Martin Lycka's Safe Bet Show5 Nov 2025

Why personal stories define player protection, with SBC's Steve Hoare

Welcome to an improvised episode of the Safe Bet Show, where host Martin Lycka welcomes SBC Leaders Magazine Editor, Steve Hoare.

The discussion centres on the SBC Player Protection Hub, which Steve is also Editor of. The Hub is positioned as a, "one-stop shop" for responsible gaming resources, offering news feeds from across the SBC universe and a research hub dedicated to collecting RG studies. Crucially, the site is members-only, aiming to be a necessary "safe space" where people can talk about player protection issues and share personal stories without fear of exposure.

Martin and Steve discuss the immense power of "lived experience" stories. They highlight how these human and humane narratives, such as a story about a girl who used gambling to "turn off the noise", or the painful recollection of a Seahawks fan who lost his family’s money betting on the Super Bowl, provide critical perspective for the industry.

The conversation then shifts to Martin’s career, tracing his time at BetFair starting in 2009. This period coincided with the genesis of regulated markets in Europe (Italy, France, Spain). They analyse the failure of the dream of European harmonisation and contrast it with the rise of the US state-by-state regulation, which some prominent lobbyists initially dismissed as "madness".

Martin also shares his experience living through major industry mergers, including the BetFair/Paddy Power union (Flutter) and GVC/Ladbrooks Coral (Entain).

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(54)

Fanatics VP Brandt Iden Reveals What's Next for Sports Betting | Martin Lycka's Safe Bet Show

Prediction markets, sports betting regulation and responsible gaming are reshaping the future of the US gaming industry.At SBC Summit Americas 2026, Martin Lycka sat down with Brandt Iden, VP of Gover...

26 Jun 24min

Canada's Gambling Revolution: Alberta, Ontario & What's Next? | Martin Lycka's Safe Bet Show

In this episode of The Safe Bet Show, Martin Lycka is joined by one of Canada's most respected gaming industry experts, Troy Ross, President of TRM Public Affairs.The conversation explores the rapid e...

12 Jun 25min

Responsible Gambling Isn’t Killing the Industry… It’s Saving It | Martin Lycka's Safe Bet Show

Is responsible gambling actually holding the industry back… or is it the key to its future?In this episode of The Safe Bet Show, Martyn Lycka sits down with Fisayo Oke (Founder & CEO of Gamble Alert) ...

21 Apr 20min

How Neuroscience & AI Could Transform Responsible Gambling | Dr Mary Donohue

In this episode of Martin Lycka’s Safe Bet Show, Martin is joined by Dr Mary Donohue, CEO of the Digital Wellness Center, for a powerful conversation on how neuroscience, technology, and behavioural s...

23 Jan 23min

Player Health, City Council Bid & The Fight for a National Helpline, with Marlene Warner

Marlene Warner, CEO of the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, joins the show to discuss her career path, responsible gaming (RG) advocacy, and crucial industry issues.Warner holds a BA in soc...

19 Nov 202532min

Leonardo Baptista on Brazilian Regulation, Payments & Explosive Growth

In this episode of Martin Lycka’s Safe Bet Show, Martin sits down with Leonardo Baptista, CEO of Pay4Fun, to explore the evolution of Brazil’s gaming and payments industry. Leonard shares his journey ...

25 Jul 202532min

Grainne Hurst on Gambling Act Reforms, Tax Threats & The Future of UK Betting

In the latest episode of the Safe Bet Show, Martin Lycka is joined by Grainne Hurst, CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), who returns to the show after four years to share invaluable insights ...

16 Jun 202531min