Free Money, Bad Math: Why Freeplay Isn't Working
MaxBet Podcast
Freeplay. PAR. Rebates. Lotteries. Tony Lucas has spent years studying all of it, and the verdict is ugly. At best, casinos are misusing these tools. At worst, they are hemorrhaging millions straight off the bottom line. I n this episode, he lays out what the research shows, why the industry keeps pushing back on it, and what's really driving that resistance. If any part of your job touches a promotions budget, this episode is for you. This WTF with IGI mini-series is put together in collaboration with The International Gaming Institute and filmed at UNLV Black Fire.
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From DEI Pioneer to Startup Champion: Kelly Kehn Is Changing Who Gets to Build Gaming
MaxBet Podcast
From DEI pioneer to startup champion, Kelly Kehn joins the MaxBet Podcast to talk about what it takes to build in gaming right now. Kelly has spent more than two decades in iGaming and co-founded the All-In Diversity Project. She’s now working with Defy the Odds alongside Sue Schneider and Paris Smith, supporting founders and helping open doors that have not always been open. We get into: Building startups in gaming and where people get stuck Managing risk when everything is moving fast Culture, and what happens when people feel comfortable speaking up The difference between...
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How to Scale a Company Without Breaking Your Culture
MaxBet Podcast
On this episode of MaxBet Podcast, Martina Åkerlund breaks down what actually drives company culture and why so many leaders get it wrong. As CEO of Elevated Edge, Martina works directly with founders and leadership teams to build companies that perform without burning out their people. This conversation gets into the real issues and what actually happens inside teams when leadership avoids hard decisions, not what companies say about culture. In this episode, you’ll find: Why high performers can quietly damage culture The risk of keeping the wrong people for the sake of results Why...
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What DraftKings Is Paying Attention To At UNLV (and Why)
MaxBet Podcast
What is DraftKings actually paying attention to right now… and what does that mean for the rest of the industry? In Episode 1 of WTF?! with IGI, MaxBet sits down with a Director from UNLV’s International Gaming Institute to break down the trends shaping gaming behind the scenes. We get into what suppliers should be building over the next 3 years, what is actually working in persistent games, and how student-created ideas are making it onto real casino floors. Some of those same ideas are even catching the attention of DraftKings inside IGI’s innovation lab. If you care about where gaming...
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WTF Is This Series? Introducing WTF? with IGI (ft. Dr. Brett Abarbanel)
MaxBet Podcast
MaxBet is teaming up with to create a mini-series lovingly and relatably called WTF?! with IGI. Because there are people out there doing incredibly smart research on our industry. So we’re bringing them in to break it down, translate it, and tell us what we probably should’ve known sooner. If you’re an operator or a supplier, you’ll probably want to hear what IGI has been studying… because it probably applies directly to your work. In this episode, we kick off the series with the co-mastermind Dr. and walk through exactly what you can expect from WTF? with IGI. First episode...
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Why Gambling Should Be Entertainment First | Magnus Olsson
MaxBet Podcast
Magnus Olsson, CCO of Play’n GO, joins MaxBet to discuss the evolving economics of iGaming. From hosting partners in the Formula 1 paddock to building games that players return to for years, Magnus shares how entertainment value and strong storytelling drive long-term retention. The conversation covers U.S. regulatory hurdles, the differences between European and American gaming markets, and why the industry’s future depends on attracting new online-first audiences.
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The Long Game of Personal Brand in B2B
MaxBet Podcast
Hillary sits down with Catie Di Stefano, one of the most genuinely connected people in the gaming industry. With 15 years in gaming (which officially makes her a self proclaimed baby dinosaur), Catie has built a strong reputation for how she approaches both marketing and LinkedIn in a B2B world. It’s practical, consistent, and rooted in real relationships. The conversation covers how people can show up on LinkedIn without waiting on their company page to do all the work, how personal credibility grows over time, and why supporting other people in the industry matters more than most realize....
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Not Your Mother’s AGS: Inside the Rebrand of a Gaming Supplier
MaxBet Podcast
AGS recently launched a new brand identity at G2E, and this episode unpacks what that evolution represents for the company. Julia Boguslawski and Nikki Davis from AGS share why the rebrand was necessary, what they wanted the market to better understand about who AGS is today, and how the new identity reflects the company’s growth across slots, tables, and interactive. The conversation explores the realities of rebranding in gaming, from internal alignment and rollout strategy to how a brand lives on the show floor and in long-term customer relationships. It’s an inside look at...
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From the FBI to NASCAR: A Different View on Sports Betting
MaxBet Podcast
Joe Solosky, Managing Director of Sports Betting at NASCAR, joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on what sports betting looks like from a motorsports and league-side perspective. Before helping build out NASCAR’s sports betting strategy, Joe spent six years with the FBI, giving him a unique lens on regulation, integrity, and how leagues think about betting partnerships. We talk about how sports betting fits into motorsports, how prediction markets are viewed from the league side, and how quickly “the future” is arriving in this space. It’s a practical, thoughtful...
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How Aristocrat’s CPO Thinks About Product and Life Outside Gaming
MaxBet Podcast
Aristocrat CPO Matt Primmer joins MaxBet and gets right into it, including whether he prefers Lightning Link or Buffalo and how he looks at product even when he’s off the clock. We chat about his mindset around change and adapting, why doing things the same way as before usually means something is wrong, and how intensity, efficiency, and short meetings shape the way he leads. He also shares why, despite running global product, he is very clear that he is the lowest on the totem pole at home. There is real talk about lessons learned, parenting, club sports, and what balancing product and...
info_outlineIn this episode Casey Whalen, Chief Commercial Officer for Bluberi Gaming, joins the boys to discuss winning the NCAA National golf championship with UNLV, what leadership lessons he has learned in his career, and gives us a sneak peak into what Bluberi has coming down the pipe.