Ep. 208 features Nathan Thomas and Brett DeBari, the founding team behind GridGorilla, a digital platform that evolves the classic Super Bowl squares format into a year-round, player-stat-based prediction experience.

Hear them discuss:

Brett’s journey through tech sales at Dell and AWS to previous gaming startups, and Nathan’s 20-year engineering career ranging from biomedical startups to database architecture

How the team identified the "mass market" appeal of Super Bowl squares and adapted it into a year-round digital product

Moving beyond final scores to create player-performance grids involving stats like points and rebounds across an x and y axis

Why they opted for a free-to-play, ad-supported model to lower barriers to entry and onboard non-bettors.

Leveraging AI-simulated matchups (e.g., LeBron James vs. the '86 Pistons) to keep users in the app for multiple sessions per day

Nathan’s experience navigating the complex, one-year process of securing a software patent for their predictive grid system

Why the three-person team chose to remain self-funded and the "leap of faith" required to build the company without meeting in person

How Nathan operates as a one-person dev team by leveraging tools like Cursor AI, Flutter, and Golang to write nearly 97% of the app's code

Seeing success with Meta ads under a $2 CAC and partnering with influencers and brand ambassadors to scale to 10,000 users

Future plans for pay-to-play mechanics and a B2B licensing play to offer embeddable grid widgets for other brands and apps

The dedicated Startup Zone at SBC Summit Americas gives real-money gaming startups a platform to showcase to 10,000+ attendees — including investors, operators, suppliers, media, and key industry players.  Spaces are limited, secure yours now through https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-americas-2026

If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for 30% off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/

Catch the video version of this episode here.

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➡️ GridGorilla website

➡️ Nathan Thomas on Linkedin 

➡️ Brett Debari on Linkedin 

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Ep. 207 features Yaniv Spielberg, founder of LuckyDraw, a B2B platform bringing prize draws and raffles into the modern gaming ecosystem.

Hear them discuss:

If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for 30% off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/

Catch the video version of this episode here.

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➡️ LuckyDraw website

➡️ Yaniv Spielberg on Linkedin 

📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

Ep. 206 features Jason White, founder of TallyUp, a free-to-play global game show platform blending casual gaming, wagering mechanics, and the attention economy.

Hear them discuss:

SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000.

Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ TallyUp website

➡️ Jason White on Linkedin 

📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

Ep. 205 features John Caldwell, Co-Founder of i3Soft, a gaming technology company building next-generation poker and casino products designed to improve player experience, increase liquidity, and bridge the gap between poker and casino gameplay.

Hear them discuss:

SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000.

Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ i3soft website

➡️ John Caldwell on Linkedin 

📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

Ep. 204 features Allan Stone, CEO & Co-Founder of Intelitics, a marketing intelligence platform helping betting and iGaming companies better understand the true impact of their marketing spend and optimize performance across the full player lifecycle.

SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000.

Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Intelitics website

➡️ Allan Stone on Linkedin 

📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

Ep. 203 features Toby Bucsescu, CEO & Co-Founder of Blitz:Draft, which is reimagining the sports gaming experience by combining elements of daily fantasy, betting, and quick-play mechanics into a format built for speed and accessibility.

Hear them discuss:

SBC Americas First Pitch is back in Fort Lauderdale (June 9–11), bringing together some of the most exciting companies in real money gaming for a chance to win an exclusive prize package valued at $100,000.

Applications are now open. Submit your application before April 17th using this link: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-americas/first-pitch/

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Blitz:Draft website

➡️ Toby Bucsescu on Linkedin 

📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

Ep. 202 features Cal Spears, founder of Gambly, returning to the Betting Startups Podcast to share an update on the company’s progress since launch, insights from the NEXT Summit in New York, and a major milestone for the business. 

Hear them discuss:

Cal’s return to the podcast and what has changed at Gambly since its launch in October 2024

Key takeaways from the NEXT.io Summit in New York and why prediction markets dominated the conversation

How Unabated’s advanced betting analytics and pricing models now power Gambly’s tools and insights for bettors

The vision of creating a unified ecosystem that blends AI-driven bet discovery with professional-grade betting data

Lessons learned from building and scaling products in the betting ecosystem

How founders should think about partnerships, consolidation, and product leverage when building betting startups

What’s next for Gambly following the merger and how the team plans to expand its product offering

Betting Startups Capital is now accepting pitches from early-stage founders looking for their first institutional check, strategic support, and access to a global operator network. If you’re solving a real problem and ready to scale, we want to hear from you. Submit your pitch here: bettingstartups.com/capital

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Gambly website

➡️ Unabated website

➡️ Cal Spears on Linkedin

📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

Ep. 201 features Taylor Caby, Co-Founder of Establish The Run, sharing the story behind building the evolution of betting content, the business of premium sports analysis, and why high-quality information products continue to thrive in an increasingly crowded sports betting ecosystem.

Hear them discuss:

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Establish The Run website

➡️ Taylor Caby on Linkedin

📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

Ep. 200 marks a major milestone for the Betting Startups Podcast, featuring a special conversation between Jesse Learmonth and longtime industry leader Paris Smith to celebrate the 200th episode and announce a major new chapter for the platform.

Hear them discuss:

Jesse and Paris’s shared history at Pinnacle, how a startup acquisition led to a six-year partnership, and the full-circle moment that brings them back together

The official launch of BettingStartups Capital, including its mission to back early-stage real-money gaming startups as one of the first checks in

What they look for in founders, from industry experience and coachability to problem-solving mindset and commercial realism

Lessons Paris has learned as an angel investor, how operator instincts translate to investing, and why availability and honesty matter most

Why ecosystem-building, fast decision-making, and founder support are central to their investment philosophy

The announcement of InsightPlay.ai as the first investment under BettingStartups Capital and why the team stood out

How conferences, networks, and mentorship accelerate startup success in a complex and regulated industry

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Betting Startups Capital is now accepting pitches from early-stage founders looking for their first institutional check, strategic support, and access to a global operator network. If you’re solving a real problem and ready to scale, we want to hear from you. Submit your pitch here: bettingstartups.com/capital

Only a few tickets remaining! Use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPS10 for 10% off your full event pass for the Next.io Summit in New York event yet. Grab your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/

Ep. 199 features Michael, Evan and Chris from Feen, to discuss building a next-generation betting product, navigating early-stage product decisions, and finding differentiation in an increasingly crowded wagering landscape. The conversation explores Feen’s origin story, early traction, and how the founders think about product focus, user behavior, and long-term scalability.

If you don't have a ticket for the Next.io Summit in New York event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPS10 for 10% off your full event pass. Grab your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Feen website

➡️ Michael Chiang on Linkedin

➡️ Evan Luza on Linkedin

📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/