The Betting Startups Podcast

Interviews and conversations with the founders & CEOs of the most promising startups competing for a piece of the multi-billion dollar betting, fantasy sports, and iGaming industry

The Betting Startups Podcast is a business podcast hosted by BettingStartups.com, with 250 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

BettingStartups.com hosts The Betting Startups Podcast, a business show with 250 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #257

  Ep. 228: Reinventing free-to-play prediction games "without the bill" w/ Maksim Afanasev from Pixl.Bet

  Sep 22, 202635 min

  Ep. 228 features Maksim Afanasev, Founder of Pixl.Bet , to discuss his journey from sportsbook product leadership to entrepreneurship, and how he is building a free-to-play sports gaming platform designed to capture the excitement of betting without the financial risk. Hear them discuss: Maksim’s 17-year journey in the betting industry, from Coral to sportsbook product leadership and Sportradar. How experimenting with AI and building a World Cup prediction game led to the creation of Pixl.Bet . Pixl.Bet ’s mission to deliver the excitement of betting through a free-to-play experience without financial risk. The platform’s use of tickets, points, predictions, multiplayer games, challenges, and social features. How Bingo and other interactive games are helping Pixl.Bet build a stronger sports-focused community. Early traction, including around 1,500 users, 25–30% active users, and more than 3,000 user-generated reels. The challenge of user acquisition and Pixl.Bet ’s focus on organic growth, referrals, and micro-influencers. Potential monetization through affiliate partnerships, sponsorships, advertising, and non-gambling brands. How AI-powered “vibe coding” is changing the way founders can rapidly prototype, test, and improve new products. Pixl.Bet ’s plans to grow its community, attract sponsors, develop products for gaming operators, and explore new gaming concepts. If you still don't have a ticket to SBC Summit in Lisbon, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for 30% off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/ticket-options/ Learn more ➡️ Pixl.Bet website ➡️ Maksim Afanasev on Linkedin Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #256

  Ep. 227: Meet the First Pitch finalists for SBC Summit in Lisbon

  Sep 17, 202628 min

  Ep. 227 is the official First Pitch preview episode, where we meet the 5 startups selected to present at the SBC First Pitch Competition during SBC Summit in Lisbon on October 1st, 2026. In this episode, you will hear from the five finalists: Teemu Huuhtanen from Betsy Rishin Kesarla from GMonitor Cristian Barbosa from InsightPlay.ai Eduardo Cesar Franceschett from Safefy Alfonso González García from Whizdom AI SBC First Pitch brings together some of the most exciting startups within the betting and gaming industry, giving founders the opportunity to showcase their innovations and compete in front of a panel of industry experts and investors. The Startup Zone at SBC Summit in Lisbon is the best way for startups to establish their presence at "The Greatest Show in Gaming". Discounted packages are available exclusively through BettingStartups, but spaces are very limited so register your interest ASAP: https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-summit-2026 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #255

  Ep. 226: Empowering prediction market traders w/ Justin & Cam from PredictQ

  Sep 8, 202635 min

  Ep. 226 features Cameron MacMillan and Justin Herzig, co-founders of PredictQ, to discuss their vision for building the expert layer of prediction markets. The pair share how their backgrounds in DFS, analytics, community building, and technology came together to create a platform designed to help traders discover, analyze, and trade prediction markets more effectively. Hear them discuss: Justin and Cameron's entrepreneurial backgrounds, including their experiences with blockchain, DFS, RotoGrinders, and sports analytics, and how they ultimately came together to launch PredictQ. Why they believe prediction markets need an expert layer similar to what RotoGrinders built for DFS and what platforms like Seeking Alpha and TradingView built for financial markets. How PredictQ is building tools across the full trading lifecycle, including market discovery, research and analysis, price comparison, liquidity, and cross-platform portfolio management. Why the founders see prediction markets as a fundamentally different consumer experience from traditional sportsbooks, with open order books, market making, the ability to exit positions, and no risk of being limited for winning. How Cameron is applying lessons from building the RotoGrinders community, including the importance of education, transparency, trusted experts, and creating a place where users can learn from one another. PredictQ's go-to-market strategy, including partnerships, community activations, NFL-focused tools, and using a rapid product-shipping cadence as a form of organic marketing. The company's approach to fundraising, including an oversubscribed pre-seed round from people like Jeremy Levine, Paris Smith, Cal Spears, Adam Small, Jonathan Bales, Peter Jennings, Jesse Learmonth, and others. Why transparent prediction market data could help create verifiable trader reputation scores, improve trust in the industry, and reduce the influence of unverified touts and fake betting records. PredictQ's long-term vision of becoming the go-to destination for prediction market traders across sports, politics, weather, crypto, and other emerging market categories. Justin and Cameron's final NFL season picks, including contrarian DFS strategy, their survivor pool outlook, and a few early Week One positions. The Startup Zone at SBC Summit in Lisbon is the best way for startups to establish their presence at "The Greatest Show in Gaming". Discounted packages are available exclusively through BettingStartups, but spaces are very limited so register your interest ASAP: https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-summit-2026 Learn more ➡️ PredictQ website ➡️ Justin Herzig on Linkedin ➡️ Cameron MacMillan on Linkedin Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #254

  Ep. 225: Unifying the messy sports data ecosystem w/ Amar Rao from SportsStack

  Sep 1, 202630 min

  Ep. 225 features Amar Rao, Co-Founder of SportsStack, to discuss the challenges of sports data infrastructure and how SportsStack is building a unified data layer for the industry. Amar shares insights from his experience at NumberFire, FanDuel, and Fanatics, along with SportsStack's approach to data normalization, settlement, and scaling sports technology. Hear them discuss: Amar's journey from Amazon to NumberFire, FanDuel, and Fanatics, and how years of dealing with fragmented sports data led to the creation of SportsStack. How SportsStack's Unified API helps operators, fantasy platforms, prediction markets, media companies, teams, and leagues normalize data and switch providers without rebuilding their infrastructure. Why settlement and misgraded markets remain a costly challenge for sportsbooks and prediction markets, and how cross-validating multiple data sources can improve accuracy and reduce operational risk. SportsStack's early traction, including work with Underdog and Novig, its approach to fundraising, and why strategic capital matters more than raising money for the sake of it. Why industry conferences are critical for early-stage B2B startups, with Amar emphasizing the importance of consistently showing up, building awareness, and playing the long game. Amar's view of the evolving sports data ecosystem, including the rise of specialized providers, AI-driven data products, and new demands created by prediction markets. SportsStack's roadmap for the next year, with a focus on expanding provider coverage, improving data quality and speed, and becoming a leading settlement infrastructure solution. Amar's long-term vision for SportsStack as the default infrastructure layer connecting sports data providers with the products and experiences built on top of them. The Startup Zone at SBC Summit in Lisbon is the best way for startups to establish their presence at "The Greatest Show in Gaming". Discounted packages are available exclusively through BettingStartups, but spaces are very limited so register your interest ASAP: https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-summit-2026 Learn more ➡️ SportsStack website ➡️ Amar Rao on Linkedin Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #253

  Ep. 224: Redefining sports prediction markets through rechargeable trading cards w/ Andrew Wood from RallyTabs

  Aug 25, 202629 min

  Ep. 224 features Andrew Wood, Co-Founder of RallyTabs, to discuss his transition from investment banking into entrepreneurship, the evolution of RallyTabs from a physical pull-tab concept into a digital product, and how the company is creating a new sports engagement experience that combines predictions, collectibles, and pack-ripping mechanics. Hear them discuss: How Andrew's experience covering the gaming industry as an investment banker led him to identify opportunities within the sports gaming ecosystem. The origins of RallyTabs, including its evolution from a slot route concept to a live sports pull-tab product before ultimately becoming a digital platform. How RallyTabs combines sports predictions, digital cards, collectibles, and pack-ripping mechanics into a single fan engagement experience. The user experience behind RallyTabs, including digital packs, live sports predictions, collectible cards, and the ability to reactivate cards for future games. Why RallyTabs sits at the intersection of sports predictions, fantasy, collectibles, and pack ripping rather than fitting neatly into a single existing category. The company's go-to-market strategy, combining digital marketing with in-person activations at sports bars, stadiums, and tailgates. Why simplicity and a low barrier to entry are central to RallyTabs' strategy for attracting a broader audience of sports fans. How the company has funded its growth through founders and a friends-and-family round while testing customer acquisition channels before pursuing a larger capital raise. Andrew's perspective on the rapid evolution of the gaming industry, from the post-PASPA boom to the emergence of sweepstakes and prediction markets. RallyTabs' roadmap for the next 12 months, including expanding into football and additional sports, growing its customer base, exploring retail-focused products, and becoming a bigger part of the live game-day experience. The Startup Zone at SBC Summit in Lisbon is the best way for startups to establish their presence at "The Greatest Show in Gaming". Discounted packages are available exclusively through BettingStartups, but spaces are very limited so register your interest ASAP: https://www.bettingstartups.com/sbc-summit-2026 Learn more ➡️ RallyTabs website ➡️ Andrew Wood on Linkedin Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on The Betting Startups Podcast. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.