. 183: Bringing gamified avatars to iGaming w/ Tom Lemke of Savage Tech

    OCT 1

    Ep. 183: Bringing gamified avatars to iGaming w/ Tom Lemke of Savage Tech

    Ep. 183 features Tom Lemke, founder of Savage Tech, the world's first true gamified retention engine for the iGaming industry. Hear him discuss: His review of the recent SBC Summit conference in Lisbon How his experience co-founding esports teams shaped his understanding of player engagement How avatars, achievements, and progression systems improve retention and customer loyalty Why being likeable is an underappreciated quality when it comes to B2B sales The importance of continuing to show up "on the circuit" at iGaming industry events and conferences Why he decided to retire from participating in industry startup pitch competitions Lessons learned from Adar Ziv, the self-proclaimed "Chief Linkedin Officer" His experience having just closed a seed round, and the importance of smart money over just money How Savage Tech is approaching localization for markets like Asia, Brazil, and Africa   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Savage Tech website  ➡️ Tom Lemke 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.

    33 min
  4. Ep. 182: Tracking over $10 billion in verified bets w/ Pranav Tadikonda from Pikkit

    SEP 23

    Ep. 182: Tracking over $10 billion in verified bets w/ Pranav Tadikonda from Pikkit

    Ep. 182 features Pranav Tadikonda from Pikkit, which is a social sports betting tracker that automatically aggregates bets, analyzes performance, and connects users through community and content.   Hear him discuss: • Why he and co-founder Anthony Jonikas started Pikkit after learning big tech wasn't for them • The switch from fantasy to sports betting after PASPA’s repeal • How they validated the idea through real user frustrations with bet tracking • Their early decision to ban manual entry to ensure transparency • The infrastructure behind syncing 30+ sportsbooks through their in-house platform BookSync • His view on the explosion of tools in the betting category • The controversial Twitter API shutdown and their diplomatic response • Their decision not to commercialize BookSync as a B2B product for now • Their $9M fundraising journey across three rounds and now hitting cashflow positive   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Pikkit website  ➡️ Pranav Tadikonda 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.

    40 min
  5. Ep. 181: Creating the ultimate sports remote w/ Tony Ryan from Bet Caddy

    SEP 16

    Ep. 181: Creating the ultimate sports remote w/ Tony Ryan from Bet Caddy

    Ep. 181 features Tony Ryan from Bet Caddy, which is building the ultimate sports remote to personalize and streamline the fragmented sports streaming experience.   Hear him discuss: • How betting and fantasy sports make every game moment meaningful for modern fans • The origin story of Bet Caddy, sparked by college sports bars and basement brainstorming • How Bet Caddy delivers a RedZone-style experience for every day of the sports calendar • Using real-time notifications to surface key betting moments before they happen on TV • Drawing inspiration from Spotify’s model to curb piracy through a superior experience • What they learned from their March Madness beta launch and how it shaped the product • Preparing for NFL and college football season with weekly product updates and improvements • How they racked up 25 million organic social views using short-form viral videos • Their monetization strategy combining sportsbook affiliate deals and streaming referrals • The reality of building a complex product as non-technical founders learning along the way • Why Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer became their first athlete investor   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Bet Caddy website  ➡️ Tony Ryan 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.

    37 min
  6. The Gamble & The Glory: S2 E1 - Einar Knobel, TXODDS

    SEP 11

    The Gamble & The Glory: S2 E1 - Einar Knobel, TXODDS

    The Gamble & The Glory showcases founders that built their companies into category leaders in the betting and gaming industry.   In Episode 1 of Season 2, we speak with Einar Knobel from TXODDS, recorded in person at the SBC Summit Americas Conference in Fort Lauderdale.   Hear him discuss: The early days of TXODDS and landing first customers like Betcris and World Sports Exchange How a scrappy, bootstrapped journey scaled into a 25-year industry leader powering global betting markets The rise of in-play betting, Asian liquidity, and the importance of clean, reliable data Lessons from scaling a global data business while keeping culture strong and team-oriented Why TXODDS continues to innovate, from streaming data to U.S. college sports coverage Advice to today’s founders on fundraising, monetization, and building for longevity Video version of this episode can be viewed here. Learn more 👇 ➡️ TXODDS website ➡️ Einar Knobe on Linkedin  If you’re at SBC Lisbon, be sure to drop by TXODDS’ Trev’s Bar in Hall 3 at C320 to say hello to Einar, Trevor and the TXODDS team!   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.

    30 min
  7. Ep. 180: Infrastructure for sports betting creators w/ Zach Wick from BtrBet

    SEP 9

    Ep. 180: Infrastructure for sports betting creators w/ Zach Wick from BtrBet

    Ep. 180 features Zach Wick from BtrBet, which is a SaaS platform offering a white-labeled tool stack for sports betting creators to manage content, engage audiences, and monetize their communities.   Hear him discuss: • How legal sports betting in Ohio sparked his idea to build a personal betting tracker • The pain points of spreadsheets and the inspiration behind automating bet syncing and analysis • The evolution from a consumer app to a full-stack community tool for content creators • How BtrBet users are building engaged communities on their own branded domains • The business model built around tool subscriptions, with creators keeping 100% of their affiliate revenue • One creator’s story of hitting nearly $1,000 MRR within one week of launching on BtrBet • Key lessons from joining Stripe as employee ~250 and watching it grow to over 8,000 people • Why BtrBet is bootstrapped, and how they're nearing profitability solely through revenue • The challenges of running a lean two-person startup and what he wishes he knew before founding   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ BtrBet website  ➡️ Zach Wick 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.

    29 min
  8. Ep. 179: Just merged: Pine Sports and SharpSports join forces w/ Vijay Dewan & Ryan Murphy

    SEP 2

    Ep. 179: Just merged: Pine Sports and SharpSports join forces w/ Vijay Dewan & Ryan Murphy

    Ep. 179 features Ryan Murphy of SharpSports and Vijay Dewan from Pine Sports, who sit down to talk through their recent merger to form the new Pine Sports, a full-stack sports data and AI company serving both bettors and B2B partners.   Hear them discuss: • The origin story and strategic rationale behind the Pine Sports and SharpSports merger • How mutual investor Chris Grove sparked the deal by introducing the two founders • How the merger combines SharpSports’ B2B infrastructure with Pine Sports’ consumer-facing AI tools • Why clean data pipelines are essential to powering jaXon, Pine’s chat-based betting assistant • What they've learned from launching LLMs into real betting workflows with jaXon • The future of “autonomous betting” and where they see chat interfaces playing a role • How they’ve integrated tech stacks and restructured roles across the combined team • Their strategy to scale both the SharpSports API and Pine Sports’ user base • How big‑name athlete Marshawn Lynch is backing the company, and how his endorsement is boosting Pine Sports' brand credibility • Trends in how casual and sharp bettors are adopting new tooling • Why they view betting tools as an underserved and high-growth category • How Ryan and Vijay split responsibilities and stay aligned post-merger Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Pine Sports website  ➡️ SharpSports website  ➡️ Vijay Dewan on Linkedin ➡️ Ryan Murphy 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
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Meet the people building the most promising startups competing for a piece of the multi-billion dollar real-money gaming industry. Presented by Optimove.

Information

  • Creator
    BettingStartups.com
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    205
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Betting Startups Podcast

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