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

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