The iGaming Leader

In this episode, Leo talks with Tommy Kearns about how rugby shaped the way he runs a company: trust, loyalty, accountability, direct feedback and a role for everyone. He is clear about what he does not want around him. "I don't want yes men around me." Everything gets challenged until the team reaches alignment, and then everyone commits. He also covers the harder parts of the story. Tommy lost h...

Yoni Sidi wanted to slow down. After 17 years in corporate iGaming, he had a simple plan: build a platform, generate traffic, play golf, and reduce the pressure. Then Winpot took off in Mexico, the B2B business grew to 14 or 15 clients, and he found himself working 14 to 15-hour days across two continents.  In this episode of the iGaming Leader podcast, Yoni, CEO of Wiztech Group, talks about buil...

David Carrion started as a dealer on Margarita Island, Venezuela in 1995. Thirty years later, he's Chief Strategy Officer at Gaming1, having run live poker events for PokerStars, launched a casino from scratch in his hometown, and led a four-state US market entry. In this episode of the iGaming Leader podcast, David walks us through four transitions every leader has to make: from doing to letting...

What happens when you lose 100% of your revenue in back-to-back meetings on the same day? For Sidharth Swarup, it was the moment that forged everything.  In this episode, Sid shares the real story behind building Ingenuity from a $1,000 investment into a business that in 2014 made more money than the previous 14 years combined. No outside investment. No borrowed money. No diluted equity. Sid opens...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Andreas (Andy) Koeberl, aerospace engineer turned entrepreneur, who built HappyBet from three people to 180, survived COVID wiping out 100% of its revenue overnight, turned around BetGames from a shrinking business into one of the most profitable live dealer companies in the world, and is now building Autonomous Minds, an AI deeptec...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Michael Baker-Mosley, ex-Head of Brand at Kambi, ex-CMO at iGP, and one of the most respected B2B marketing minds in iGaming. Michael pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to step into a CMO role unprepared, why most B2B marketing in this industry is renting its audience rather than building one, and what happens when a l...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Savvas Fellas, founder and CEO of MrQ, the bootstrap challenger brand that decided the UK gambling industry's nonsense had gone on long enough. Growing up on a council estate in Birmingham, Savvas built his way into iGaming through SEO, affiliates, and white-label operations before a simple question changed everything: why is the pl...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Ramiro Atucha, co-founder of Leander Games and Vibra Gaming, who has done something most founders never do twice: voluntarily stepped down as CEO of two companies he built from scratch. Ramiro pulls back the curtain on the painful reality of recognising when you are no longer the right person to lead what you created, the difference...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo Judkins sits down with Nigel Eccles, the co-founder and former CEO of FanDuel. Moving from a small dairy farm in Northern Ireland to scaling one of the most iconic brands in sports betting history, Nigel pulls back the curtain on the psychological distortions required to build a massive tech enterprise. The conversation challenges the foundational...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Richard Dennys, a two-time CEO and turnaround specialist who has navigated the highest stakes in digital marketing and iGaming.  Richard shares the dispassionate reality of the C-suite, arguing that because "business isn’t your friend," hard decisions must be made based on common sense rather than emotion. The conversation explores...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo Judkins sits down with Dan Phillips, a 30-year veteran of the industry who started his career as a trainee dealer in a Soho basement and rose to run a £2 billion turnover business. Dan shares the "no-bullshit" reality of leadership, from the gut-wrenching moment his biggest client walked away during his first week as a CEO to the complex ethics of...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Daniel Graetzer, the former CEO and Founder of MaximBet and Carousel Group.  Dan shares a raw, unfiltered account of the "tumbleweed effect" that comes with rapid scaling, eye-watering valuations, and the immense pressure of managing a high-profile brand in the US market. The conversation explores the "staring into the abyss" realit...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Line Peteri, a powerhouse leader who has scaled teams across tech, fashion, and iGaming.  Line shares her raw, unfiltered journey of building a career since age 17, only to be reduced by others to her appearance, her relationships, and her health. She calls out the "fake bullshit" in the industry, discusses the isolation of being a...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo Judkins sits down with Ebbe Groes, the co-founder and CEO of EveryMatrix. From a garage in 2008 to building the world’s largest casino aggregation platform, Ebbe has navigated the brutal realities of scaling a B2B giant without the "fuel" of massive venture capital. Ebbe shares the high-stakes decisions of EveryMatrix’s "survival" era between 2015...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Charles Cohen, a serial entrepreneur who has experienced the industry's highest peaks and most isolating moments. From building beenz.com, one of the internet’s first digital currencies, to pioneering mobile-first gaming with Probability plc, Charles shares the raw reality of leadership when the "arc of the universe" refuses to bend...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo Judkins sits down with Andy Rogers, the quiet force behind some of the industry's most significant behind-the-scenes developments. Andy shares his journey from industrial design to launching and exiting multiple agencies and technology firms, including his strategic tenure at Media Tech and the eventual founding of Rokker. The conversation explore...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Kyle Wiltshire, the founder and CEO of TESTA. Kyle takes us on a journey from the high-octane "Wild West" days of Bodog in Manila to building a global, bootstrapped testing powerhouse from his base in Taipei. Kyle shares the "brutal" reality of scaling an operation from 50 to 1,200 people in a flash, the hard-learned lessons of deal...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Ian Freeman, a commercial powerhouse who has navigated the high-stakes world of Kambi, IGT, and Inspired Entertainment.  Ian pulls back the curtain on the "Bait and Switch" of executive leadership, the moments when the glossy job description meets the grim reality of a business in crisis. Ian reflects on the formative trauma of losi...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with Elen Barber, who went from affiliate manager to CMO at Kindred in just nine years, to explore what it really takes to lead through the industry's toughest challenges. Elen shares the brutal reality of her first weeks as CMO: facing a £100 million fine, Swedish re-regulation, plummeting share price, and multiple rounds of restructuri...

In this episode of the iGaming Leader Podcast, Leo sits down with veteran executive David McDowell, co-founder of FSB Technology and an early pioneer in the B2B platform space, to unpack the brutal reality of the 30-year entrepreneurial journey. David shares the truth about leadership burnout (it's the weight of the decisions, not the hours), the biggest mistake CEOs make when scaling (waiting too...

In this episode of iGaming Leader, Leo sits down with William J. Pascrell III, “BP3”. He is a partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group and a driving force behind the legalisation of sports betting and online gaming in the United States. BP3 shares the unseen cost of bold bets: losing every major client when he onboarded PokerStars to help bring iGaming to America, the two-year sprint that followe...

In this episode of iGaming Leader , Leo sits down with Jovana Popovic Canaki , CEO of iGP and one of the few female leaders in the B2B iGaming space.  Jovana opens up about the emotional highs and lows of leadership, the hidden pressure of being “the strong one,” and the journey from intimidation and self-doubt to authentic, grounded leadership. The conversation explores losing her belongings abro...

In this episode of iGaming Leader, Leo sits down with Daniel Brooks , dual founder and hands-on CEO of BetComply and Ridentify . Daniel shares how a thoughtful, mentor-first approach lets him scale two companies at once, trust strong operators, and stay composed when cashflow shocks or client pull-outs hit.  He explains how journalling, walking meetings, and “breathing through” crises turn panic i...

In this episode of iGaming Leader, Leo s its down with Emma Blaylock , CEO of Pretty Technical and a tech leader who helped launch Kindle UK and drove early streaming at Sony. Emma shares how vulnerable leadership creates safe-to-fail teams that learn fast, stay calm under scrutiny, and execute with focus. The conversation explores helping your team feel safe-to-fail, hiring to your weaknesses, da...

In this episode of iGaming Leader, Leo sits down with Max Meltzer , founder, CEO and investor, to unpack the real mindset and habits behind building in our industry. Max charts his path from early entrepreneurship to a strategic “reset” back into employment, then leaving a top commercial role to found Strive Gaming.  He shares why founders must have the guts to fail , how prioritising health and f...