The Betting Startups Podcast

Ep. 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 [https://youtu.be/wj__WBzcpV0].   Learn more 👇   ➡️ Promofy website [http://promofy.ai/] ➡️ Irakli  Davarashvili on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/irakli-davarashvili/]     📩 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/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]   --- This podcast is presented by Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0] has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0]. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 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 [https://youtu.be/M_pE9ZPshc4].   Learn more 👇   ➡️ Golden Camel website [https://goldencamel.com/] ➡️ Artie Baxter on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/artie-baxter-7845ab110/] ➡️ Ben Ramirez on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/benramirez/] ➡️ Ryan Magrum on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-magrum-627a39287/]   📩 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/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]   --- This podcast is presented by Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0] has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0]. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 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 [https://youtu.be/i-_W4iTpO7w].   Learn more 👇   ➡️ Flows website [https://flows.world/] ➡️ James King on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-king-17a60b22/]   📩 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/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]   --- This podcast is presented by Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0] has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0]. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Special 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 [https://youtu.be/s31vT_IPotA].   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Daniel O'Sullivan on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-o-sullivan-a315b318/?trk=contact-info] ➡️ Sebastian Butterworth on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-butterworth-4013832b/]   📩 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/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]

The 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 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uocQx14rRzS92YF8wlnqC?si=ce3b2267cfad4a57] Video version of this episode can be viewed here. [https://youtu.be/WiQ4WUmH3ys] Learn more 👇 ➡️ theScore website [https://scoremediaandgaming.com/] ➡️ John Levy on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlevythescore/]     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 [http://www.segev.ca/].