NEXT.io Podcast

NEXT.io

The primary podcast of the iGaming industry. Hosted by Pierre Lindh, it brings you episodes that are packed with expert insights, dynamic discussions, and inspiring stories from industry leaders. Whether you're seeking leadership tips, energy management strategies, or insider knowledge, NEXT.io podcasts are your go-to resource for staying ahead in the industry. Check out our YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio Dive into our website to explore more: https://next.io/

  1. Wojciech Stellmach on Prediction Markets, Sweeps & Paid Media: What Actually Works

    2D AGO

    Wojciech Stellmach on Prediction Markets, Sweeps & Paid Media: What Actually Works

    🎙️ NEXT.io Podcast #259 with Wojciech Stellmach, CEO of BugsyEmpire.In this episode, Wojciech Stellmach CEO of BugsyEmpiere, explains what’s actually working right now across emerging verticals: from sweepstakes (sweeps 2.0) to prediction markets and why “easy money” is a myth.We unpack the shift from talking about grey markets to “grey products”, why payments + marketing access can create real advantage, and what operators must get right in marketing tech, tracking, and foundations before spending big.⏰ Timestamps:00:31 - Sponsors message01:50 - Welcome Wojciech04:15 - Why BugsyEmpire moved into sweepstakes and emerging verticals06:55 - The real USP: platform relationships + deep product/tech checks09:23 - “Grey products” vs grey markets10:53 - Sweepstakes hype vs reality11:17 - What “grey products” means14:43 - Other emerging verticals: prediction markets, DFS, pari-mutuel + more20:41 - Ad rules tightening (Google/TikTok)23:28 - Why emerging verticals can beat black market brands28:53 - Why most operators fail at paid media39:13 - Paid media breakdown: social vs search vs brand/programmatic01:06:10 - Winning operators checklist: focus, tech, payments, lean teams01:07:49 - NEXT New York + Emerging Verticals Summit (9 March)🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio/podcastsCONNECT WITH NEXT.IO✩ Website: https://next.io/This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by:Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technologyhttps://pragmatic.solutions/Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content providerhttps://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/

    1h 12m
  2. Sargis Poghosyan: The Journey of CreedRoomz, Game development and Expansion

    12/29/2025

    Sargis Poghosyan: The Journey of CreedRoomz, Game development and Expansion

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #257 with Sargis Poghosyan, CPO at CreedRoomz In this episode, Sargis Poghosyan, CPO at CreedRoomz, joins Pierre Lindh to unpack how one of the industry’s most ambitious live studios is pushing innovation through show games, in-house R&D, and flagship productions like Road to El Dorado. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Meet Sargis Poghosyan from CreedRoomz 00:22 - Sponsors 01:41 - Global studio expansion: Armenia to Brazil 03:58 - Why CreedRoomz is betting big on show games 05:14 - Road to El Dorado: The flagship title 08:24 - Boom Blast: Volatility, risk & strategy 12:00 - Marble Race: Physical tracks meet gamification 14:14 - 100+ people for one game? Behind the scenes 17:05 - Dice Fight: RNG, multipliers & hardware 20:00 - Bonus feature: Pyramid pick game 21:44 - What’s next: Lucky Colours, Rock Paper Scissors 24:13 - Crash mechanics in live casino: AVA & crypto 26:21 - The Choice: Turning childhood games into iGaming 27:44 - Why instant games are exploding in popularity 28:43 - New twists on blackjack and classics 31:51 - Future plans: Studios, mechanics & markets 33:23 - Blending live casino with sportsbook and slots 35:06 - CreedRoomz’s advantage: R&D and experimentation 36:31 - Final thoughts ahead of ICE Barcelona 28:43 - New features in classic titles: Gambling side bets in blackjack 31:51 - Vision: Expanding to new studios, markets, and mechanics 33:23 - Merging live casino with sportsbook and slots 35:06 - CreedRoomz’s edge: R&D culture and relentless experimentation 36:31 - Final thoughts and looking ahead to ICE Barcelona 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/409DefE06IKPhZzhDIDpH3?si=bf60dedab34e45bc Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-io-podcast/id1515442333 CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/ Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Sponsored by: Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/ NOWPayments: https://nowpayments.io/

    37 min
  3. James Curwen: How Yggdrasil is completely revamping the business model of a game supplier (Part 3)

    12/23/2025

    James Curwen: How Yggdrasil is completely revamping the business model of a game supplier (Part 3)

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #257 with James Curwen, CEO of Yggdrasil. The slot industry is producing more games than ever yet standing out has never been harder. In this episode, James Curwen joins Pierre Lindh to explain why the era of reskinned slots is coming to an end and what will replace it. From rising production costs and algorithm-driven distribution to player fatigue and creative stagnation, James breaks down why the traditional slot development model no longer works. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - Sponsors message 02:08 - The 3-part journey of transforming Yggdrasil 05:03 - Rebuilding tech: Platform, back office, AWS, scalability 06:59 - The cost of game production and the reskin problem 09:08 - Game in a Box: From 10-month dev cycles to 1 month 12:03 - How the business model is shifting 14:55 - €22K Game in a Box offer 16:04 - Studio in a Box: The €60K turnkey solution 18:06 - Target customers: studios, streamers, affiliates, operators 20:33 - Why this isn’t AI gimmickry 24:22 - Building and refining games faster with full creator control 27:00 - Lower costs, faster ROI, and a new model for suppliers 29:08 - AWS collaboration and scaling without service sacrifice 31:59 - Commercial growth expectations 34:52 - Tool capacity vs. support limits 37:19 - Flooding the market vs. empowering operators 39:59 - Is this killing small studios or saving them? 42:02 - Unity, player data, and creative freedom 43:28 - Going niche 46:40 - Game in a Box available launch 48:02 - Become the world’s biggest game producer 50:01 - Competing with Pragmatic, Play’n GO, and levelling the field 51:21 - Getting visibility and operator positioning 53:44 - New service: Dedicated sales support for small studios 54:36 - Final thoughts 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/409DefE06IKPhZzhDIDpH3?si=bf60dedab34e45bc Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-io-podcast/id1515442333 CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/ Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Sponsored by: Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

    55 min
  4. Phil Pearson: iGaming Industry 2025 in Review

    12/18/2025

    Phil Pearson: iGaming Industry 2025 in Review

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #256 with Phil Pearson, iGaming Consultant. Another year. Another cycle of hype, pressure, pivots, and hard lessons. In this episode of the NEXT.io Podcast, Phil Pearson joins Pierre Lindh to unpack what really happened across iGaming in the past 12 months beyond the headlines. Together, they explore the widening gap between innovation headlines and real progress, the pressure leaders are facing behind the scenes, the growing importance of focus over scale, and why many companies are quietly reassessing their priorities. It’s a grounded conversation about what moved the needle, what didn’t, and what lessons are worth carrying into the year ahead. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - Sponsor messages 02:04 - Welcome Phil Pearson 04:06 – Yolo’s move into regulation: why it matters 06:38 - Personal reset: health, sabbatical & perspective 11:55 - Biggest industry stories of the year 14:19 - Charity, Dar Bjorn & responsibility in iGaming 16:17 - Investigative journalism 33:27 - Game Studio Awards: overview 33:33 - Best studio of the year 39:29 - Best newcomer studio 40:39 - Worst studio of the year 44:01 - Most underwhelming game releases 49:56 - Live game of the year 51:21 - RNG game of the year 52:36 - Best industry freebies & swag 57:23 - Grey products explained 58:12 - Sweepstakes, prediction markets & loopholes 01:12:56 - The defining trend of 2026: grey products 01:30:02 - Events review: what worked, what didn’t 01:49:00 - Final outlook: where the industry is heading 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/409DefE06IKPhZzhDIDpH3?si=bf60dedab34e45bc Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-io-podcast/id1515442333 CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/ Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Sponsored by: Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

    1h 58m
  5. Valentina Diaco: These Are the iGaming Companies Getting AI Right

    12/12/2025

    Valentina Diaco: These Are the iGaming Companies Getting AI Right

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #255 with Valentina Diaco, Founder at Profit Matches. AI has officially moved beyond hype. In 2025, it’s reshaping iGaming in real, tangible ways — from CRM and engagement to compliance, marketing, content creation, safe gambling, and game development. In this episode, Valentina Diaco, one of the industry's most respected marketing and AI strategists, breaks down 10 AI companies that are already transforming iGaming today. ⏰ Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:23 - Sponsors message 02:09 - Welcoming Valentina & Profit Matches 04:52 - What AI Match is and why she built it 06:00 - Where AI in iGaming stands today 09:12 - AI: the real value is what you do with it 11:17 - Why AI fails in companies 12:30 - AI-to-AI economy & the future of data infrastructure 15:14 - AI agents & conversational interfaces 18:10 - The 10 AI companies reshaping iGaming 19:09 - Golden Whale: AI for UA, retention & bonus orchestration 23:40 - Field Stream AI: profitability engine for marketers 27:51 - Text.com AI: customer support & proactive assistance 33:15 - Let’s .IO: regulatory intelligence for compliance 38:11 - Gamblitude: AI-powered BI & data warehouse 41:58 - MaxFusion: AI content & UGC generation 46:47 - Mindway AI: responsible gambling detection 51:00 - insightplay.ai: conversational betting assistant 53:37 - Xenia AI: game development & personalisation 56:28 - Bettor Faster AI: development & automation agency 58:20 - Why companies resist AI adoption 01:00:16 - Biggest blockers: lack of capacity & too many tools 01:07:01 - The real cultural barrier 01:10:16 - The future: smaller, smarter, AI-native companies 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo43Fota-gt1sMzujpavaGmRbTiRXETKE&si=R7VbrUspVkL1Jyox CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/ Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Sponsored by: Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

    1h 11m
  6. Emilie Jirsch: Creating a world-class brand via the Cool Shit Budget

    12/04/2025

    Emilie Jirsch: Creating a world-class brand via the Cool Shit Budget

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #254 with Emilie Jirsch, CMO at Dabble. Dabble has become one of the fastest-growing betting brands on the planet — not by outspending competitors, but by out-innovating them with community, culture, and entertainment-first marketing. In this episode, Emilie Jirsch, CMO at Dabble, reveals how the purple brand went from a small NSW startup to 1 million+ active customers, explosive US growth, and global expansion across Australia, the US, and the UK. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:29 - Sponsor message 01:50 - Welcoming Emilie Jirsch, CMO at Dabble 02:21 - How Dabble started 04:45 - Launching in Australia & hitting 1M active customers 06:03 - Product differentiation & brand awareness 07:09 - The “purple cow theory” explained 08:32 - Dabble’s growth strategy 11:23 - Creating talkable moments that build brand memory 13:22 - Moderators, culture, and self-policing communities 15:10 - $1M Hole-in-One PGA activation: the story behind it 17:00 - The true definition of disruptive brand marketing 20:49 - The “cool sh*t budget” explained 24:01 - Launching in the US through DFS 29:08 - Why the US embraced Dabble instantly 33:00 - Competitors 36:25 - Inside Dabble’s internal culture 40:06 - What’s next: UK launch, Ireland license, expansion 41:54 - Final thoughts 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo43Fota-gt1sMzujpavaGmRbTiRXETKE&si=jDpUksylKP-4_8T0 CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/ Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Sponsored by: Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

    42 min
  7. Tom Wood: How Operators Should Think About Game Studios

    11/27/2025

    Tom Wood: How Operators Should Think About Game Studios

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #253 with Tom Wood, CEO of RAW iGamingRAW iGaming calls itself “the pink shark in a sea of sameness.” In this episode, CEO Tom Wood joins Pierre Lindh to break down the realities of innovating in an industry releasing 18 new slot games per day and why true originality is harder (and riskier) than it looks. If you want to understand the future of game development in iGaming, this one is essential. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:29 - Sponsors Message 01:49 - Welcome Tom Wood, CEO of RAW iGaming 02:30 - The mission behind RAW 04:36 - “The pink shark in a sea of sameness” explained 06:07 - Why most studios copy 07:05 - 600 new games released in Sweden in one month 10:06 - Competing in a market flooded with studios 12:53 - How RAW gets operators’ attention 18:07 - RAW’s innovation pillars: slots, arcade & Yahtzee 28:23 - Innovation in live gaming 30:26 - Game’s success: quality vs. positioning 33:27 - The risk: AI lobbies might hide innovative games 38:11 - Designing for local vs. global audiences 42:16 - The next breakout hit: simple, unexpected, left-field innovation 45:14 - How AI may reshape game production itself 47:11 - RAW’s ambition: becoming a Tier-1 supplier 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo43Fota-gt1sMzujpavaGmRbTiRXETKE CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology.https://pragmatic.solutions/ Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider.https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Sponsored by:Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

    49 min
  8. Tim Heath: Yolo's Strategic Shift to Regulation

    10/30/2025

    Tim Heath: Yolo's Strategic Shift to Regulation

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #252 with Tim Heath, CEO and Founder at Yolo Group. Yolo Group has made one of the boldest moves in iGaming history — exiting grey markets entirely to pursue a regulated future. In this episode, Tim Heath joins Pierre Lindh to reveal the inside story behind Yolo’s transformation: why the company walked away from massive revenue, what the new UAE gaming license means, and how Yolo plans to bridge the gap between crypto, regulation, and entertainment. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:23 - Sponsors message 01:39 - Welcoming Tim Heath 02:03 - Why Yolo decided to exit grey markets 07:36 - The tightening of global enforcement and regulation 10:56 - Yolo’s new B2B licenses in the UAE explained 16:05 - Restarting Yolo: redefining focus and efficiency 22:04 - Building a 360° player experience and hybrid casino model 24:49 - Facing financial risk and the courage to rebuild 27:34 - “Spring cleaning” the business and cutting organizational fat 31:17 - Leading regulators toward crypto innovation 33:41 - Why regulation must evolve with technology 35:31 - Why the UAE is a perfect testbed for regulated crypto gaming 41:06 - How the UAE licensing model may work (one per Emirate) 48:08 - Yolo’s five-year vision: becoming the “Blackstone of iGaming” 51:33 - The courage to pivot and restart 55:55 - The future of wallets, payments, and hybrid player experience 58:21 - Yolo’s new AI-driven social sports betting concept 01:01:35 - Tim on Yolo’s next chapter and future in regulation 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo43Fota-gt1sMzujpavaGmRbTiRXETKE&si=0vgjHyIuWQbblEY4 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-io-podcast/id1515442333 CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/ Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Sponsored by: Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

    1h 2m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The primary podcast of the iGaming industry. Hosted by Pierre Lindh, it brings you episodes that are packed with expert insights, dynamic discussions, and inspiring stories from industry leaders. Whether you're seeking leadership tips, energy management strategies, or insider knowledge, NEXT.io podcasts are your go-to resource for staying ahead in the industry. Check out our YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio Dive into our website to explore more: https://next.io/

Information

  • Creator
    NEXT.io
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    469
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © NEXT.io
  • Show Website
    NEXT.io Podcast