NEXT.io Podcast18 Joulu 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/

Jaksot(473)

Podcast by Jesper Kärrbrink with Gustaf Hoffstedt, General Secretary at BOS

Podcast by Jesper Kärrbrink with Gustaf Hoffstedt, General Secretary at BOS _____ This episode of the iGaming NEXT Podcast is sponsored by: ⭐️ Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform te...

3 Marras 20211h 2min

Savvas Fellas: Achieving growth in a saturated, heavily regulated market - is it possible?

Podcast by Karolina Pelc with Savvas Fellas, Founder and Managing Director of Lindar Media (MrQ Casino) About Savvas Fellas Savvas Fellas is a Founder and Managing Director of Lindar Media, the c...

1 Marras 202137min

Weekly iGaming news roundup (29th Oct) with Nico Jansen & Pierre Lindh

Weekly iGaming news roundup (29 Oct) by Pierre Lindh & Nico Jansen, CEO, Bet IT Best. The iGaming NEXT Weekly iGaming news roundup is sponsored by: ⭐️ Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platf...

29 Loka 20211h 7min

Evolution, Kindred, Kambi, Betsson Q3-21 report analysis w. Pierre Lindh & Robin Eirik Reed

Robin Eirik Reed, founder of GiG and current CEO and co-founder of happyhour.io is one of the sharpest minds of the iGaming industry, with experience of running major organisations both from operator ...

29 Loka 20211h 3min

“Start of a new era” for Betsson: Pierre Lindh catches up with Pontus Lindwall

Podcast by Pierre Lindh with Pontus Lindwall, CEO at Betsson AB It’s been a big couple of days for Betsson! Yesterday, the operator announced the welcome news that chief executive Pontus Lindwall wou...

26 Loka 202131min

Tamas Kusztos – Then Vs. Now Vs. Future player behaviour

Podcast #75 by Pierre Lindh with Tamas Kusztos, CCO at Playson Together with Tamas, CCO of the game studio Playson, we explore how player behaviour has changed in the last 10 years, and how it will ...

14 Loka 202142min

Weekly iGaming news roundup (8th Oct) with Nico Jansen & Pierre Lindh

Weekly iGaming news roundup (8th Oct) by Pierre Lindh & Nico Jansen, CEO, Bet IT Best. The iGaming NEXT Weekly iGaming news roundup is sponsored by: ⭐️ Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platfo...

11 Loka 20211h 4min

Esports Technologies take on buying Aspire Global's B2C Business

Podcast by Rory Credland with Aaron Speach, CEO and Founder at Esports Technologies Aaron Speach, CEO and Founder at Esports Technologies talks about the recent acquisition of Aspire Global’s B2C B...

5 Loka 202112min