JAN FEB 2024
Editor's Letter
A happy – and productive – New Year to all our readers! Working in the gambling industry, we can all safely say 2024 will bring more change, more challenges, but also more growth, more technological evolution and, ultimately, greater revenue generation. As is tradition, Gambling Insider is kicking the year off with our famous CEO Special, the most prestigious issue of the year. And, this edition, we are delighted to bring you
a particularly operator-heavy focus.
That’s a common theme across our platforms at the moment, with BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt being this year’s first guest on our Huddle video series, and this magazine as a whole also featuring articles from Sky Bet, William Hill and more.
Within our CEO Special specifically, we present you some of the sector’s biggest operators in the form of Betfred, MGM China, Metropolitan Gaming, Jade Entertainment and Gaming, and also Tom Waterhouse – who used to run William Hill Australia.
Each has their own unique story to tell, and that’s not forgetting Cathy Judd-Stein – who completes our list by adding a different perspective: that of the regulator, as Chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Judd-Stein, it has to be said, might just be the nicest person I have ever interviewed, with all due respect to everyone else I’ve spoken to in my career. But do not mistake her humility and kindness for weakness; each of our CEO Special interviewees is tough, has faced numerous obstacles in their career and is performing at the very highest level of their respective field.
We are honoured to include Hubert Wang, MGM China President & COO, as well as Joanne Whittaker, the leader of a tier-one UK operator (with designs on the US and South Africa, too).
I was fascinated by Wang’s emphasis on the importance of listening to his staff – and equally so with Whittaker’s stance that heated debates and disagreements are a real positive for a business trying to find the right solution moving forward.
Waterhouse’s intimate knowledge of Australian gaming made picking his brain a very rewarding process indeed – and that’s an interview you can also watch in Huddle form.
As for Jade Gaming’s Joe Pisano, he ran Judd-Stein close for nicest interviewee ever! Speaking to him – and on this occasion, his dog Duke too – is always a pleasure.
Finally, Michael Silberling was a gracious host as we sat down together at the Metropolitan Casino Mayfair. He surprised me with his revelation that he is a Dungeons and Dragons fan, along with a funny story about meeting the Late Queen Elizabeth II.
So now that you’ve found our January/February edition, either online or at the last ever ICE show in London, I promise you’ll learn something from each and every CEO interview. And I can also promise there is no better way to prepare for what 2024 has in store for the industry!
Facing Facts: Operator Q3s from across the globe
Gambling Insider compares Q3 2023 results from major gambling operators across the global industry, looking into the changes of various national sectors and how these changes have impacted overall company growth. We also compare growth in different markets, to see where there is the most activity.
Taking Stock: Operators and suppliers across the world
Sticking with our theme of gambling across the globe, Gambling Insider has tracked the stock prices of operators and suppliers from various markets. These stock prices have been taken from across a six-month period, from the close of each month’s first day of trade.
CEO Special: Jade Entertainment and Gaming CEO Joe Pisano - down to earth
Jade Entertainment and Gaming CEO Joe Pisano speaks to Gambling Insider Editor Tim Poole about working in four different continents, witnessing the birth of Macau’s casino industry and the “best thing” about being a CEO
CEO Special: Betfred CEO Joanne Whittaker - saying it as it is
Betfred CEO Joanne Whittaker joins Gambling Insider Editor Tim Poole to discuss her journey alongside Founder Fred Done, lessons learned as an entrepreneur – and why debates, disagreements and collaboration are vital for company progression
CEO Special: Tom Waterhouse - what's in a name?
Tom Waterhouse, Chief Investment Officer at Waterhouse VC, spoke with Gambling Insider about his family history in Australian bookmaking, his role as William Hill Australia’s CEO and the joy he has found in the world of investing. Words by Staff Writer Beth Turner
CEO Special: Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein - serving the public
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein tells Gambling Insider the story of her career: serving five different State Governors, overseeing the launch of a legalised sports betting market and leading – via Zoom – through a global pandemic
CEO Special: Metropolitan Gaming CEO Michael Silberling - Rising to the challenge
Metropolitan Gaming CEO Michael Silberling speaks to Gambling Insider Editor Tim Poole at the Metropolitan Casino Mayfair. They discuss meeting Queen Elizabeth II, Dungeons and Dragons and, more importantly, a career that has spanned multiple continents as a gaming leader
CEO Special: MGM China President Hubert Wang - the perfect storm
MGM China President & COO Hubert Wang speaks with Gambling Insider about moving to America, the struggles of running a business through Covid-19 and what it means to be a good, well-rounded leader in the gaming market
Exclusive Q&A with Freemarket CCO: Simplifying payments
CCO of Freemarket, Ronnie d’Arienzo, speaks to Gambling Insider about Freemarket’s cross-border payments solutions and the face-to-face service the company offers
Roundtable: Is LatAm the most appealing market?
Industry experts answer Gambling Insider’s burning questions on all things related to the LatAm market, including DS Virtual Gaming, WA. Technology, Betby, Galaxsys, Game of Slots and Paybrokers
Paul Sculpher speaks with Betsmart Consulting: 'Fundamental objective is to keep people safe'
Gambling Insider regular Paul Sculpher talks to Betsmart Consulting Founder and CEO Kirsty Caldwell, about how the company helps operators stay compliant with the demands of the industry
What are the big questions in German gaming in 2024?
Gambling Insider regular contributor and Partner at Melchers Law, Dr. Joerg Hofmann, explores the need for action to tackle Germany’s black-market gambling problems
Sky Bet exclusive: AccaFreeze customers "can end the game their way"
Gambling Insider speaks with Sky Bet’s Michael Shinners about its new AccaFreeze feature and how it is changing the way players bet on football
TalentBet CEO Q&A: The Malta recruitment rat race
Gambling Insider speaks with Sennette Lam, CEO of recruitment company TalentBet. She provides us with a unique perspective into Malta’s iGaming recruitment practices and the realities of employers seeking employees in a competitive post-Covid environment
Finding the facts: How detective interviews can help the gambling industry
Mick Confrey, Managing Director of Intersol Global, joins Gambling Insider Editor Tim Poole in London to discuss a career of murder cases, the common misconception of the ‘interview’ and how investigations could potentially benefit gambling firms
India's 'dark patterns' guidelines and what game developers should know
Ranjana Adhikari, Partner, and Shashi Shekhar Misra and Ruhi Kanakia, Associates, at IndusLaw discuss the ‘dark patterns’ guidelines issued by India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority – from the perspective of game development
Reviewing the William Hill Sports Book Awards, Lauren Fleshman takes gold
Gambling Insider looks back on the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2023 and the wider influence this contest brings. Sports book, not sportsbook!
Q&A with DS Virtual’s Head of Business Development: How to stand out
Gambling Insider speaks with DS Virtual’s Head of Business Development, Araksi Sargsyan, about how the company is making its virtual gaming offerings stand out and available to all
Q&A with GR8 Tech's CEO Evgen Belousov: The right solutions
CEO of GR8 Tech, Evgen Belousov, speaks to Gambling Insider about identifying growth opportunities and how the supplier aims to help iGaming operators break into the market
Interview with iGP COO Matthew Calascione: Driving growth in the iGaming market
COO at iGP, Matthew Calascione, talks to Gambling Insider about how new innovations from the company, its iGaming Deck and how it picks its partners
Q&A with Emerchantpay Deputy CEO Alexander Berrai: Providing the best solution
Deputy CEO Alexander Berrai talks to Gambling Insider about Emerchantpay’s partnership with Pinnacle and how it aims to help operators within the gambling industry
Galvanising game development: AI-driven features and immersive casino experiences
Gambling Insider speaks to Novomatic’s VP of Global Sales & Product Management, Thomas Schmalzer, about AI’s impact on game development and the appeal of immersive land-based casino services versus the online guarantee of anytime, anywhere
Q&A with Soft2Bet’s CPO Yoel Zuckerberg: The future of player engagement
Gambling Insider spoke to Soft2Bet’s CPO, Yoel Zuckerberg, on regulatory expansion in Europe, entering the US market and gamification
Final Word: Relax Gaming CEO - The US iGaming landscape is incredibly exciting
CEO of Relax Gaming, or RLX Gaming as it will be known in the American market, Simon Hammon speaks to Gambling Insider about entering the US and the challenges presented by differing regulations in Europe
