Real conversations with iGaming leaders

16 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

John Wright from Nousviz joined our host Surya Palli for a conversation on data, affiliate performance and the relationship between operators and affiliates. The number of affiliate partners is not enough for the whole scenario. Metrics like cost per click, player value and ROI can give a much clearer picture of what is actually working. John also spoke about using data to spot where operators may need to make changes, maybe in VIP programmes or player value. Better access to data could also bring more transparency between operators and affiliates. But can better data actually build more trust between both sides? And are we looking at the right metrics today? Watch the full conversation & key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

How do international iGaming companies actually enter a market with complicated regulations like Asia? Happy to share Episode 83 of iGaming Real Talk with Pierre Wuu, Advisory Board Member at SiGMA World I have known Pierre since the 1st edition of SiGMA Manila was on cards. We looked at the Asian market as a whole, the need for regulatory stability, and what operators need to know when entering Asia. We touched on the current state of different markets in the region and where opportunities exist for operators looking at Asia. Watch the full episode on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com Brought to you by Kensho Media | Quantum Gaming

Prash Patel from DMR Strategic joined us with our host Surya Palli to talk about the role of AI in customer support. We discussed why people can interact with AI differently when they know they are talking to a bot. Prash spoke about how masking AI as a human can change the way customers communicate and how open they are during the interaction. He also shared his own view on the subject. He still prefers people talking to people when it comes to customer support. AI may become more capable, but for Prash, the human connection still matters until an AI agent can genuinely fool him. Watch the full conversation & key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

“If a feature is adding one click more, then it should be removed completely” Vlad joins me to talk about his product philosophy and how ReferOn was built Legacy affiliate management systems are bloated with features that users might not need. Vlad touches on a very important point while building products in this era which is “lazy intelligence” Simply speaking simplicity is one of the important parts of building a product. The idea is to remove the clunky workflows and all unnecessary steps so the product feels effortless to use. This reminds me of a famous Elon Musk quote about engineering “The most common error of a smart engineer is to optimise a thing that should not exist” Essentially, the tool has to work for you, not the other way around. Do you agree? - Watch the full conversation & key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com. This is totally worth a watch if you’re building in the space.

14 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Simone Bacchin from Kerma Games said something fascinating about how Snoop Dogg is dealing the cards in their blackjack game. The idea is to build the game around his personality, music and the way fans already know him. The songs in the game, the way he deals the cards, the whole vibe and every detail is designed to feel familiar. That can help players feel connected to the game from the first moment. For operators, it also creates something a standard studio game cannot easily offer. Would you be more likely to try a casino game built around an artist you already follow? Watch the full conversation & key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

11 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Episode 82 with Joe Pisano, Founder of Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies, Inc., is now LIVE 🔥 Joe is a veteran in the industry, he's been in the Asian gaming scene since 1988. With that experience, he has seen the Asian market change massively over the years, from land-based casinos to the rapid growth of online gaming. This time, we talked about where the market is heading, why online gaming has now surpassed land-based, and the challenges facing the legal gaming market in the Philippines. If players are going to gamble anyway, should the focus be on making the legal market more competitive instead of simply trying to restrict access? Check out the full episode and key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

10 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Episode 81 with John Wright, Co-founder of Nousviz, is now LIVE John was actually my first guest on my first ever episode when I started this so it’s fantastic to have him back here. This time we talk about where affiliate tech, data and trust are heading in 2026. We spoke about why affiliates need a better grip on their data, why operators should focus more on ROI than just losing affiliates, the lack of standard APIs across affiliate software, and how AI agents could start changing the way teams work. We also got into accountability on both sides, including cases where affiliates charge for placements across different geos but do not always deliver what was promised. As AI agents become more useful, do you think better data and better tools can finally bring more trust into the affiliate-operator relationship? Full episode and key takeaways now on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

9 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Episode 80 with Paul Puolakka from Crypto-Casinos.com is now LIVE 🔥 It was a pleasure to chat about all things affiliate with none other than Paul. He's been in the space for a long time, on the affiliate and media side. We talked about the gap between acquisition and retention, the responsibility operators have to take, and how to maximise long-term player value. Do you think CPA and revshare models still work fine, or is the industry moving towards new models? Check out the full episode and key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

7 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

4 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Affiliates want to know what a player is worth. Operators want to know what they’re actually paying for. So, why aren’t both sides sharing the data? We spoke with Franz Gerhart, CEO of Vyking about one of the biggest issues between affiliates and operators: the lack of access to the same data and intelligence. The conversation looks at: - How to identify value bettors and policy abusers - Why CPA deals can become difficult to justify - The lack of shared data between affiliates and operators - Why the technology to solve the problem may already exist - What is stopping both sides from actually using it - If the problem is already solved, what’s stopping the industry from implementing it? Watch the full conversation & key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com Brought to you by Evoverse & WICKED GAMES

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Episode 79 with Erick Su, Former Head of ArenaPlus PH at DigiPlus Interactive Corp, is now LIVE. Eric has spent years working in sports betting and has seen first-hand how quickly the Philippine market has grown, from player acquisition and fan engagement to regulation and responsible gambling. So I caught up with him to talk about the future of sports betting in the Philippines, the gap between sports fans and sports bettors, prediction markets and why operators may need to move away from chasing short-term revenue. But one of the biggest questions was regulation. Is overregulation actually protecting players, or could it make regulated operators less competitive and push more betting activity toward the black market? And as sportsbooks evolve with AI, micro betting and new prediction products, what will the next generation of sports betting actually look like? Check out the full episode and key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

Does prediction betting give players more freedom, or does it create a bigger risk for less experienced users? We spoke with Chris Nikolopoulos, CCO BETBY about the difference between traditional sportsbook models and prediction markets, and how the relationship between the house and the player changes in a player-versus-player environment. The conversation also touches on: - How the house advantage works mathematically - The difference between house-player and player-versus-player models - Why the house can protect players in certain situations - What happens when users compete directly against each other - Why less experienced players could lose money quickly In a PVP market, how do you protect users who don’t know who they’re up against? Watch the full conversation & key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com Brought to you by Kensho Media & Quantum Gaming

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Episode 78 with Prash Patel, Founder of DMR Strategic, is now LIVE 🔥 Prash has previously launched and sold an affiliate business and has also spent many years working on the operator side of iGaming. So I caught up with him to talk about affiliate-operator relationships, traffic quality, player value and the growing role of AI. Is cheap CPA actually costing operators more in the long run? Should operators still optimise for the cheapest CPA, or focus more on the long-term value of the players they acquire? Check out the full episode and key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

“We can’t exist unless we can prove that we’ve delivered value.” This hit like a reality check from Alex Pratt, Managing Director at Clarion Events Every company has different goals. For some, it might be leads and conversions. For others, it could be retention, upselling, cross-selling or brand growth. So the real question is how do you measure the value you’re getting from events? Alex shares why these conversations are becoming more important for organisers and the industry as a whole. Watch the full conversation & key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com Brought to you by St8 | Endorphina

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Are operators and affiliates chasing numbers instead of quality? In Episode 77, we speak with Davit Khutsishvili from FortuneJack. The conversation looks at player retention, fake traffic, affiliate quality and why long-term partnerships may matter more than simply bringing in more players. The industry is facing: - New casinos entering an already crowded market - Operators struggling to retain players after acquisition - Fake views, bots and questionable affiliate traffic - Too much focus on volume instead of player quality - Affiliate deals still built around traditional CPA and RevShare models What this conversation explores: - Why quality players matter more than big acquisition numbers - How operators can look beyond surface-level traffic - Why affiliate views and performance need proper verification - The difference between real players and inflated numbers - Why quality over quantity matters for long-term growth - How operator-affiliate relationships could move toward deeper partnerships Are CPA and RevShare still enough, or does the future belong to stronger operator-affiliate partnerships? Now LIVE on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com

1 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Episode 76 with Nadiya Attard SCEO, CCO at Imagine Live, is now LIVE 🔥 Nadiya has been the industry for more than 10 years, with deep experience across the B2B RNG and also B2C iGaming. So, I caught up with her during SiGMA World Manila show, for a totally unplanned chat. We spoke about live casino space, AI dealers, emerging markets and the new trends. Check out the full episode and key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk .com Brought to you by Kensho Media and Quantum Gaming

31 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Could Mexico become one of iGaming’s next big markets? We asked Ivonne Montealegre from SiGMA World about Mexico and why the market is so interesting right now. Next week, SiGMA North America will land in Mexico City for the first time and will be bringing together the iGaming industry from across the region.

What do you think face-to-face meetings have to offer? And where is the event industry going as a whole? We were at SiGMA World Manila and Surya Palli thought this in-person event is the perfect place to ask what in-person events have to offer 🥴 Anyway we have some interesting POVs to his question here! Curious to know what you think as well… Will in-person events always be the core of iGaming networking? Featuring: Eman PULIS Elen Hambardzumyan Ella Beaumont Jan Kowalczyk ♠️ Keith Zammit Emilia Kachibaia Shoutout to our sponsors Kensho Media & Quantum Gaming

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

What can poker teach you about failure, risk and business? In this episode, we speak with Ivonne Montealegre from SiGMA World Poker Tour about the lessons poker can teach beyond the table, the growth of live poker and why the game continues to bring people from across the iGaming industry together. The industry is seeing: - A new wave of interest in live poker - More players travelling for live events - Growing interest in emerging poker markets - A stronger connection between poker, networking and the wider iGaming industry What this conversation explores: - Why learning to lose can make you better at business - How the SiGMA Poker Tour is expanding across new markets - What AI and streaming could mean for online poker - Where the SiGMA Poker Tour is heading next Can the lessons you learn at the poker table actually change the way you approach business and life? Now LIVE on our Website | iGaming Real Talk.com Brought to you by ThunderSpin

Is customizing games according to different markets really worth it? And is it beneficial enough to the operators? We spoke with Fabíola Jaeger, Co Founder & CEO at Caleta Gaming | Game provider, about their plans for the next year, from building stronger operator partnerships to creating exclusive and customised content for different markets. Different regions have different cultures and player preferences. For game providers, that creates an opportunity to work more closely with operators and build content around the market they are targeting. We also talk about: - Building exclusive content with operators - Creating customised games for different markets - Why regional culture matters in game development - The opportunities emerging in Brazil as the licensing process develops Watch the full conversation & key takeaways on our Website | iGaming Real Talk.com

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

For anyone in iGaming B2B marketing, we know a lot goes into making an event successful. The stands, the staffing, the services, the logistics and everything happening behind the scenes. And when you’re the one organising it, that’s a lot to manage. This is exactly why knowing the right supplier helps, one who can help take care of some stress and advise where to spend & optmise the budget. Someone who cares as much as you do for your brand. Because when you're a first time exhibitor and if you don't know how much a stand or an event service should cost, it’s most likely that you’d end up spending 20-30% more. That’s why I had a talk with Zakaria El Maaroufi from GoodsWorld because I believe they are solving an important problem for the event and marketing leaders in the space. Whether it’s stand building, event staffing, branded merchandise, or bar & hospitality management, GoodsWorld has it all covered for you so you can focus on the bigger picture. Hear what Zak has to say about what they do and why. Ft. Rahul Dua, Simona Liepa, Elina Siromjatnikova | SmartSoft, BetConstruct, Amusnet Gaming

25 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

24 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Episode 73 with Irina Veselkova from Endorphina is now LIVE Endorphina has always been about creativity and innovation when it comes to their event campaigns. So, our host Surya Palli, caught up with the company's Head of Marketing, to discuss their special theme "Endorphina Kingdom" at iGamingBusiness London. The industry is facing: - B2B brands competing for attention at crowded events - The challenge of creating campaigns people actually remember - Changing LinkedIn algorithms and unpredictable engagement - Brands relying too heavily on traditional B2B marketing What this conversation explores: - What inspired the Endorphina Kingdom campaign - Why interactive experiences can make a B2B brand more memorable - How Endorphina adapted its approach for the LATAM market - Why people and personalities matter in B2B content - What actually drives engagement on LinkedIn Can creativity really be the difference between being seen and being remembered in iGaming? Now LIVE on YouTube | iGaming Real Talk Podcast

20 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Are operators doing enough to protect players? In Episode 72, our host Surya Palli speaks with Alec Gehlot, Founder & CEO of PlaySignal, about what happens before a player reaches the point of self-exclusion and what operators can do differently. The industry is facing: - Rising levels of self-exclusion - Players falling through the gaps in existing systems - Responsible gaming interventions focused too much on monitoring - Players becoming targets for the black market after self-exclusion - The challenge of balancing player protection with short-term revenue What this conversation explores: - Why self-exclusion isn't enough - How operators can identify risk earlier - How PlaySignal's traffic-light approach works - Why responsible gaming interventions should protect, not punish - How early intervention can support sustainable player value - Why responsible gaming could become a competitive advantage Do you think self-exclusion is the safety net the industry thinks it is? Shoutout to our sponsors St8 and Endorphina Now LIVE on YouTube | iGaming Real Talk

17 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

It was a pleasure to have Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO of AffPapa, with us for Episode 71. This is Part 2 of our conversation with Levon, and here we discuss what’s actually happening in the iGaming affiliate marketing. The industry is facing: - Fake streamer numbers and questionable traffic - Overreliance on the same marketing channels - Affiliate fraud and poor-quality leads - B2B marketing that struggles to stand out - Teams scaling faster than their systems What this conversation explores: - How operators can verify streamer traffic - Why iGaming brands need to experiment more - How to deal with affiliate fraud - What makes a strong team and leader - Why clear KPIs matter when scaling - What keeps Levon building AffPapa Are we actually innovating in iGaming marketing, or just repeating old strategies? Now LIVE on YouTube | iGaming Real Talk

BETBY

In the latest episode of iGaming Real Talk, BETBY’s CCO Chris Nikolopoulos sat down with Surya Palli to unpack some of the biggest questions shaping the industry right now.🎤 ▪️ Why is retention becoming a tougher game than acquisition? ▪️ Are prediction markets really the future? ▪️ What’s behind the rapid rise of micro-betting? ▪️ And how are shrinking attention spans forcing operators to rethink the betting experience? No surface-level takes — just a great conversation about where iGaming is heading next. 🎬 Catch the full episode and tune in for the Real Talk. https://lnkd.in/eZJHms8E #betbyinterview #igaming #commercialdirector #livediscussion

13 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

12 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Are there too many iGaming events? And how do you decide which ones are actually worth attending? Episode 70 of iGaming Real Talk is now LIVE, with Alex Pratt, Managing Director at Clarion Events and we talked about the changing iGaming events landscape. Alex shares what event organisers and B2B brands need to think about as the industry becomes more crowded. Definitely takes a lot of experience to filter the right events! The industry is facing: ⁠- Too many events fighting for the same budgets - Rising costs for exhibitors and attendees ⁠- More pressure to prove event value ⁠- Smaller suppliers competing with massive stands ⁠- Less time for meaningful follow-ups ⁠- Growing demand for better event data What this conversation explores: - Why iGB Live (iGamingBusiness) gives smaller suppliers a level playing field - ⁠Why London gives iGB Live an edge - ⁠How ICE is becoming more than an exhibition - ⁠Why ROI isn't the same for every company - ⁠How data can prove event value - ⁠Why an event should be part of a bigger campaign Hosted by Surya Palli, now LIVE on YouTube | iGaming Real Talk Podcast Brought to you by St8 & Endorphina

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Why is it so hard to move away from legacy affiliate management platforms? What do operators accept as normal because migration is a headache? Part 2 of our conversation with David Harris & Vlad Bondarenko from ReferOn had some interesting opinions. Happy to share Episode 69 of iGaming Real Talk with you all. We went beyond the platform itself and got into some of the bigger questions around product, technology, and the future of affiliate management. We talked about: - Why iGaming needs to look outside the industry for better product ideas - What crypto and finance can teach us about building better SaaS - Why legacy platforms are so hard to move away from & what happens during a large-scale platform migration - Where AI actually helps and where it doesn’t in iGaming - And why human relationships still matter in an increasingly automated world There are some great discussions in this one, especially on AI, legacy systems and what it takes to build products people actually want to use. Now LIVE on YouTube | iGaming Real Talk Podcast

10 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Aggregation market is crowded. Almost every company says they have the best platform, the best technology and the best content. So what actually makes operators choose one over another? Episode 68 of iGaming Real Talk was about this… We asked David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8. The industry is changing fast. Operators are looking for: - Faster integrations - Better support - Regulated market expertise - Partners they can actually trust While recording this episode, one thing quite pulled us in. David never tried to convince us that St8 has the biggest platform or the biggest portfolio. Instead, he kept talking about relationships, transparency and being responsive to operators. That's not something you hear every day. In this conversation, we discuss: - Why St8 is doubling down on regulated markets - The biggest operator challenges today - How St8 plans to compete with legacy aggregators - Ontario, Alberta and the future of regulated expansion - Why trust matters as much as technology Do you think operators still choose aggregators based on technology, or has service become the real differentiator?

6 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

21 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

18 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

17 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

16 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

14 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

11 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

10 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

9 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

7 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

4 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

1 Sept 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

31 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

Surya PalliHost, iGaming Real Talk | Podcast, WhatsApp Community & B2B Media Platform

25 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

24 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

20 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

17 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn

BETBY

13 Aug 2026Watch on LinkedIn