In the latest episode of the SBC Leaders Podcast host Sue Schneider sits down with Pontus Lindwall, CEO of Betsson Malta, to explore his fascinating journey from a technology enthusiast in Stockholm to a pivotal figure in the iGaming industry. Pontus shares insights into the early days of internet gaming, the challenges of navigating unregulated markets, and the evolution of his company, Net Entertainment.Join us as we delve into the dynamic world of gaming, innovation, and regulation, and discover how Pontus's vision helped shape the industry we know today.

Host: Sue Schneider
Guest: Pontus Lindwall
Producer: James Ross
Editor: Nikola Sadowska

In this SBC Leaders Podcast episode, Sue Schneider chats with Gerard Daffy, a veteran of Australia's sports betting and racing scene. Gerard shares his journey from training greyhounds at age 12 to pioneering innovations at Centrebet, Australia's first licensed sports bookmaker in the Northern Territory.

He discusses Centrebet’s shift to online betting in 1996, its global expansion, and trailblazing features like multilingual sites, 24/7 live betting, and inclusion of female traders. The conversation also covers key industry changes, from relaxed advertising laws to in-game betting growth and restrictions on bonuses. Now with TAB, Gerard offers expert commentary on betting trends and industry shifts.

In this episode of the SBC Leaders Podcast, Sue Schneider, Co-Founder of Defy The Odds Startup Launchpad, was joined by the Founder of the World Poker Tour, Steven Lipscomb and its President and CEO, Adam Pliska, to discuss their backgrounds, the inception of the WPT and the innovative approaches that transformed poker into a mainstream sport.

The conversation also highlights the challenges faced in the early days of the WPT, the importance of long-term vision in entrepreneurship and the significant milestones achieved by the WPT throughout its history.

Concluding the episode, the trio reflect on their personal highlight and the enduring legacy of the WPT in the poker community.

Brian Goodman, CEO of Golden Matrix Group, is the latest guest on the SBC Leaders podcast as he joins Sue Schneider, Co-Founder of Defy the Odds Startup Launchpad, to detail his journey as a pioneer of online gaming.

The duo discuss the “crazy” chance Goodman took on regulated online gaming, the significant technological advancements in the industry and the challenge of balancing player acquisition cost against the lifetime value of that customer.

They also talk the importance of player data and the role of AI in processing this data, the complexities of regulation in different jurisdictions and the unique challenges of developing a sportsbook product.

Scott Vanderwel, CEO of Pointsbet Canada, joined Sue Schneider, SBC’s VP of Growth & Strategy North America on the SBC Leaders Podcast to discuss his role in developing Pointsbet’s operations in Canada.

The duo also talk about his journey from telecommunications to gaming, the origin story of the company in Australia, Fanatics' acquisition of Pointsbet’s US assets and the importance of “uniquely Canadian” sports partnerships for the operator.

Catherine Meade, VP of Community, Sustainability & Social Responsibility at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), joined Sue Schneider, SBC’s VP of Growth & Strategy Americas, on the latest episode of the SBC Leaders Podcast to talk about how the Ontario gaming landscape has changed for OLG since the opening of the regulated market in 2022.

The duo also discuss her role at the corporation, the collective responsibility for responsible gambling amongst Ontario's operators and the power of teamwork.

In the latest episode of the SBC Leaders podcast, SBC's Managing Director is joined by Dr Jennifer Shatley, Executive Director at the Responsible Online Gaming Association.

During their discussion, the duo talk about what the ROGA do, how best to tackle responsible gaming and what future projects from ROGA the industry can expect and how it can be funded.

The duo also discussed the Independent Data Clearing House from ROGA, where the project currently lies and when the sector could see more on it.

In the latest episode of SBC Leaders, Andrew McCarron, Managing Director at SBC, is joined by Sam Brown, CEO at Rootz, to discuss Sam's new role as CEO, taking over from the firm's Founder, Lasse Rantala and how the company approached two different market entries in Ontario and Germany.

The duo also discussed how Rootz is recruiting to match its growth, the addition of David Hasselhoff, aka "The Hoff", as a Brand Ambassador and a look into how Sam unwinds and relax away from his day-to-day responsibility.