Marlene Warner, CEO of the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, joins the show to discuss her career path, responsible gaming (RG) advocacy, and crucial industry issues.

Warner holds a BA in sociology and an MA in women's studies/communications, grounding her approach in studying people, using data, and advocating for underserved populations.

In a timely update, she reveals she is currently pulling papers to run for City Councillor in her ward, following previous roles as student senate president.

Key Discussion Highlights:

• Career Recognition
• Council Name Change
• GameSense
• National Helpline Barrier
• RG in America
• Industry Standards

Warner concludes by stressing that putting the right safeguards in place does not hurt business, and encourages everyone to promote the helpline and eliminate barriers

Welcome to an improvised episode of the Safe Bet Show, where host Martin Lycka welcomes SBC Leaders Magazine Editor, Steve Hoare.

The discussion centres on the SBC Player Protection Hub, which Steve is also Editor of. The Hub is positioned as a, "one-stop shop" for responsible gaming resources, offering news feeds from across the SBC universe and a research hub dedicated to collecting RG studies. Crucially, the site is members-only, aiming to be a necessary "safe space" where people can talk about player protection issues and share personal stories without fear of exposure.

Martin and Steve discuss the immense power of "lived experience" stories. They highlight how these human and humane narratives, such as a story about a girl who used gambling to "turn off the noise", or the painful recollection of a Seahawks fan who lost his family’s money betting on the Super Bowl, provide critical perspective for the industry.

The conversation then shifts to Martin’s career, tracing his time at BetFair starting in 2009. This period coincided with the genesis of regulated markets in Europe (Italy, France, Spain). They analyse the failure of the dream of European harmonisation and contrast it with the rise of the US state-by-state regulation, which some prominent lobbyists initially dismissed as "madness".

Martin also shares his experience living through major industry mergers, including the BetFair/Paddy Power union (Flutter) and GVC/Ladbrooks Coral (Entain).

In this episode of Martin Lycka’s Safe Bet Show, Martin sits down with Leonardo Baptista, CEO of Pay4Fun, to explore the evolution of Brazil’s gaming and payments industry. Leonard shares his journey from his early days at Bat Motion in 2004 to founding Pay4Fun in 2017.

The discussion covers Pay4Fun’s unique positioning in the market, thanks to its regulatory expertise, advanced API solutions, and deep understanding of local needs, as well as the complex path toward a regulated gambling framework in Brazil.

The conversation also dives into how Pay4Fun is helping to combat illegal gambling through KYC, transaction monitoring, and close collaboration with regulators.

Leonardo highlights the importance of responsible gaming, detailing initiatives like deposit limits and financial monitoring, alongside Pay4Fun’s charity work.