The Under Pressure Podcast

Iconic iGaming products look obvious once everyone knows their names. 

Spribe’s Aviator feels like an obvious hit. Nolimit City’s identity feels impossible to copy. SmartSoft’s crash games feel built for the modern player. FIRST’s sportsbook engine feels designed for where betting is heading next. But none of them started that way.

In this Greatest Hits edition of The Under Pressure Podcast, Alexandre Tomic brings together four stories from the builders behind some of iGaming’s most recognisable products: David Natroshvili, Jonás Tegman, Guga Gotsadze and Tom Light. The common thread? They were rejected, they kept building, they watched what players actually did and then they iterated until the numbers became impossible to ignore.

What You’ll Learn

• How David Natroshvili sold Spribe’s Aviator before the industry understood crash games

• How personal relationships helped Spribe grow during the pandemic

• Why Nolimit City abandoned traditional slot design and targeted a new generation of players

• Why high volatility, bonus buys, replays, and streamer culture became central to Nolimit City’s product strategy

• How SmartSoft transformed crash games into branded, scalable products

• Why control, visible wins and social comparison make crash games different from conventional casino games

• Why fast releases and real player feedback matter more than waiting for a perfect product

• Why Tom Light rebuilt FIRST’s management structure before relaunching its sportsbook product

• What Tom means when he says disruption is speed with conviction

• Why resilience repeatedly beats talent when building a category defining product

  
  

Episode Resources: 

David Natroshvili on LinkedIn

Spribe Website

Jonás Tegman on LinkedIn

Nolimit City Website

Guga Gotsadze on LinkedIn

SmartSoft Website

Tom Light on LinkedIn

FIRST Website

Alexandre Tomic on LinkedIn

Alea Website

Gambling is thought of as the root cause - an addiction that lies within. This episode of Under Pressure challenges that. What if it’s the symptom? Host Alexandre Tomic speaks with Pedro Romero, Chief of Safe Gambling Partnerships at BetBlocker, about the uncomfortable truths behind gambling disorder, responsible gambling, and the future of addiction treatment.

Pedro brings a rare and candid perspective to the conversation. He has worked inside the gambling industry, trained as a therapist, supported players directly, and is now conducting research into psilocybin-assisted therapy for gambling addiction. 

What You’ll Learn

• How BetBlocker is approaching safer gambling and player protection through free harm reduction tools

• Why gambling addiction often overlaps with trauma, anxiety, depression, and other comorbidities

• How psilocybin-assisted therapy could open new research pathways for gambling disorder treatment

• Why some iGaming operators privately support addiction research but fear the reputational risk of going public

• Why “squeezing players like lemons” is not a long-term business strategy

• How genuine care for staff and players can shape stronger, more sustainable iGaming companies

• Why wealthy gamblers may not be chasing money, but the feeling of losing control

Episode Resources: 

Pedro Romero on LinkedIn

BetBlocker Website

Heroic Hearts Project Website

Alexandre Tomic on LinkedIn

Alea Website

What happens when a finance executive walks into a small Georgian game studio? In this episode of The Under Pressure Podcast, host Alexandre Tomic sits down with Guga Gotsadze, CEO and shareholder of SmartSoft, to explore how SmartSoft leveraged product iteration, customer feedback loops and data-driven decision-making to become a leader in iGaming innovation, transforming from a three-developer startup into one of the industry’s most prolific game developers with a rapidly growing global user base.

What You'll Learn:

• How the "Control Illusion" mechanic drives player engagement in crash games 

• The product release strategy that balances innovation with viability 

• Why copying is a validation signal and not a threat

• How to leverage the Georgian developer ecosystem as a competitive advantage

• How AI accelerates game development by 3+ months

• The IPO Path for iGaming Providers and the trade-offs between private ownership and public markets

Scaling an iGaming company requires exceptional product, strong leadership, and high-performance teams in competitive betting markets.In this episode of Under Pressure, Alex sits down with Tom Light, CEO of FIRST, to explore how his journey from professional gambler and sportsbook operator led to building a company focused on developing high-performance sportsbook technology.Tom shares how early experience in sports betting, poker, and running a sportsbook shaped his understanding of risk, markets, and player behaviour. He also speaks candidly about difficult decisions he made while scaling the company, including restructuring management, bringing in new leadership talent, and building a culture focused on accountability and results.The conversation also explores broader trends shaping the industry, including how competitive betting markets are evolving, the importance of strong product in a crowded supplier landscape, and the realities operators face when building sustainable sportsbook businesses.Rather than chasing hype, Tom emphasizes building exceptional products, empowering operators with better tools, and creating companies that can compete long-term in the iGaming industry.

Pierre Lindh's journey into iGaming didn’t start with conferences or podcasts. It started running underground poker tournaments where people from different walks of life came together. There was no alcohol, no chaos, just cards on a table, a code of ethics, and a strange kind of innocence that showed Pierre how real communities form.That early lesson stuck.In this episode of Under Pressure, Alex sits down with Pierre, co-founder of  @nextdotio  to trace his full path: from running illegal poker clubs in Sweden during the poker boom, to joining the Swedish Poker Federation, moving into professional iGaming, launching iGaming IDOL, and eventually co-founding Next.After years of helping build other people’s visions, Pierre decided he didn't want to keep executing someone else’s dream; he wanted to build his own. That decision would shape not just his career, but one of the industry’s most influential media platforms.In this episode, they dive into:- Why poker rooms became real communities across age, class, and background- The sacred part of the game and what poker teaches about human behavior- Why iGaming IDOL faced resistance from within the industry- How fast money and poor hiring habits shaped early iGaming culture- Why Next flipped the conference model and put content at the center- How COVID forced Next to rethink everything after losing 100% of its revenue- Why community and ecosystem thinking matter more than events or exposureThis is an honest conversation about risk, identity, and building something meaningful, and why, in iGaming and beyond, content and community are the foundations that last when everything else disappears.

Michael Schmitt, the man behind Malta Media, Brannen, and Trider, sits down with Alex for one of the most unfiltered conversations recorded about the iGaming industry. Known for his investigative work, uncompromising editorial standards, and willingness to address uncomfortable truths, Michael explains the principles that drive him: fairness, transparency, and a sense of justice.Michael dives into how illegal practices are normalized and how his reputation as “bitter” often stems from simply publishing facts — a perception that has made many not want to associate or advertise with him.In this episode, Michael opens up about:- His rapid rise in iGaming and how Malta Media grew to nearly 1 million monthly visitors- Why many in the industry distance themselves from him, and why he continues his work regardless- The creation of “Editor’s Choice” and why it became the most-discussed section in gaming media- Fairness, justice, normalized illegality, and why he believes certain behaviors must be exposed- The role of whistleblowers, private data, and how investigations actually unfold- Honest perspectives on Evolution, Pragmatic Play, Playtech, Hacksaw, and other major industry players

What does it really take to build something people remember?In this episode, Alex sits down with Rasmus Sojmark, founder and CEO of SBC Events and Sport Global, to explore the mindset, lessons, and resilience behind one of iGaming’s biggest shows.

From his military roots and telemarketing days to founding iGaming events that attract tens of thousands, Rasmus shares how he stays calm in chaos and leads with vision, even when facing his biggest challenge with what would become SBC Lisbon.He also dives into building one-of-a-kind experiences for clients, from the Legends Charity Game with football icons like Figo and Kaká, raising over €700K, to live shows with DJs like Afrojack and Darude.

You’ll leave this episode with:

• Practical insights on performing under pressure and turning uncertainty into strength

• Leadership that embraces failure while building trust with clients

• Actionable tips to deliver unique, unforgettable events and experiences

Like, subscribe, and drop a comment on your favorite part of the conversation. We’re just getting started.

This episode will change the way you think about spotting business opportunities, chasing money, and how to leave a mark on an industry like iGaming and online casinos.

As a founder and investor, one thing host Alex Tomic often likes to say is, ‘You don’t want to miss the next NoLimit City, ' the studio that led one of the iGaming industry’s biggest exit deals and foundationally changed the way we play online slots today.

For this conversation, Alex sits down with Nolimit City's co-founder, Jonás Tegman, who takes us straight into the chaos of no money, ‘crappy’ games that no one knew, and yet somehow, an eventual €340M acquisition.

This isn't some 'failure-to-success' entrepreneurship story you've heard a hundred times. Instead, Jonás opens up about the grind, the burnout crash that followed that big Evolution Gaming deal, and the reality that money doesn't fix meaning. At the same time, he takes us through how Nolimit tore up the slot playbook, designing for a new wave of players who wanted entertainment, not tradition. That rebellion is what flipped their fate (and redefined the slot market).

Here’s what you’ll take away:

- How to spot business opportunities and when an industry is stuck in the past (and how to flip it on its head)

- Why focusing on Gen Z and streamers was worth €340M

- How to find meaning once you get what you thought you wanted

In this episode of The Under Pressure Podcast, Alexandre Tomic from  @AleaPlay  sits down with Eman Pulis, founder of the  @sigmaworld.official  Group, to talk about what it really took to turn a collapsing business into a global iGaming brand.Here's what Alex had to say about his experience filming in the Hyperbaric Chamber with his long term friend and collaborator: This is as honest a story as you'll get between two iGaming Founders.

I get to the real version of how SiGMA started when everything else was fallen apart around Eman and how a failed tech company accidentally gave him the legal structure to launch SiGMA. It's not pretty, and it's a little messy, but that's how industry stories go. My favourite part? How he went all in on the first event with no money, no backup plan, and, incredibly, no clue on the industry. Nothing brings me more joy to seeing how one ballsy move changed everything. Step by step, he grew SiGMA into a platform that now spans the globe, builds schools in Ethiopia, and powers one of the strongest affiliate and B2B networks in the industry.Listen carefully and you'll find out:

🔸 How being rejected by legacy expos grew the SiGMA brand while destroying the competition

🔸 What COVID almost ended, and how Dubai changed everything

🔸 Why loyalty has been both his superpower and his struggle

🔸 And why his next chapter might have nothing to do with iGaming at allI get to the real story behind the man and everything that had to go wrong before it went right.

Please like, subscribe and let me know in the comment who should step into the Chamber next.

How much money does Aviator really make?

In this episode of The Under Pressure Podcast, Spribe founder David Natroshvili breaks down the unbelievable numbers behind the world’s most played crash game — including how Aviator hit €14 billion wagered in a single month and 350,000 bets per minute (on track for 1 million).

David shares how he cold-pitched Aviator at ICE London with nothing but an iPad… and got rejected by everyone when offering 15% of Spribe for €150K.

We cover:

• What it really takes to build a €500M game

• The player-first UX that reshaped an entire category

• Spribe’s €35M+ UFC sponsorship deal and how it changed their marketing forever

• David’s relationship with Dana White, and the role of athlete ambassadors in growing a brand

• Why trust, resilience, and human relationships still beat flashy tech
  

This is the most revealing conversation ever recorded about Aviator — and a blueprint for building a game that becomes a brand.

Listen now. Subscribe. And let us know who should step into the Chamber next.