The Betting Startups Podcast

By BettingStartups.com

Meet the people building the most promising startups competing for a piece of the multi-billion dollar real-money gaming industry. Presented by Optimove.... more

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FAQs about The Betting Startups Podcast:

How many episodes does The Betting Startups Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 216 episodes available.

The Betting Startups Podcast episodes:

January 20, 2026Ep. 194: Building skill-based wagering infrastructure w/ Noah Fulk from EWagers
Ep. 194 features Noah Fulk, Founder and CEO of EWagers, for a deep dive into building compliant, skill-based wagering infrastructure and the hard lessons learned from pivoting a gaming startup from B2C to B2B.

Hear him discuss:
Noah’s background as a lifelong gamer and the early inspiration behind Ewagers
The original B2C vision for peer-to-peer wagering and why the model ultimately failed
The pivotal decision to pivot from consumer-facing product to B2B infrastructure
What Ewagers does today, including payments, KYC, geofencing, and compliance tooling
The underestimated complexity of building regulated gaming infrastructure
Fundraising lessons, early structural mistakes, and navigating tougher capital markets
Why profitability doesn’t necessarily make scaling easier
The importance of advisors and experienced operators in avoiding costly errors
Key signals that confirmed the pivot to B2B was the right move
What’s next for Ewagers and the long-term vision for the platform

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇
➡️ EWagers website
➡️ Noah Fulk 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/

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This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
...more
27min
January 13, 2026Ep. 193: Poker-as-a-service w/ Scott Wilson & Warren Dombowsky from PokerLab
Ep. 193 features Scott and Warren, founders of PokerLab, for a deep dive into the evolution of online poker and how PokerLab is positioning itself as a modern “Poker as a Service” platform built for today’s operators and players.

Hear them discuss:
PokerLab’s origin story and the founders’ decades-long careers in poker and iGaming
What “Poker as a Service” really means and how PokerLab differs from legacy poker platforms
Why poker remains one of the stickiest products in gambling despite years of decline
The rise of short-form poker and why attention spans are changing product expectations
The overlap between poker players, sports bettors, DFS users, and prediction market participants
Why poker can serve as a powerful acquisition and retention tool for operators
Regulatory considerations, taxes, and the divide between professional and recreational players
The upcoming Canadian Poker Network launch and what PokerLab hopes to prove
Lessons learned from building multiple startups and navigating timing, conviction, and risk

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇
➡️ PokerLab website
➡️ Scott Wilson on X/Twitter
➡️ Warren Dombowsky 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/

---
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
...more
35min
January 08, 2026Ep. 192: Ask Me Anything w/ Jesse from BettingStartups
Ep. 192 features Jesse Learmonth in a special "Ask Me Anything" edition of the Betting Startups Podcast, where he flips the script and answers questions from founders, operators, and builders across the gaming ecosystem.

Hear him discuss:
The biggest lessons from nearly 200 podcast episodes, including why industry experience and distribution matter more than ever for startup success
What surprised him most in 2025: prediction markets, the blurring lines between betting, finance, and speculation, and what that means for founders
Common mistakes founders make, from confusing personal pain points with real market opportunities to poorly framing “use of funds” in pitch decks
How bettors are evolving, why access (not tools) is now the biggest constraint, and how prediction markets are changing the landscape in 2026
Jesse’s vision for Betting Startups in 2026, including new products, events, a tech platform, and plans to raise strategic (non-institutional) capital

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇
➡️ Jesse Learmonth 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/

---
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
...more
41min
December 17, 2025Ep. 191: Why web betting is dead w/ Joshua Swerdlow from ChatBet AI
Ep. 191 features Joshua Swerdlow, from ChatBet AI, an AI-powered sports betting platform built to deliver smarter, more personalized betting experiences through data and conversational technology.

Hear him discuss:
Josh’s background and the leap he took moving from England to Tel Aviv
What ChatBet is and how he is using AI to reshape the sports betting experience
What his go-to-market strategy was and major lessons from launching
Why Josh believes that the user experience sits at the center of ChatBet’s product philosophy and why it is so key
The realities when it comes to gaining capital in the start up world
How Josh has navigated the startup ecosystem from working with startups to now running his own
How Chat Bet AI uses data-driven insights to create better outcomes for bettors
Key lessons learned as a first-time founder
The vision for 2026 and ChatBet’s long-term growth and engagement strategy, hint the World Cup is involved

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ ChatBet AI website
➡️ Joshua Swerdlow 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/

---
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
...more
32min
December 12, 2025Ep. 190: Inside the Retention Shift w/ Irakli “Marcus” Davarashvili from Promofy
Ep. 190 features Irakli “Marcus” Davarashvili, Founder & CEO of Promofy, for a deep dive into the global rise of AI-powered gamification and how operators are rethinking loyalty, engagement, and retention.

Hear him discuss:
His 13-year journey across advertising, brand building, and iGaming leadership and how operational pain points at scale inspired him to build Promofy
What Promofy is: an AI-driven, no-code gamification platform that lets operators launch loyalty systems, missions, sports predictors, prize drops, kiosks, and full-page engagement experiences in minutes
How Promofy’s rapid traction and product innovation led to winning “Launch of the Year” at the Starties, and why that recognition validated the team’s vision and executio
Why global operators misunderstand “gamification,” and how true gamified ecosystems differ from simple bonuses, cashbacks, and tournament
The massive market shift away from bonus-led retention to personalized and behavior-driven engagemen
Regional adoption trends across LATAM, Europe, Asia, CIS, and North America plus why gamification is becoming “must-have” instead of “nice-to-have
How Promofy differentiates itself with AI design tools, content generators, sports prediction engines, casino loyalty, and a full library of mechanics that operators can test and optimiz
The challenges and realities of fundraising as a first-time founder, why saying “yes” and “no” matter equally, and what kinds of investors Promofy is seeking today
The transition from operator to entrepreneur expectations vs. reality, resilience, failure tolerance, and why agility is a survival skil
Why 2026 will be a breakout year driven by global expansion, new product launches, and massive demand heading into the World Cup

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Promofy website
➡️ Irakli Davarashvili 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/

---
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
...more
31min
December 03, 2025Ep. 189: Bringing the fun back to sports betting w/ Artie, Ben & Ryan from Golden Camel
Ep. 189 features the three co-founders of Golden Camel, Artie, Ben, and Ryan, for a lively deep dive into building a sports-betting lifestyle app rooted in community, fun, and authenticity.

Hear them discuss:
How a series of career pivots led them to partner up on Golden Camel a number of years after the original idea was sparked
Why Golden Camel rejects “beat the house” culture, instead leaning into fun and community - while also still providing utility
Why they see brand as a differentiator within the betting tools category, and how they plan to leverage that to acquire users
The state of U.S. betting culture in 2025, the rise of prediction markets, and why they feel they're in the right place at the right time with Golden Camel
Their go-to-market strategy in Arizona, and why authentic content + in-person community building is their biggest growth engine
Why they think that Silicon Valley VC's have largely been absent from the sports betting industry, and how they see that evolving

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Golden Camel website
➡️ Artie Baxter on Linkedin
➡️ Ben Ramirez on Linkedin
➡️ Ryan Magrum 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/

---
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
...more
37min
November 26, 2025Ep. 188: Building 'Zapier for iGaming' w/ James King from Flows
Ep. 188 features James King, CEO & Co-Founder of Flows, for a deep dive into building a no-code automation platform powering some of the biggest operators in global gaming.

Hear him discuss:
His 16-year industry journey across iGB Affiliate, Clarion Events, and Gaming Innovation Group and how industry-wide tech frustration inspired the founding of Flows
What Flows actually is: a no-code automation layer that ingests real-time data and lets teams build alerts, bonus engines, jackpots, omnichannel loyalty, and more all without developers
How operators integrate Flows, the speed of deployment, and why its Zapier-like interface is built to handle billions of gaming events
The company’s commercial model, recent traction, and major U.S. launches
Why the U.S. remains the biggest long-term opportunity despite slow sales cycles, and how Flows is navigating sweeps, prediction markets, and regulated operators
Why Flows sees itself as a tech company in gaming and how its technology can extend to fintech, retail, and other enterprise verticals
The rationale behind choosing a strategic investment from Light & Wonder over traditional VC, and how the partnership has helped accelerate growth
A candid look at the overloaded conference landscape, which events actually deliver ROI, and which ones startups should prioritize
What’s coming in 2026, new products, AI-driven innovation tools, expanded U.S. growth, and deeper empowerment for teams to build and automate faster than ever

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Flows website
➡️ James King 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/

---
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
...more
37min
November 19, 2025Special Episode: The future of racing w/ Daniel O' Sullivan & Sebastian Butterworth
This special episode features Seb Butterworth from Flutter and Dan O’Sullivan from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), for a deep dive into the future of horse racing — and how the sport is preparing to engage a new generation of fans.

Hear them discuss:
The origins and findings of Project Beacon, and what the research reveals about younger and casual audiences
Why horse welfare, race education, race day experience, and behind-the-scenes access are the four critical innovation themes
How behind-the-scenes content can build emotional connection and improve understanding of horse welfare
Why racing struggles with context and “the why” for non-core audiences — and how narrative and storytelling can change that
Flutter’s approach to modernizing a tradition-rich sport while preserving what makes racing special
How simplifying the race card (without removing complexity) can make the sport more accessible to newcomers
The role of technology, wearables, and data in creating richer fan experiences and improving equine welfare
Early signals from other sports and how innovations like ref-cam, jockey cam, and training-yard content could shape racing’s future
Why digital platforms will be essential to reaching the next generation of fans
Details of the Future of Racing startup program: application window, pitch event, evaluation criteria, and potential commercial opportunities

Applications for the program are open until November 23, culminating in a Shark Tank style pitch at York Racecourse in February 2026.

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ Daniel O'Sullivan on Linkedin
➡️ Sebastian Butterworth 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/
...more
13min
November 18, 2025The Gamble & The Glory: S2 E2 - John Levy from theScore
The Gamble & The Glory showcases founders that built their companies into category leaders in the betting and gaming industry.

In S2 E2, we speak with John Levy, founder and former CEO of theScore. John shares the remarkable 25+ year journey behind one of Canada’s most iconic sports media and betting brands from its roots in cable television to becoming a digital powerhouse and ultimately exiting for over $2 billion.

Hear him discuss:
The early days of Sportscope and how it evolved into theScore
How selling the TV network unlocked theScore’s digital transformation
Selling the media assets to bet the future of the company on digital media and technology
Why Penn’s acquisition derailed early and what went wrong with the integration
Lessons from scaling a family-run business and defining clear leadership roles
His candid thoughts on ESPN BET, Barstool, Dave Portnoy, and partnership misalignment
How theScore Bet could have continued to grow under an independent model
The future of sports betting across AI, microbetting, and next-gen fan behavior
How theScore was able to punch above its weight, and John's advice to startup founders on how to do the same
Why authenticity, resilience, and focus define long-term winners
What’s next for John Levy, and whether another venture is on the horizon

For more of John's comments on the recent ESPN Bet news, check out his recent podcast with Steve McAllister on Gaming News Canada: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uocQx14rRzS92YF8wlnqC?si=ce3b2267cfad4a57

Video version of this episode can be viewed here.

Learn more 👇
➡️ theScore website
➡️ John Levy on Linkedin

The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose-built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca.
...more
45min
November 11, 2025Ep. 187: Finding a forever home as a prediction market w/ Jake Benzaquen from ProphetX
Ep. 187 features Jake Benzaquen, Co-Founder and CEO of ProphetX, for a deep dive into the company’s latest evolution from regulated exchange to sweepstakes model, to now filing with the CFTC to operate as a fully regulated marketplace for sports event contracts.

Hear him discuss:
The journey from launching in New Jersey as an OSB to building a national presence under the sweepstakes model
Why ProphetX is now pivoting to the CFTC model and what it means for the future
Lessons from scaling a sports betting exchange across multiple states
How product validation and customer feedback shaped ProphetX’s direction
Building an RFQ (Request for Quote) system for parlays, and why it’s a game-changer
Why ProphetX will focus on sports-first markets, and why it's not launching with political or pop culture markets
The two primary reasons why they decided to launch without an affiliated trading arm
Competing with industry giants like Kalshi, Polymarket, and DraftKings through product innovation
The growing cultural influence of prediction markets
How distribution partnerships and B2B integrations will drive user acquisition
Jake’s reflections on seven years of startup grit, team growth, and finding motivation for the next phase

Catch the video version of this episode here.

Learn more 👇

➡️ ProphetX website
➡️ Jake Benzaquen 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/

---
This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.
...more
31min

FAQs about The Betting Startups Podcast:

How many episodes does The Betting Startups Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 216 episodes available.

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