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In our ‘Golden’ 50th episode, Martin Britton, who is the MD for GLI EMEA, joined us to talk through what the future holds for the industry in new and developing markets around licensing and testing requirements. In other news, the guys discuss the continued UK National Lottery licensing fallout between Allwyn and Camelot, along with SPACs, changing faces and controversy at Lottery.com and more regulatory oversight for Entain to deal with down under. Don’t forget to like rate review and subscribe and check out our back catalogue at https://bigbettingbalagan.com/ and our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/thebigbettingbalagan.

Jesper Karrbrink, co-founder of Green Jade Games and the former CEO of both Mr Green and Svenska Spel joined us today. He provided great insight into his background, thoughts on the future of slots, social games, and the likely impact of new regulations, as well as updates on the Crypto Casino space and more. In other news, numbers and M&A activity from the likes of Evolution, Playtech, Entain, Flutter and more are covered, along with discussion around the impact on the industry of the cost-of-living crisis and what the LATAM market may hold in store. Don’t forget to like rate review and subscribe and check out our back catalogue at https://bigbettingbalagan.com/ as well as our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/thebigbettingbalagan.

Leigh Nissim the CEO & Founder of Future Anthem and former IGT and Light & Wonder exec joined us today providing some great insights into his background, career and the innovative things he is up to. In other news, we review the latest M&A activity and recent trading numbers from the likes of Flutter, Caesars, Playtech & MGM / Leo Vegas. Licensing developments in California and Brazil are also covered and we trail some exciting news about forthcoming changes to the Balagan family! Don’t forget to like rate review and subscribe and check out our back catalogue at https://bigbettingbalagan.com/.

Alex Pratt, MD at Clarion Gaming joined us today to update us on the latest plans for the forthcoming and much-anticipated trade show. In other news… results at Playtech, legal challenges regarding the UK National Lottery bid, and potential industry impact due to the energy crisis all get the Balagan treatment. Don’t forget to like rate review and subscribe and please reach out if you would like to meet us at ICE.

CEO of Openbet and former SG / ‘Light & Wonder’ exec Jordan Levin joined us on the pod today for a look back at his career, what makes him tick as well as his plans for Openbet and his thoughts on the industry in general. In a packed news section, we wrap up the winners and losers from Cheltenham. We also discuss the fallout of Camelot’s failed bid to retain the UK National Lottery License as well as their £3m+ fine for various RG and technical failings. Ontario’s pending launch, and a review of ‘Jackpot’ which is a new book by journalist Rob Davies on the state of the industry in the UK all get the Balagan treatment.

An expert panel of Bingo specialists including Angus Nisbet (Playtech), Andrew Steddy (PlayOJO) and affiliate expert Sue Dawson joined us today examining and educating on this core but often overlooked vertical in the industry. We discuss the value, trends, M&A, technology and global opportunities it is driving in what was a fascinating session. In other news, the Super Bowl, UKGC, Camelot, bet365 and activity in Argentina and across LATAM also get the Balagan treatment.

The Big Betting Balagan turns 2 today (!) and to celebrate we have a bumper edition focussing on iGaming in the US with DC based John Pappas who is a Public Affairs & Government Relations expert. He talks us through activity in New York as well as what to expect in the US in 2022 and beyond, including iCasino and why the rollout has been slow. He also updates on some interesting developments in California. In other news WynnBets pending sale, more activity over at Playtech as well as with UK National Lottery bidders Camelot and Allwyn all get the Balagan treatment. We also discuss the merits of fixed-odds horse race betting in the US, and Lee teases us with a preview to a new book that is being published and which claims will “uncover the sinister inner workings of one of the country's most nefarious industries”… John Pappas can be reached via Twitter or LinkedIn: Tw: https://twitter.com/yanni_dc LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pappas-8741baa8/

In the final episode of the year, we reflect on the major news stories that grabbed the headlines in 2021. This included the many Billions spent on M&A, the rise of the SPAC, NFT and huge numbers being generated in the US, plus our old nemesis COVID. We also look forward to 2022, picking up on iGaming in the US, unsustainable marketing, launches in LATAM, in-house technology and regulatory clarity in the UK and beyond. In more up to date news, activity at Playtech, 888, PlayUp, Clarion and the Gambling Commission all get the Balagan treatment. Happy Holidays to all our viewers and listeners and we thank you for your ongoing support! Dan, Lee & Vigne.

Pini Yakuel, CEO of the leading data & marketing company Optimove, and who work with many major brands in the industry joined us today to chat through his background and how AI & Data science is changing everything. In a packed news section Camelot’s latest numbers, the ongoing bidding war for Playtech, further M&A for Flutter and trouble in Florida are all covered. We also discuss the likes of SEGA and ESPN making moves into the space and in a final piece of breaking news Lee defends his racing tipster record!

Recorded in front of a live audience at the recent Betting on Sports conference in London, we were joined by Chris Elliott from Wiggin LLP who updated us on the likely outcome and impact of the forthcoming White Paper on the pending UK Gambling Act review. In other news, we discuss the Aristocrat and Gopher bidding war for Playtech, along with an update on the ‘Safer Gaming Week’ initiative and problem gambling stats. Also, Super Group / Betway strategy of increased soccer sponsorship in the face of media and regulatory pressure to decrease exposure all get the Balagan treatment.

Given they say life starts at 40 (!) the guys bring you another busy show previewing their upcoming live pod at the #BOSEUROPE conference in London on the 11th November at 2pm (UK). We are also joined by Dennis Algreen, Marketing Director from SBC who provides more insight into that event. Full details can be found here: https://sbcevents.com/betting-on-sports-europe/. Don’t worry if you can’t make the live broadcast as it will also be dropping across all our channels including https://www.youtube.com/thebigbettingbalagan shortly afterwards. In other news, the Melbourne Cup, Flutters Q3s and sports betting in Florida finally going live get the Balagan treatment. Other upcoming and future guests include Chris Elliot, Senior Associate at Wiggin to discuss the pending White Paper on the UK Gambling Act review. Also, Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel will be joining us to discuss the value of predictive analytics, AI & Data Science.

James McLoughlin from Boom Entertainment joined us today chatting about the value opportunity in the US around 'free to play' content alongside real money. We also covered activities in New York and what he saw at G2E. In the news roundup, Entains impressive numbers and Germanys lack of iGaming licensees alongside low staking limits and high taxation get the Balagan treatment. Lee also updates on the UK National Lottery License bid as it (finally) approaches the finishing line. Don't forget to like, rate review and subscribe.

VP of Global Events at the American Gaming Association, Meredith Pallante, joined us today, updating us on what the AGA are up to and what they have planned for next week’s G2E conference in Vegas. In other news, the Draft Kings / Entain bid and Endeavour buying Openbet from SG get the Balagan treatment. The regulatory position in the Netherlands and further fallout following the demise of Football Index plus a quick review of the recent SBC Barcelona conference are also discussed. Don’t forget to like, rate, review and subscribe.

Stuart Tilly (Esports Entertainment), Alejandro Kowalski (Mobadoo) & Mark Cole (Dragoni) joined us today discussing all things Esports. During the chat, the guys got under the skin of its crossover to traditional betting and gaming through to Covid’s legacy, M&A, Regulations, Crypto and what the next generation are looking for from Esports and beyond. In other news, the battle for William Hill, 888s US performance and ESPN looking to enter the space all get discussed, also some surprising insights into scratch card take up. Lee & Dan also look forward to upcoming live events they will be attending and Vigne enlightens us on a potential new NHS approach to problem gambling.

The former William Hill, Betfair, Ladbrokes, Coral and Playtech exec Ian Chuter joined us today for a fascinating chat through his career and experiences. In the news, we cover recent financial updates from Rank and Flutter as well as a huge recovery of Ethereum currency from fraudulent accounts. We also discuss New York and the likely joint bids there as the major brands scramble to get one of the four licenses on offer and come to terms with having to give away up to 60% in taxation! The raft of mega M&A deals from the likes of Draft Kings, Golden Nugget, Penn National, the Score and Entain are also covered. The A-Z of betting and gaming continues with ‘D’ for DDOS, d’alembert and Dark Horses!

The team from https://www.bettingjobs.com/ joined the pod today updating us on the state of play in the industry around recruitment, opportunities, salaries, new markets and more. In other news, we discuss the merits (or lack of), joint winners, in sport! Tipico throwing their hat into the ring for William Hills non-US business is also covered as are rumours linking Evolution and Openbet. We also update on the rollout of SSBTs Stateside. The A-Z of betting and gaming continues with ‘C’ for Cash-out, Crypto and Craps!

In another packed show we catch up with Conor Grant, CEO for Flutter in the UK and Ireland who shares some amazing insights into his background, and what it is like working for one of the biggest groups in the industry. In the news section, we cover everything from the Olympics to Cricket, trading updates, NFTs, the UK National Lottery bid and company intel for the likes of DraftKings, Scientific Games, Playtech, Entain, FDJ and more. The A-Z of betting and gaming continues with ‘B’ for Baccarat, Blockchain and Blackjack. If that wasn’t enough, James Bond also gets a mention along with insights into how our resident adrenaline junkie (aka Lee) gets his weekend kicks! Finally, we announce news of more big-name guests and topics coming soon!

In a packed show today, Paul Burns, CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association joined us to discuss the recent legislative changes there, and what that means for legalised online betting operations in Canada. In other news we cover the ‘footie’ from Euro2020, we also discuss Kambi CEO Kristian Nylens views on the in-house vs Outsource debate. The potential winners and losers in the race for William Hills retail assets also get the Balagan treatment and Vigne wraps up the news as he talks us through the potential pitfalls of crypto investing*. If that wasn’t enough, we introduce a new feature looking at the A-Z of betting and gaming with some fascinating insights and histories kicking off with ‘A’ for ‘Arbitrage’, ‘AI’ & ‘Atlantic City’. What other industry podcast packs in as much! *Not financial advice, do not buy or sell any crypto assets based on the content discussed.

Gil Rotem, legend of the iGaming world and who helped build and transform brands such as 888 and bet365 joined us today sharing some fascinating insights and stories into his background, journey through the industry and thoughts to the future. In other news the guys dissect the recent C4 documentary, 'Football's Gambling Addiction' and the potential fall-out from that before turning to their predictions for the Euros. In tech news, Vigne talked us through what caused the recent major global internet outage and how new developments should make issues like that a thing of the past, and of course a quick update on Crypto and Blockchain activity! We also still want more of your thoughts on the next big innovation in the industry so check out https://bigbettingbalagan.com/innovators for details.

With a focus on all things Slots related we were joined today by Rhys Owen (mutuelplay.com) and Andrew Porter (4theplayer.com) who led us through the innovation process, new market entry and the impact of consolidation and regulation into what is one of the biggest revenue drivers in the industry. In other news, updates on regulation in Florida, changing faces at Kambi and more potential suitors for William Hills non-US business were discussed. On the Crypto front, some surprising stats are revealed in a recent study of gamblers https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/YOUGOV-PLC-4006933/news/YouGov-nbsp-British-gamblers-more-likely-than-public-to-use-cryptocurrencies-but-scepticism-remai-33279875/ as well as some news on Casinocoin #CSC. We also announce news of a new feature where we need your participation so check out the AOB section of the Pod as well as https://bigbettingbalagan.com/ for more details.