Michael Pedersen: Emerging verticals, the new map for iGaming operators

🎙️ NEXT.io Podcast #268 with Michael Pedersen, CEO of Swivel Gaming

In this episode of the NEXT.io Podcast, Michael Pedersen — CEO of Swivel Gaming and one of the most experienced operators in the emerging verticals space — maps out the four products quietly reshaping the iGaming industry: sweepstakes, card rips, prediction markets and ADW.

Swivel has been building in this space for five years. Michael took over as CEO in March and relaunched the business around exactly these verticals. In this conversation he goes through each one in depth: what it is, where the opportunity is, and where it falls short.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

00:36 - Sponsors

03:41 - Welcoming Michael Pedersen

03:50 - Why Swivel doubled down on emerging verticals

06:26 - How many emerging verticals actually exist?

08:19 - Legal opinions vs. regulators

11:08 - Sweepstakes:dying or still growing?

16:15 - The sweepstakes player vs. the iGaming player

20:04 - Can sweepstakes work outside the US?

23:22 - Card rips: what is it and why is it blowing up?

31:55 - How complex is card rips for operators?

39:26 - Prediction markets: the iGaming operator perspective

44:39 - The ProphetX partnership explained

52:27 - ADW explained: a slot machine powered by a real horse race

56:08 - The challenges with ADW margins

01:00:15 - Are there more emerging verticals on the horizon?

01:06:12 - Emerging verticals are like social media platforms

01:07:37 - "iGaming now feels old school"

01:08:17 - Where will Swivel be in three years?

🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/409DefE06IKPhZzhDIDpH3?si=dcdf9b8d400e479a

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/next-io-podcast/id1515442333?l=en-GB

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/

Sponsored by:

Hard Rock Games: https://www.hardrockgames.com/

Creedroomz: https://www.creedroomz.com/