Bets and Balance Sheets

Weeks after becoming Finance Director of Stansted Airport, COVID cut its daily passengers from over 100,000 to just over 300. James Richardson, now CFO of NASDAQ-listed Inspired Entertainment, helped raise nearly £1bn to keep the business going.It wasn’t his first crisis. In thirty years of finance across corporate finance, banking, payments, airports and gambling, James has been through the dot-com crash, the banking crisis, the regulation of payday lending and a pandemic.In this episode of Bets and Balance Sheets, host Vasco Vaz Rodrigues talks to James about his route into gambling, how he makes great things happen in tough environments, and what challenge he's looking for from his next role.Bets and Balance Sheets is the podcast where we interview the finance leaders running the biggest gambling companies — the real, behind-the-scenes stories of CFOs building, breaking, and rebuilding these businesses.Subscribe for new episodes with the finance leaders shaping the gambling industry.#CFO #GamingIndustry #FinancePodcast #BetsAndBalanceSheets #SportsBetting #StartupFinanceDisclaimer: The views, opinions, and statements expressed by the guest in this episode regarding their company’s valuation and investment potential are solely their own and do not reflect the views of this podcast or its hosts. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Investors are advised to conduct their own research and review official regulatory disclosures published by the guest's company in accordance with EU MAR and Nasdaq Stockholm rules.

He never studied finance — yet became CFO of a publicly listed gaming company. In this episode of Bets and Balance Sheets, host Vasco Vaz Rodrigues sits down with Phil Richards, CFO of GiG Software, for one of the most unconventional CFO career stories in the gambling industry. Phil studied medieval history, ran a university sports program, and built his career across KPMG Germany, Sweden, and a from-scratch US office launch for sports betting tech company Kambi — before becoming CFO of a cybersecurity firm and eventually landing at GiG Software just ahead of its IPO. In this conversation, Phil opens up about:Why GiG's stock dropped from 6 Kroner to roughly 2 after listingThe €50 million balance sheet write-down he chose to take on purposeWhat it's really like to miss market guidance and get "absolutely pummelled"Turning a €2.5 million monthly cash burn into a path to cash generationHis honest advice for any finance professional trying to become a CFOWhether you're a CFO, an aspiring finance leader, or just curious what really happens behind a gaming company's IPO, this episode is full of unfiltered, real-world lessons. New episodes of Bets and Balance Sheets drop every month — follow so you don't miss the next finance leader shaping the gambling industry.Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and statements expressed by the guest in this episode regarding their company’s valuation and investment potential are solely their own and do not reflect the views of this podcast or its hosts. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Investors are advised to conduct their own research and review official regulatory disclosures published by the guest's company in accordance with EU MAR and Nasdaq Stockholm rules.

This episode focuses on the financial dynamics of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the gambling sector. Discuss recent M&A deals and their rationale, how consolidation impacts the competitive landscape and market share, and analyse the financial outcomes and potential risks. Listen to Robert Stoddard, Partner and US Tax Lead for Gaming at KPMG, and Paulo Andrade, Delivery Manager at Aurum Solutions, share their experiences both in the Gambling industry and other markets when it comes to mergers and acquisitions.

This topic delves into the evolving payment solutions landscape within the gambling sector. Discuss the financial benefits of adopting modern payment methods, such as mobile payments, e-wallets, and contactless transactions, and explore the challenges related to security, fraud prevention, and ensuring seamless financial transactions for players Listen into Laurent Reysbosch, COO and Founder of Paytently, and Anschana Caravaca-Sasse, VP Specialist Markets of Kushki, discussing the innovations in payment solutions in the Gambling industry.

This episode explores the implications of gambling operators expanding into new markets, both domestically and internationally. Discuss the risks associated with regulatory differences, cultural considerations, and market saturation, and analyse the potential rewards in terms of revenue growth, diversification, and access to new customer demographics. Listen into Melvin Ritsema, CEO and Co-Founder of Xcite, and Ivo Doroteia, CEO of Playbook Engineering, discussing the risks and rewards of expanding into new gambling markets.

New licenses, additional markets, and further currencies are all inevitable as operations grows, making monthly and day-to-day financial operations more challenging. Teams which deal with them often face obstacles related to the complexity and number of external platforms/services they need to use to get the information required to do their jobs. Not only that, but problems around shared documents and accountability tend to appear, distracting from strategic initiatives. How do we fix this? How can we empower finance teams to streamline their work and contribute even more to the success of their companies? Listen into Aurum CEO, Tiago Veiga, Commercial Director at iGaming Academy, Rebeka Mizzi, Head of Accounting at iGaming Group, Miguel Coca, and Chief Marketing Officer, Vasco Vaz Rodrigues, discuss how to empower finance teams as their operations scale.