Leaving the Game: Reinventing My Career at 36

In this episode of iGaming Leader, Leo sits down with Antti Koivula, iGaming lawyer at Legal Gaming Attorneys at Law, an expert on Finnish law and a former professional sports bettor.

Antti discusses his transition from a demanding and very successful sports betting career to becoming a legal advisor and shares insights on managing extreme focus, the challenges of long working hours, and the life choices he made to optimise his performance and how his early ability to concentrate gave him an edge in sports betting and later in his law career.

GUEST BIO:

Antti Koivula is a Leading iGaming Lawyer at Legal Gaming Attorneys at Law, specializing in Finnish gambling law, licensing, compliance, and risk management, known as a high-stakes professional sports bettor with over a decade of experience including LLB and LLM degrees. Antti brings a rare combination of legal expertise and real-world industry insight.

Before entering the legal field, he collaborated with elite betting syndicates, ran a successful tipster service, and consistently beat sharp bookmakers. Today, he advises a wide range of iGaming clients from operators and providers to PSPs and affiliates, and is recognized as a go-to expert on Finland’s gambling regulation.

KEY TOPICS:

00:00 The Life of a Professional Sports Bettor

02:10 Introduction to the iGaming Leader Podcast

02:52 Antti Koivula Journey into Sports Betting

07:00 The Transition from Sports Betting to Law

08:44 Balancing Family and Career

17:03 The Analytical Approach to Career Decisions

27:32 Starting a New Career in Law

35:05 Final Thoughts and Advice

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

• “Life is too short to waste on being unhappy”
• “I never considered sports betting as something to retire from”
• “I would prefer doing something I really like over getting paid better for something”
• “Knowing yourself, your strengths, weaknesses, knowing what you can do, that's the good starting point”
• “Success in any high-pressure career requires passion, without it, it's a recipe for disaster”

IMPORTANT LINKS:

Get in touch with Antti Koivula:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/koivula-antti/
https://legal-gaming.com/

A few of his latest articles:

• https://sigma.world/news/exclusive-finlands-new-gambling-rules-could-spark-chaos/
• https://igamingexpress.com/affiliates-affiliates-and-one-more-time-affiliates-why-finlands-proposed-ban-could-undermine-its-gambling-reform/
• https://igwire.com/exclusive-interview-with-antti-koivula/
• https://igamingbusiness.com/gaming/gaming-regulation/was-sweden-the-best-market-liberalisation-model-for-finland-to-follow/

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-judkins/

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