Phil Pearson: iGaming Industry 2025 in Review

Join us this week on NEXT.io Weekly News as we delve into Light & Wonder's stock decline following a legal injunction against their Dragon Train game. We'll explore how analysts view this as a potential investment opportunity. Additionally, we highlight WA Technology's acquisition of Onseo and Boyd Gaming’s purchase of Resorts Digital’s online operations, assessing their impacts on the tech and gaming sectors. 🗞 Read the full stories here: - Light & Wonder hit with injunction in Dragon Link infringement case https://next.io/news/casino/light-wonder-injunction-dragon-link-case/  - Truist: Light & Wonder 20% stock dip a ‘buying opportunity’ https://next.io/news/investment/truist-light-wonder-stock-dip-buying-opportunity/ - WA.Technology acquires Onseo in multi-million euro deal https://next.io/news/investment/wa-technology-acquires-onseo/  - Boyd Interactive grows NJ presence with Resorts Digital acquisition https://next.io/news/investment/boyd-acquires-resorts-digital-online-operation/ This week's sessions are brought to you by: Playson: https://playson.com/  Sponsored by:  Hub88: https://hub88.io/ Join Conor Mulheir and Nico Jansen every Thursday at 3pm CET across all our social media channels to get the freshest iGaming news and explore the most captivating stories of the week.  Be cool, be curious, be in the know!

27 Syys 202431min

🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #203 with Leo Judkins, Wellbeing & Performance Coach, Habit Rewire. In this episode, Leo Judkins and Pierre discuss turning managers into high-performance leaders. They cover the Peter Principle, avoiding micromanagement, effective delegation, and preventing burnout. Key takeaways include the difference between managers and leaders, building team trust, and transitioning from task-focused management to empowering leadership. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:42 - Sponsors 02:01 - Peter Principle in Fast-Growing Markets 04:28 - Advice to Avoid the Peter Principle 06:35 - Can Everyone Become a Great Leader? 08:25 - Red Threads Leaders Struggle With 09:53 - Balancing Autonomy and Micromanagement 13:23 - Is Micromanagement Always Bad? 16:43 - Performance Management and Trust in Teams 20:22 - How Perfectionism Impacts Leadership 22:15 - Preventing Burnout in New Managers 24:44 - Struggling With Doubts and Creating Healthy Environments 28:37 - Recognizing an Unsustainable Work Environment 30:02 - Stress Management 31:11 - Gaining Trust as a New Leader 34:50 - Learning to Be a Great Leader 41:42 - Differences Between Managers and Leaders 43:20 - Closing Marks 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ ✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nextdotio/ ✩ X/Twitter - https://twitter.com/nextdotio ✩ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextdotio _____ This episode of the NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/  Episode sponsored by: https://www.creedroomz.com/

26 Syys 202445min

🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #202 with Jesper Svensson, CEO of Betsson Group. Betsson Group was one of the first companies to enter the LATAM market. We discuss with Jesper Svensson, CEO of Betsson Group, the early stages, the challenges they faced, and how the market has evolved. Jesper also analyzes current opportunities in other regions, such as the U.S., Africa, and addresses regulatory hurdles in Europe. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:37 - Sponsors  01:36 - Welcoming Jesper 02:50 - Industry Changes in the last 20 years 05:15 - Strategic Decision to Focus on Latin America 09:01 - US B2B and B2C Strategy Test Case 14:12 - Sweeps Stakes and Opportunities in the U.S.  16:07 - Early Entry into Latin America 20:13 - Increasing Competition in Latin America 20:21 - Brazil's Regulatory Environment 25:12 - Challenges Entering New Markets: Africa 28:33 - Legal and Regulatory Challenges in Europe 33:16 - Black Market Operators vs. Regulated Markets 37:04 - Regulators and Black Market Operators 41:38 - Malta's Role in the iGaming Industry 44:43 - Betsson’s M&A Strategy 47:23 - Trends in the Industry: Local Heroes 50:07 - Dealing with the Pressure from being the CEO 53:01 - Betsson in Three Years Time 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ ✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nextdotio/ ✩ X/Twitter - https://twitter.com/nextdotio ✩ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextdotio _____ This episode of the NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/  Episode sponsored by: https://www.creedroomz.com/

24 Syys 202454min

This week on NEXT.io Weekly News, Conor and Nico discuss a plethora of iGaming M&As, including Flutter's £2.3bn purchase of Snaitech, FDJ's acquisition of Kindred, and more. Tune in to Weekly News live every Thursday at 3pm CET on YouTube, LinkedIn, and X. 🗞 Read the full stories: - Flutter buys Snaitech from Playtech for £2.3bn https://next.io/news/investment/flutter-buys-snaitech-from-playtech/ - EveryMatrix makes €18.5m public offer for Fantasma⁠ https://next.io/news/investment/everymatrix-makes-public-offer-fantasma/⁠ - FDJ brings forward Kindred closing date to October https://next.io/news/investment/fdj-brings-forward-kindred-closing-date-october/ This week's sessions are brought to you by: Playson: https://playson.com/  Sponsored by:  Hub88: https://hub88.io/ Join Conor Mulheir and Nico Jansen every Thursday at 3pm CET across all our social media channels to get the freshest iGaming news and explore the most captivating stories of the week.  Be cool, be curious, be in the know!

20 Syys 202439min

🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #201 with Vladimir Malakchi, CEO of Xanada Investments Pierre Lindh and Vladimir Malakchi, CEO of Xanada Investments, discuss the keys to successful fundraising, the importance of clear pitch decks, and how investors bring more than just capital—they offer expertise, networks, and trust. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Analysing mistakes and risks 00:31 - Example of startups: "No competitors" myth 00:37 - Sponsors: Pragmatic Solutions and Pragmatic Play 01:32 - Podcast begins: Welcoming Vladimir from Xanada Investments 02:23 - Xanada Investments: Background and challenges 04:50 - Strategies for scaling businesses with investors 06:14 - Avoiding dependency on single clients 07:18 - The role of investment funds beyond capital 09:04 - Importance of a clear and concise pitch deck 11:03 - Keeping it simple: The “Apple rule” for clarity 13:02 - Capturing investor attention through concise pitches 16:07 - Networking to stand out in the investment landscape 18:06 - Accessibility of iGaming investors 19:25 - People vs. ideas: What investors focus on 22:04 - Founders’ energy and commitment over ideas 24:40 - Handling failure and turning it into opportunity 27:04 - Showing investors how you cover risks 30:40 - The rise of CIS products in the iGaming industry 43:00 - Xanada Investments' goals for the next three years 46:04 - Closing remarks: Advice for founders 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ ✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nextdotio/ ✩ X/Twitter - https://twitter.com/nextdotio ✩ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextdotio _____ This episode of the NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/  Episode sponsored by: https://www.creedroomz.com/

19 Syys 202454min

🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #200 with Carolina Estrada Duque, Account Manager at Evolution. Carolina's story is one that will leave you in awe — despite enduring a tumultuous childhood and adolescence, she has risen above her challenges and transformed into the successful businesswoman she always aspired to be. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Sponsors 01:23 - 200 episodes! 04:29 - Welcoming Carolina Estrada Duque 06:48 - Carolina's Life Story 10:22 - Overcoming Scarcity and Hunger 14:10 - Cultivating Resilience and a Positive mindset 17:37 - Surviving a Life-Threatening Incident 22:13 - Impact of Childhood on Current Traits 26:12 - Mechanisms for coping with frequent moves 30:15 - Turning Adversity into Motivation for Success 35:45 - First Job and Independence at Age 12 37:38 - Starting a New Chapter in Malta 48:00 - Reflections on Career Opportunities in Malta 52:20 - Supporting Refugee Children in Malta 55:01 - Staying Positive After a Difficult Childhood 57:25 – The Four Agreements Book 01:06:33 - How Childhood Shaped Carolina’s Professional Success 1:10:06 – Gratitude for Reaching Success 01:13:01 - Future Ambitions 01:15:16 - Closing Marks 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/ ✩ Instagram - @next.io ✩ Linkedin - https://mt.linkedin.com/company/nextdotio _____ This episode of the NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/  Episode sponsored by: https://www.creedroomz.com/

17 Syys 20241h 16min

🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #199 with Daniel "Jungle" Man, professional poker player.   Daniel "Jungleman" Cates, one of the most iconic figures in the #poker world, shares his journey and insights in our latest podcast episode.   ⏰ Timestamps:   00:00 - Introduction 00:28 - Sponsors 01:47 - Welcoming of Daniel Jungleman Cates 02:55 - Recent poker tournament experiences. 04:00 - "The Durrrr" Challenge" 08:27 - GTO strategies and life analogies. 10:13 - Carrot vs. stick approach and Machiavellian thinking in leadership. 14:00 - Breaking down life like a game 15:53 - The concept of good and evil 20:04 - Cooperation and collective winning in life 25:24 - Defining success and examples from history 29:20 - Life-Lessons learned from Poker 35:39 - Mental fortitude in high-stakes poker games. 40:19 - Risk-taking in poker and life 46:51 - Bots and GTO poker: Threats to online poker. 52:12 - What’s next for Jungleman: 54:55 - Closing marks   🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST   Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio   CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO   ✩ Website - https://next.io/ ✩ Instagram - @next.io ✩ Linkedin - https://mt.linkedin.com/company/nextdotio   _____ This episode of the NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/   Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/    Episode sponsored by: https://www.creedroomz.com/

12 Syys 202454min

🎙️ Welcome to episode #15 of Vested Interest, with Pierre Lindh, Lloyd Danzig & Benjie Cherniak.  Special Guests:  Joey Levy - Founder, Simplebet & CEO, Betr Tomash Devenishek - Founder, Kero Sports In this special micro-betting-focused episode, hosts Benjie Cherniak and Lloyd Danzig are joined by Joey Levy, founder of Simplebet, and Tomash Devenishek, founder of Kero Sports, to discuss the future of micro-betting, the evolution of in-play and the challenges of creating innovative betting products.  ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:54 - Welcoming Lloyd and Benjie  02:39 - Overview of Micro-Betting 04:02 - DraftKings Acquisition of Simplebet  08:50 - Impact on Competitors  10:30 - Impact on Cura Sports and Competitors 12:33 - Initial Skepticism Around Micro-Betting  17:25 - Welcoming Joey Levy and Tomash Devenishek  18:16 - Early days at Simplebet 24:25 - Future of Micro-Betting 28:46 - Tomash Devenishek on Global Expansion 31:00 - Advantages and Disadvantages on Micro-Betting  35:10 - Joey Levy on Betr  39:00 - Joey Levy’s Entrepreneurial Lessons  41:32 - Tomas on the Future of Sports Betting UX (41:32 - 43:08) 43:08 - Closing Remarks  🔔 LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/409DefE... 🔗 CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO ✩ Website - https://next.io/  ✩ Instagram - @next.io ✩ Linkedin -   / next.  . _____ This episode of the NEXT.io is brought to you by: Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider. https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/ Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. https://pragmatic.solutions/  Episode sponsored by: https://www.creedroomz.com/

10 Syys 202443min