MaxBet Podcast

Mike is officially signing off after five years behind the MaxBet mic. In this farewell episode, we cover it all. Favorite guests, biggest learnings, funny moments, and the interviews that still get talked about years later. Before he steps away, we talk about what is coming next as Hillary takes the lead and continues building the MaxBet brand. It is a sendoff packed with stories, laughs, and a p...

In a MaxBet first, we were handed some top-shelf gaming industry tea. Eclipse Gaming skipped the press release and gave us the exclusive to hard launch their newest C-suite hire. A bold move. We'd say we're honored, but that feels too mature. Newly appointed Chief Product Officer Mike Trask joins the podcast for his first official interview, sharing his vision for Eclipse and where the company is...

What actually happens when a casino gets hacked? Do they pay the ransom? Who loses their bonus? And how do you protect your own family from cyber threats when you're in the industry spotlight? On this episode, Melissa Aarskaug joins us to talk about cyber risk in gaming, her personal playbook for online safety (complete with a family safe word… which we're 87% sure is "MaxBet"), and why cybersecur...

Ever wonder what it was like behind the scenes of the very first Wheel of Fortune slot machine? Spoiler: it involved a Volvo windshield motor, a string, and some serious duct tape energy. We sat down with Jean Venneman from IGT to talk about how a project they hoped would sell a few hundred units turned into a legacy that has made over 1,200 millionaires and changed the casino industry forever. Ne...

Diallo Gordon, President of Pavilion Payments, joins us to discuss how the gaming industry can better tackle fraud and improve responsible gaming through smarter payment systems. We explore the rise of payment fraud in casinos, why scammers are getting more advanced, and how operators and payment providers can benefit from working together. This episode highlights the connection between secure pay...

Dr. Brett Abarbanel from UNLV's International Gaming Institute joins the MaxBet Podcast with dinner party facts, bold suggestions for the casino industry, and a peek at the research projects that actually get people talking. We cover the science behind dice design, how research in the gaming industry gets funded, and the success of UNLV's student internship program connecting future talent with ca...

This week, Casey Gonzales from  @cdcgamingconnect  joins us to unpack how tribal operators are navigating the real-world impact of iGaming and sports betting. We get into what's at stake when 10% of your floor disappears overnight, why Oklahoma's compact strategy is still a masterclass, and how Class II games became the industry's quiet power move. At the end, Mike and Hillary go off-script with a...

This week, Oliver Shoemaker, VP of Slot Operations at Cache Creek Casino Resort, joins us to talk persistence games from the operator perspective. We get into what suppliers overlook, how these mechanics play out on the floor, and what it takes to hand a guest $1.7M in cash. If you're building persistence games, selling them, or running a floor full of them — this one's for you.

This week it's just Mike and Hillary debriefing after a whirlwind week in San Diego at the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention (IGA). Think of it as a giant family reunion you didn't know you were invited to... If that reunion involved nightclubs full of business casual blazers and trick-or-treating booths for swag. We also crown our very unofficial winner of Best Booth 2025 and discuss why soft...

No guest? No problem. This week, it's just Mike and Hillary catching up, swapping stories, and pretending there's a plan. In this episode, we talk about: • Decoding corporate jargon • Hillary's big move & Mike's career change • Our time in NYC at Next.io • LinkedIn's most embarrassing feature • Where we're headed next

Dan Schrementi, President of Incredible Technologies, steps up to the mic to talk about the company's comeback after a few rough years and why true persistence slot games deserve more respect in the gaming industry. We also cover what IS a true persistance game vs. perceived, because some listeners (Hillary) may need to know. In true Chicago grit fashion, Dan isn't here to sugarcoat anything. Plus...

This week, we're all in on Double Down Madness, the table game shaking up the casino floor. We've got Matt Booth, the mind behind it, breaking down how it came to life and why players can't get enough. Mike McKiski met Matt back in their Light & Wonder table games days, and now they're back together talking shop. Stack your chips, place your bets, and hit play.

Listen. If there's one thing we've learned from the EKG Slot Awards, it's that a tuxedo and a pair of Jordans can absolutely coexist, confetti cannons are not to be trusted, and yes—someone did take a full-on nap mid-awards show. We're recapping the biggest wins, the boldest fashion choices, and the moments that had us questioning everything. Plus, we're officially volunteering for the nominating...

Madam President has entered the chat and the floor is hers- literally and figuratively. Lauren Bates started at the front desk at Konami and worked her way up to VP at Light & Wonder and President of Global Gaming Women. She learned her numbers on a mini roulette wheel, built her career from the ground up, and now she's helping thousands of women do the same. In this episode, Lauren talks about th...

Diana Bennett doesn't want to be called a Vegas legend, but let's be real, she's done more for this city than most. In this episode, we hear incredible stories from the mob days, her inspiring work giving back to Las Vegas, the phone call that cost her dad $4.9 million, and some classic gaming stories you won't want to miss.   Diana is deeply involved in supporting these amazing organizations that...

Bluberi's CEO Andrew Burke paid the MaxBet Podcast a visit and shared his insights on company culture, Bluberi's successful hiring hack, and most importantly, what his AOL instant messenger screen name was. Spoiler alert: It does not disappoint. Plus, Hillary and Mike interpret gaming industry buzzwords for regular humans.

If you're looking for a crash course on Web3 and blockchain, explained through Birkin bag examples, this is the episode for you! Cheli Wolf-Kroupp came to break it down for us like we're five, and for that, we thank her for her service. Cheli is the COO at Uplandme, Inc. Upland is an immersive layer 1 gaming platform that uses virtual properties of the real world to engage players, creators, entre...

Erica Kosemund joins the MaxBet Podcast, and let's just say Choctaw's Gaming and Partnerships marketing is next-level creative. We're talking about projecting messages on failed imploded buildings like it's a Tuesday. Erica shares her favorite marketing stories, some huge wins for Choctaw, and how she somehow knows every celebrity (She didn't outright say this, but the vibe was palpable, which, na...

Mark Dedeaux, GM and Senior Vice President of Slots at AGS, joins us on the podcast to discuss gaming supplier strategy, what makes a premium game truly premium, and to share a his favorite gaming story from his time in Tunica, Mississippi, involving a 911 page, an interim casino manager, and a rowdy craps table.

Anyone can drop a holiday special before Christmas, but we'd rather hit you with five minutes of brain rot during no-man's-land: that weird span of time between Christmas and New Year's when no one knows what day it is, calories don't count, and we're all Googling gym memberships. So whether you celebrate Toyotathon, Happy Honda Days, or prefer the simple Merry Chrysler, we hope it's a good one!

  In this mini-episode, Mike McKiski introduces Hillary McAfee as the new co-host of MaxBet. There's now an area rug in the recording studio, so you could say things are getting pretty serious. Hear Mike defend his video call wardrobe choices and find out why Hillary might've been 86'd from Egypt over a human pyramid incident. Plus, a sneak peek at the upcoming guest lineup, where Mike and Hillary...

What happened? Did you guys break up? Landon is buying a farm? So many questions. MaxBet's co-founder and former co-host, Landon Jones is back in the studio with Mike to answer all of them and share what's next. 

Ari Mizachi explains how True Persistence slots are being milked like ATMs by advantage players, creating an unfair playing field that's hitting recreational players the hardest and posing a serious threat to the slot economy.  

In this episode, host Mike McKiski sits down with Kunal Mishra, Chief Strategy Officer at OddsWorks Gaming and creator of the "Watch Me Vibe" YouTube channel. Yeah, you heard that right — in addition to leading the way in gaming tech, Kunal runs a daily YouTube channel all about watches. It's more than just a hobby though; Kunal credits much of his career success to having an outlet like this, whi...

In this episode of the MaxBet Podcast , host Mike McKiski sits down with the talented Hillary McAfee , who he dubs the 'social media manager to the stars.' Hillary has crafted and executed large scale influencer marketing campaigns for top gaming industry brands like BetMGM , VGW , IGT , and SciPlay . She shares her insights on social media marketing and brand strategy.   You can follow Hillary Mc...