Right to the Source

Right to the Source hits the big 1-0, as Robin Harrison and Ed Birkin recover from iGB L!VE and discuss changes to the Netherlands gaming market and whether re-regulation in the New Zealand gaming market will be a success. 

Once we get through the usual diversions - Ed’s footballing prowess, Christina Aguilera’s first number one single and famous people from New Zealand this time - we get down to the important stuff. 

First up is the Netherlands online gaming market, in the wake of a ban on gambling sponsorship in sports and new player data from the Kansspelautoriteit. This leads into a discussion on lotteries, in particular whether a vertical driven by instant win games can be considered totally distinct from commercial peers. 

And online casino in New Zealand will be regulated, with a bill introduced in the country’s parliament. But considering there’s a monopoly in place for sports betting, is that going to be enough to limit offshore competition?

Right to the Source is back and once again it’s taking iGB L!VE! And not with a series of wild diversions into multiple other topics, as Robin Harrison and Ed Birkin bring in Clarion Gaming brand director Jody Frost to keep them on topic. 

The show is making its London debut at ExCeL, with the show doors swinging open Wednesday, and Jody joins to explain the work, thought and preparation that has gone into this year’s edition. From replacing Strandzuid with a new dockside networking area to the host of parties taking, he explains that things go beyond the show as London iGaming Week takes over the capital.

And as ever, it’s worth throwing in yet another mention of Ed’s panel. He’ll be talking Brazil with Eduardo Ludmer of BetMGM Brazil and Super Affiliados’ Pedro Lucas at 3.40pm on 2 July.

Make sure you're registered and we'll see you there! 

Right to the Source is gearing up for iGB L!VE, with Robin Harrison roaming the venue and Ed Birkin taking to the stage for a session on Brazil. 

True to form, the conversation quickly diverges, to take in the current state of the Spanish market where GGR continues to go up in spite of advertising spend declining. That of course leads onto Italy, and some arguments around the Premier League’s front-of-shirt sponsorship ban. If this all sounds like Robin trying to catch Ed’s data knowledge out, that’s exactly what it is. 

So don’t miss Ed’s session the Brazilian market, where he’ll be joined by Eduardo Ludmer of BetMGM Brazil and Super Affiliados’ Pedro Lucas at 3:40PM on 2 July. Of course to get in, you’ll have to register - but we’ve got you covered, make sure your name’s on the door for iGB L!VE here: https://tinyurl.com/44py9reb

Right to the Source welcomes its very first guest as Mark Flores Martin braves Ed Birkin’s skepticism and Robin Harrison’s flurry of buzzwords to discuss the evolution of AI in gambling. 

Mark’s business Xgenia started out using AI to power game development, before pivoting to create “AIs building AIs”. The focus is providing the tools for clients to build their own artificial intelligence, train it and ultimately create something bespoke for themselves. 

And for an early adopter he’s remarkably clear eyed on its potential, and skeptical of the wave of products described as revolutionising AI in gaming. The vast majority are just wrappers for ChatGPT, he points out. 

That’s not to say he doesn’t believe in the potential. “We’ve just discovered fire, and we’re still learning how to cook with it,” he says. 

Will he break down Ed’s skepticism? Can Robin fit a few more buzzwords in? Watch or listen to find out! 

Right to the Source is back with some hasty calculations on Illinois’ tax grab, before Robin Harrison and Ed Birkin with a jazzy new recording setup turn the conversation to gaming regulators. 

Robin and Ed discuss how these industry referees are caught between political pressure from lawmakers and industry expectations, and whether regulatory goals actually reflect market realities. There’s also the catch-22 situation regulators find themselves in, when channelisation remains the ultimate goal despite any signs of the overall market growing being met with concern by many stakeholders. 

There’s even time to list some of the best referees. Who remembers Uriah Rennie?

Right to the Source is back and as promised Robin Harrison of iGB and Ed Birkin of H2 Gambling Capital are discussing the African gambling market. They talk through the continent's biggest markets and the growth prospects for gambling in South Africa, the rising popularity of virtual sports in Nigeria and why gambling tax in Kenya limits the market.

Ultimately it's a look at what holds the African gaming market back. Many in the industry see it as a sleeping giant, but the popularity of withholding taxes in particular is limiting growth.

After a week off while Ed waded through the rain in Miami and Robin wandered around Paris, Right to the Source is back to talk about... the US, Latin America and France. It's not all a story of what the guys did on holiday however, with a deep dive on the fragmented market in Argentina and Mexico's highly competitive nature, before a short hop, skip and a jump across the Atlantic to look at France's prospects of passing icasino legislation.

Everyone is talking about it so it'd be rude for Right to the Source not to consider what's next for Bet365. This episode also has more on other potential power players in the US and some chatter on who's winning in Latin America thrown in for good measure.

Right to the Source returns with Robin Harrison and Ed Birkin talking taxes in the UK, whether Finland is taking the right route with its regulatory model, and questioning the size of the crypto gambling sector.

Right to the Source returns in a shiny new format, with one familiar face in H2 Gambling Capital's Ed Birkin and one new (but tired) face in Clarion Gaming's Robin Harrison, as they discuss early numbers from Brazil's regulated betting and gaming market.

Speaking live from Sao Paulo, Ed and Robin discuss the first few months of legal gambling in Brazil, and how the competitive landscape is shaping up.