Listen. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the EKG Slot Awards, it’s that a tuxedo and a pair of Jordans can absolutely coexist, confetti cannons are not to be trusted, and yes—someone did take a full-on nap mid-awards show. We’re recapping the biggest wins, the boldest fashion choices, and the moments that had us questioning everything. Plus, we’re officially volunteering for the nominating committee because we have some strong opinions on the award categories that need to exist next year. Buckle up—it’s a good one.

Madam President has entered the chat and the floor is hers- literally and figuratively. Lauren Bates started at the front desk at Konami and worked her way up to VP at Light & Wonder and President of Global Gaming Women.

She learned her numbers on a mini roulette wheel, built her career from the ground up, and now she’s helping thousands of women do the same. In this episode, Lauren talks about the rapid global expansion of GGW, the Harvard-accredited programs launching soon, and why mentorship and peer networking are game changers in the industry.

Also, Mike may have gotten himself into something big. If GGW hits 10,000 members by G2E 2025, he’s sponsoring something at Kick Up Your Heels. It’s on record now. Ladies, you know what to do.

Diana Bennett doesn’t want to be called a Vegas legend, but let’s be real, she’s done more for this city than most. In this episode, we hear incredible stories from the mob days, her inspiring work giving back to Las Vegas, the phone call that cost her dad $4.9 million, and some classic gaming stories you won’t want to miss.

Diana is deeply involved in supporting these amazing organizations that are making a real difference in Las Vegas:

💜 The Shade Tree – https://www.theshadetree.org

🐾 Noah’s Animal House – https://noahsanimalhouse.org

🥫 Three Square – https://www.threesquare.org

👩‍💼 empowHER – https://www.rebelsempowher.org 

Bluberi's CEO Andrew Burke paid the MaxBet Podcast a visit and shared his insights on company culture, Bluberi's successful hiring hack, and most importantly, what his AOL instant messenger screen name was. Spoiler alert: It does not disappoint. Plus, Hillary and Mike interpret gaming industry buzzwords for regular humans.

If you're looking for a crash course on Web3 and blockchain, explained through Birkin bag examples, this is the episode for you! Cheli Wolf-Kroupp came to break it down for us like we're five, and for that, we thank her for her service.

Cheli is the COO at Uplandme, Inc. Upland is an immersive layer 1 gaming platform that uses virtual properties of the real world to engage players, creators, entrepreneurs, developers, and brands like FIFA or the NFL PA.

Erica Kosemund joins the MaxBet Podcast, and let’s just say Choctaw’s Gaming and Partnerships marketing is next-level creative. We’re talking about projecting messages on failed imploded buildings like it’s a Tuesday. Erica shares her favorite marketing stories, some huge wins for Choctaw, and how she somehow knows every celebrity (She didn’t outright say this, but the vibe was palpable, which, naturally, makes us all question our life choices.)

At the end, Hillary and Mike get into their Super Bowl bets, predictions, and the truly ridiculous things they’d actually bet on for the big game. In short, it's a rollercoaster of bad ideas. Stick around!

Mark Dedeaux, GM and Senior Vice President of Slots at AGS, joins us on the podcast to discuss gaming supplier strategy, what makes a premium game truly premium, and to share a his favorite gaming story from his time in Tunica, Mississippi, involving a 911 page, an interim casino manager, and a rowdy craps table.

Anyone can drop a holiday special before Christmas, but we’d rather hit you with five minutes of brain rot during no-man’s-land: that weird span of time between Christmas and New Year’s when no one knows what day it is, calories don’t count, and we’re all Googling gym memberships.

So whether you celebrate Toyotathon, Happy Honda Days, or prefer the simple Merry Chrysler, we hope it’s a good one!

In this mini-episode, Mike McKiski introduces Hillary McAfee as the new co-host of MaxBet. There’s now an area rug in the recording studio, so you could say things are getting pretty serious. Hear Mike defend his video call wardrobe choices and find out why Hillary might’ve been 86’d from Egypt over a human pyramid incident.

Plus, a sneak peek at the upcoming guest lineup, where Mike and Hillary want to take the podcast, and plenty of unfiltered commentary.

What happened? Did you guys break up? Landon is buying a farm? So many questions. MaxBet's co-founder and former co-host, Landon Jones is back in the studio with Mike to answer all of them and share what's next.