Right to the Source

After an extended break Right to the Source is back, with Ed Birkin and Robin Harrison speculating on Norsk Tipping losing its monopoly in the wake of a lottery scandal. 

With over 15,000 players joining a suit in the wake of a litany of technical errors, which meant chances of winnings were distorted for some players, while others were told they had won far larger sums. The errors went undetected for almost a decade. 

Could this be an echo of Veikkaus’ struggles in Finland, where advertising violations brought scrutiny and impacted public trust? That may well have contributed to the Finnish re-regulation, and as of 2027, the opening of a liberalised market. Norway has been resolutely against calls to end Norsk Tipping’s monopoly, but could this scandal force the issue?

Ed also finds time to rant about prediction markets, insult Northerners and call Star Wars rubbish. 

Right to the Source returns with its first episode of 2026, and this week Ed Birkin and Robin Harrison are joined by Erland Hellström and Simon Hammon of slot disruptor Big Daddy Gaming. 

Hellström is a veteran of Evolution and Hammon’s slot heritage stretches back to NetEnt’s Starburst, so there’s some serious muscle behind Big Daddy Gaming, but how are they going to build something that can disrupt an established order in a busy market?

Right to the Source made its comeback in April this year and 28 episodes in, we’re winding down for the holidays. But not before we decide who has been naughty and nice. 

Yes, this festive special recaps 2025, picking out the overarching themes whether that’s the rise of prediction markets, the rise of taxes, or the fall of regulated market share in the Netherlands. 

There’s also a quiz to test how much Ed Birkin actually knows about H2 Gambling Capital’s data, and whether Robin Harrison reads the iGamingBusiness.com site every day. 

A huge thanks to all our listeners for tolerating us in 2025, and we’ll be back in the new year!

It’s taken us a long time to get it live but Right to the Source’s lost episodes from G2E are slowly being uncovered, starting with the Plaza Hotel and Casino CEO Jonathan Jossel who talks Downtown, revitalising Vegas and Big John.  

Right to the Source returns with the three New York downstate casino licences seemingly destined for Queens and the Bronx, a deep dive into Monarch Casino & Resort, while Ed Birkin lives out the film Her with ChatGPT.

Everyone’s had their say on last week’s Budget in the UK, which heralds a hike in remote gaming duty to 40% next year, and an increase in remote betting duty to 25% of GGR from 2027. But is it going to push all gambling activity offshore, and will it yield £1.1 billion in new tax revenue as the Office for Budget Responsibility claims? Ed Birkin is not so sure. 

Right to the Source is getting existential as developments in the US prompt discussions on grey market gambling - and whether it's all just illegal - before a deep dive into gambling in Argentina. 

Right to the Source is back and it’s bouncing around the world, as Ed Birkin sizes up the UAE online gambling market, Robin Harrison talks up Allwyn taking full control of OPAP and prediction markets bring up memories of pie-eating 'keeper Wayne Shaw.

Right to the Source always threatens to bring on more guests and today we welcome Khalid Ali of the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), and dissect Banijay’s acquisition of Tipico. 

Right to the Source is back after a break for G2E, and it’s diving into all the week’s past controversies, whether that’s NBA gambling scandals or a set-to between Evolution and Playtech. Oh, and Sheffield Wednesday were placed in administration.