NEXT.io Podcast

NEXT.io
NEXT.io Podcast

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. Vested Interest #23: Mystery Boxes, Gambling, and $5 Trillion Collectibles Boom

    3H AGO

    Vested Interest #23: Mystery Boxes, Gambling, and $5 Trillion Collectibles Boom

    🎙NEXT.io Podcast #23 of Vested Interest with Pierre Lindh, Lloyd Danzig and Benjie Cherniak. In this episode, we discuss the evolving landscape of collectibles and mystery boxes, drawing parallels to gambling mechanics. They explore the regulatory challenges these new products face, the recent shifts in the venture capital landscape, and the current headwinds for North American operators in the gaming industry. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:43 - Sponsor Messages 02:02 - Welcoming Lloyd & Benjie 03:06 - Mystery Boxes: Gambling in Disguise? 06:26 - Digital Buybacks and Market Liquidity 08:44 - Slot Mechanics in Collectibles 10:14 - Legal Risks & Regulatory Grey Zones 13:38 - Market Volatility & Platform Liquidity 15:11 - How Regulated Operators Might React 18:14 - Physical vs. Digital Collectibles Landscape 20:25 - Scaling Problems: Supply Chains & Pricing 24:12 – Why Most Gaming Funding Isn’t Broad-Based 26:19 – AngelList Trends & New LP Appetite 28:42 – The Category Leader Obsession 31:13 – Regulated Operator Headwinds in North America 35:44 – Regulatory Moats vs. Challenger Agility 38:45 – Long-Term Strategy: Fight or Join? 40:31 – Can There Be a National RMG Framework? 41:02 – Final Thoughts 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio/podcasts 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/

    45 min
  2. Kasra Ghaharian & Simo Dragicevic: Inside AiR Hub, The AI Revolution in iGaming

    1D AGO

    Kasra Ghaharian & Simo Dragicevic: Inside AiR Hub, The AI Revolution in iGaming

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #240, Kasra Ghaharian & Simo Dragicevic Kasra Ghaharian, IGI Director of Research, and Simo Dragicevic , research at AiR Hub, discuss AI in the gaming industry, highlighting the need for trust and benchmarking. They introduce Air Hub, a research hub focused on AI ethics and governance in gaming. Key projects include a state of AI in gaming report, consumer protection measures, and developing benchmarks for AI algorithms, particularly in responsible gambling. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:42 - Sponsors message 03:00 - Reflecting on Predictions from 5 Years Ago 05:27 - Introducing AIR Hub: The AI Research Initiative 08:42 - AIR Hub’s Flagship Projects 13:40 - How regulators can use AI benchmarks 16:45 - The full scope of AI in iGaming 22:30 - The State of AI in the Industry Today 26:30 - Generative AI and infinite content 30:02 - The Infinite Slot Era: What Wins When Anything Can Be Built? 34:00 - Explainable AI: The Next Essential Layer 35:00 - Autonomy, Agents, and the Limits of AI in iGaming 38:43 - The Risks of Poor Training Data and Output Guardrails 40:48 - Will AI Replace Your Job? 46:02 - The Future Vision for AIR Hub 49:40 - Final remarks 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio/podcasts 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/

    52 min
  3. Denys Parkhomenko: Less but better and the art of Sportsbook innovation

    JUL 10

    Denys Parkhomenko: Less but better and the art of Sportsbook innovation

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #239, Denys Parkhomenko, CPO at GR8 Tech More features don’t always mean more value. In this NEXT.io Podcast episode, Pierre Lindh sits down with Denys Parkhomenko, Chief Product Officer at GR8 Tech, to unpack why "less but better" is becoming the winning mindset for the next generation of iGaming platforms. With a legacy in B2C and deep experience scaling complex sportsbook products, Denys shares a clear-eyed view on what operators really need from their platforms and what they should avoid at all costs. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:21 - Sponsors message 01:38 - Welcoming Denys Parkhomenko 02:31 - GR8 Tech’s approach: less but better 04:32 - Why sports betting platforms all look the same and how to stand out 06:11 - How to stand out in the market 09:03 - Balancing client requests with product strategy 12:07 - GR8 Tech’s “extendable platform” mindset 14:15 - What true scalability looks like in platform infrastructure 16:14 - Casino CoPilot, internal automation, and writing code with AI 18:01 - How new operators should evaluate platforms 19:33 - Why reputation, results, and transparency matter most 21:08 - Trust-building through onboarding & long-term collaboration 23:52 - Conferences vs coffee lines: where real conversations happen 27:25 - What’s next for GR8 Tech 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST 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/

    31 min
  4. Denis Romanovskiy: Smart Tech Decisions for Scaling Your iGaming Business

    JUL 3

    Denis Romanovskiy: Smart Tech Decisions for Scaling Your iGaming Business

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #238 Denis Romanovskiy, Deputy CTO at SOFTSWISS In this episode, Pierre Lindh is joined by Denis Romanovskiy, Deputy CTO at SOFTSWISS, to unpack the findings from their latest 50-page report and dive deep into the technical, financial, and strategic factors new operators need to consider before launching their brand. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - Why SOFTSWISS released a build vs buy report 04:30 - Key findings: who should build, who should buy 07:27 - Biggest mistakes new operators make 09:35 - Why testing & tracking matter from day one 12:33 - When should operators consider building in-house? 15:12 - How to choose the right platform partner 18:30 - The importance of cultural alignment & service 21:16 - Scalability: it’s not just tech, it’s people 24:00 - The advantage of ecosystem-level integration 28:10 - Products in the SOFTSWISS suite 31:04 - Time to market: build vs buy 34:06 - What’s next: SOFTSWISS roadmap & modular infrastructure 36:00 - AI-generated code and fully autonomous tech teams? 38:16 - Closing marks 🔗 Download SOFTSWISS report here: https://www.softswiss.com/reports/igaming-software-development-playbook/ 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST\ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio/podcasts 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/

    39 min
  5. Sam Sadi: 4 industry trends to pay attention to

    JUN 12

    Sam Sadi: 4 industry trends to pay attention to

    🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #236 Sam Sadi, CEO of LiveScore GroupSam Sadi sits down with Pierre Lindh to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the online sports betting industry, emphasizing the need for innovation and strategic advantages to compete with established brands, particularly in regulated markets.⏰ Timestamps 00:00 - Intro00:17 - Sponsors message01:38 - Sam’s 30-year journey03:31 - Building Bwin Interactive Entertainment06:07 - The origins of LiveScore09:58 - Why LiveScore launched its own sportsbook15:27 - Competing in the UK18:00 - Why most media-betting integrations fail20:32 - Simplicity vs complexity: is betting too confusing for new users?23:35 - Why customers adapt faster than you think25:31 - Why niche sportsbooks rarely succeed in regulated markets29:58 - DFS as the starting point33:11 - LiveScore’s product philosophy: match 80%, innovate the rest34:37 - The capital and access problem in U.S. regulation37:18 - Trend 1: Southeast Asia’s unspoken potential44:49 - Trend 2: The real AI transformation57:30 - Trend 3: Innovation vs Incrementalism01:09:54 - Trend 4: The black market problem01:21:41 - Can cutting off suppliers beat the black market? Why it’s short-term thinking01:26:34 - Why the industry’s future might mirror the AI arms race01:32:04 - Closing remarks🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-io-podcast/id1515442333CONNECT 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/

    1h 29m
  6. Vested Interest #22: Exploring the Future of Skill-Based Gaming

    JUN 11

    Vested Interest #22: Exploring the Future of Skill-Based Gaming

    🎙NEXT.io Podcast #22 of Vested Interest with Pierre Lindh, Lloyd Danzig and Benjie Cherniak.From summer slumps to AI disruption, the trio returns to unpack three high-stakes themes shaping the future of gaming startups:👇 Here’s what they cover:- How to keep growing through the summer slowdown- Why skill-based games are booming (again) and what’s different this time- The state of affiliate businesses and how AI, SEO, and chatbots are reshaping the model⏰ Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:18 - Sponsor messages01:38 - Welcoming Benjie and Lloyd02:10 - Can you grow during summer? Founders vs. excuses07:42 - How NEXT.io handles seasonality with strategic summer planning13:52 - Skill-Based Gaming14:30 - The evolution and new wave of real-money skill games16:21 - Triumph, FanDuel, Bring It On and global market potential22:14 - Regulatory arbitrage and go-to-market benefits24:44 - What happens when operators join in? M&A and mainstream interest26:58 - The Affiliate Collapse27:35 - Market dip, SEO crashes & winners like Gambling.com31:04 - Fewer state openings, changing user behavior32:52 - Why SEO isn't enough anymore 35:56 - Lessons from Catena Media and the danger of single-market bets39:29 - What affiliate SEO looks like in the LLM era40:44 - Final thoughts 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio 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/

    42 min

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/

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