iGAMINGFM

UConn’s peerless run to the Championship, three first-timers in the Final Four, Princeton’s Cinderella run… This year’s NCAA college basketball season and March Madness finale was, once again, hugely entertaining and, at times, unpredictable. We sat down with Mark Hill of Amelco and Simplebet’s Ryan Keur to reflect on a memorable month and to gain an insider view of the betting trends and headlines from March Madness 2023.

Next week, nearly 300,000 racegoers will pour through the gates at Prestbury Park for the #CheltenhamFestival.

As @Cheltenham Racecourse prepares for the showpiece, iGamingFM spoke to @City Bet Club co-founder @David Brown, himself a veteran of the Festival both as a punter and a bookie, about his recollections of Cheltenham's glorious racing history - and a look forward to next week's staging.

David really is a great storyteller. Enjoy.

Simon Westbury, the new CEO of Digitain group company Sport Generate, chats to Robin Hutchison about his Digitain journey and the route to his new role, via Armenia. Ryan Keur of Simplebet explains how the North American operator is evolving to offer players more choice than ever. And Walter Bugno, something of an industry legend and now at the helm of Games Global, talks about the company’s rich heritage and bright future. OH, AND IT’S ICE NEXT WEEK.

In the first episode of 2023, iGamingFM is resisting the industry-wide panic that ICE is UNDER THREE WEEKS AWAY and instead remaining loyal to our cool, calm curation of a wide range of content. From the continuing evolution of poker, with Dimtry Starostenkov of Evenbet, to market and tax (yes, TAX) chat with David Kicks of e-Technologies, as well as Mobinc, who are heading to ICE to build on their first-mover creds in Ontario.

In this bonus episode, we hear from David Brown, director and co-founder of expert tipster service City Bet Club. Via a whistle-stop tour of the betting headlines around previous World Cups, David offers a betting perspective on Qatar 2022 and what the ‘best ever World Cup for bookies’ actually represents for operators.

We also look ahead to the second half of the interrupted Premier League season and the likely impact of the winter World Cup.

Which team will have a big cup run and can Arsenal hold on for the title - or will the Gunners end up fighting it out for 4th place (again)?

In the new episode of iGamingFM, the last of 2022, we speak with Jo Purvis of Blueprint Gaming, to Mkodo’s Will Whitehead and with Joey Hurtado of Wizard Games. There’s also a little bonus racing content from City Bet Club’s David Brown, offering listeners some Christmas tips.

Following a jam-packed autumn schedule, SiGMA, the final event in the conference calendar, is complete and thoughts turn, inevitably, to ICE London. But we’re not done with 2022 just yet, with Thanksgiving and Christmas still to come. And what is more Christmassy than a winter World Cup?

The best gift many of us will receive this year is being able to cosy up with family and scream at the TV as we watch our picks in the company sweepstake fail to register even a shot on target.

Although there’s still hope for a few underdogs as signified by yesterday’s humbling of Argentina, who many have as favourites for the trophy, by the low-ranked Saudi Arabia (we still reckon Argentina will be in the mix at the business end of the tournament.)

The World Cup is the topic of our first chat, with ESA Gaming’s Thomas Smallwood speaking with our very own Sam Goodall, looking at, among other things, how operators can retain the customers it receives during traffic-spiking events such as the World Cup and how they can offer different services to traditional football fans.

Also on the show, Kristoffer Cassell, CEO at onboarding specialist checkin.com chats to Stewart Darkin about the company’s growth and the invaluable support it offers to online betting and gaming operators entering new markets.

Finally, Matt Chambers speaks with Daniel Broda of Checkd Media about the affiliate landscape, notably the US opportunity and the role micro-influencers can play there.

In the latest episode of iGamingFM, we catch up with Rob Dowling and Daniel Beard to discuss the upcoming SBC Charity Boxing Championship and fundraising for Oliver’s Wish. Stewart also talks to Krzysztof Opalka and Chris Ash of the high-flying Tequity Ventures and Dan Snook chats with Patrick Nordwall of Parlaybay about the company's launch.

If you wish to support or donate to Oliver’s Wish Foundation click here:http://www.oliverswish.org.uk/donate.htm

Everyone loves a freebie, especially here at iGamingFM Towers - and that’s why we’ve produced a very special bonus episode of the pod, straight from the floor at SBC Summit Barcelona. So enjoy hearing Garen Mouradian talk about the challenges (and successes) of Technamin’s first year and Ben Scobie-Trumper talking about the future of AI and outlining the Future Anthem offer. Finally, SBC’s very own Dennis Algreen lifts the lid on what the 2023 Barcelona event will look like. Think BIG. All aboard the Barcelona Special!

Ahead of an intense few weeks on the road for the gambling industry, starting with SBC Summit Barcelona next week, Håvard Lehn, co-founder of Nordic Affiliates, chats affiliate marketing, and his latest venture, onlinegamblers.com. Dmytro Kryvorchuk of Slotegrator also offers insights on new markets including Ontario and, in more detail, Latin America. Finally, Phil Pearson of iGaming Group, discusses next week’s Barcelona event, workplace diversity, and whether Molly Bloom is any good at throwing beanbags.