The MaxBet Fridge Hall of Fame Awards
MaxBet Podcast
The gaming industry has no shortage of lists, and frankly, we didn’t want to be left out. So Fiona Power joins Hillary McAfee to hand out honors including Best Industry Feud, Industry Badass, Best Booth, the Get Shit Done Award, Best After Party, Best Dressed, Industry Mom, Industry Dad, and several other categories of enormous cultural importance. The criteria were simple: preferably someone who hasn’t already won everything, ideally not C-suite (two people snuck past us on that one, but the rest of you have had your moment in the sun), and absolutely no assholes. The winners receive the...
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What Happened to Innovation in iGaming? | Sue Schneider
MaxBet Podcast
Sue Schneider was building the iGaming industry in the mid-90s, before most people had an email address. She’s watched it grow from an unregulated frontier into the highly regulated global industry it is today, and she has some thoughts about what we gained and what we may have lost along the way. Sue joins MaxBet to talk about the early days of online gaming, the rise of regulation and whether the industry has made it too difficult for new companies and new ideas to break through. We also get into prediction markets, sweepstakes, state vs. federal regulation, why she never thought U.S....
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Building the Future of Skill-Based Gaming | Desiree Dickerson, THNDR
MaxBet Podcast
What happens when you build a startup in a category most of the industry is still trying to understand? Desiree Dickerson, CEO and Co-Founder of Thunder, joins MaxBet to break down skill-based gaming, how Thunder solves player liquidity through cross-operator matchmaking, and why operators, lotteries, sportsbooks, and sweepstakes companies are paying attention. We also discuss startup pivots, product-market fit, industry education, and the realities of building a business where the rules are still being written. Plus: rapid fire, conference pet peeves, tarantulas, business cards, and an...
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Why Aren't More States Legalizing iGaming? | Brandt Iden
MaxBet Podcast
Subtlety isn't exactly a MaxBet core value, so we start with the obvious question: Why are operators leaving the AGA? After surviving the opening question, Brandt Iden, VP of Government Affairs at Fanatics Betting & Gaming and former Michigan State Representative, sticks around to talk about why more states still haven't legalized iGaming, what's keeping legislation from moving, the tax revenue states may be leaving on the table, and why prediction markets have become one of gaming's biggest debates. As always, we wrap things up with a rapid-fire round covering everything from Google Meet...
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AI in Gaming: Where to Invest and Where to Wait
MaxBet Podcast
AI has become the answer to just about everything. Need to cut costs? AI. Need to grow revenue? AI. Need to impress your board? AI. The problem is, very few people can explain where the ROI actually is. This week on MaxBet, Hillary McAfee sits down with Cris Kuehl, Chief Data & AI Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, to sort through the questions gaming executives are asking behind closed doors. Where should companies be investing in AI? Where should they absolutely not? Does every company need a Chief AI Officer? What should startups be doing today so they don't get left behind tomorrow?...
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"Find a Way or Make a Way" | Simon Thomas on Building the Hippodrome
MaxBet Podcast
Simon Thomas owns the Hippodrome Casino, one of the most iconic gaming and entertainment venues in the world. Located in the heart of London, the Hippodrome attracts a third of all casino admissions in the city and has become known for doing things differently. In this episode of MaxBet, Simon joins Hillary McAfee to talk about building a business around experiences, why most problems have a solution if you're willing to find it, and how the Hippodrome grew into a destination that combines gaming, sports betting, restaurants, bars, live entertainment, and hospitality under one roof. They also...
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The Hottest Trends in Slots Right Now
MaxBet Podcast
If you care about slot floor strategy, which features are actually working, or just want to hear your favorite games and suppliers come up in the conversation, this episode is for you. Brendan Moore from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming joins MaxBet to break down the games, mechanics, cabinets, and features getting real traction on casino floors right now. Brendan gets into the suppliers, the games climbing the charts, the mechanics players are responding to, and the features proving they actually have staying power. We talk about what Konami, AGS, Sega Sammy, Bluberi, IGT, Aristocrat, and Light...
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WTF?! Is Actually Happening With AI in Gaming??
MaxBet Podcast
Everyone’s talking about AI in gaming. Most of it sounds impressive. Not all of it is real. This is Part 3 of our WTF with IGI series where we bring the data people in to talk to the rest of us. Turns out, having an AI strategy is more than just telling your employees to use ChatGPT like Google. We break down IGI’s latest research and get into what operators and suppliers are actually doing with AI right now. What’s working, what’s not, and where there’s still a pretty big gap between what people say they’re doing and what’s real. We also get into iGaming vs land-based, which is...
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Top 5 Gaming Stories this Week, According to Everyone Important (Me)
MaxBet Podcast
Here’s what actually happened in gaming this week, minus the polished version. Top 5 Stories for the beginning of May 2026: 1. FanDuel replaces Amy Howe as CEO - What does this mean? 2. What happened with Prediction Markets - still messy but printing $$? 3. UFC betting under the microscope (again) 4. Don't F*** with Canada: a reminder that regulation is not a suggestion 5. Wynn Al Marjan announces moderate delays. (Which in development terms means “everything is fine” said through slightly clenched teeth) IGT is a proud partner of the MaxBet Podcast. They’re celebrating 30 years...
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Sex, Drugs, and the iGaming Industry… According to Alex Tomic
MaxBet Podcast
This week, Alex Tomic joins MaxBet for a conversation that goes well beyond the usual industry talking points. We get into the growing research around psilocybin as a potential treatment for gambling addiction, how biohacking became part of his routine, and which does he *actually* prefer: SBC or SIGMA? Also in this episode: Ick of the Week (straight from Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow. The ladies will understand) And a new segment: Red Flag or Green Flag? Somewhere along the way, we also ask a very normal question: is Donald Trump being involved in prediction markets… weird? ...
info_outlineJoe 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 conversation about where betting, leagues, and regulation are actually intersecting right now.