Right to the Source: Episode 5

Host turns guest for this episode as Ed and David Henwood from H2 and Khalid Ali of the International Betting Integrity Association join iGB news editor Daniel O’Boyle to discuss their recent report, An Optimum Betting Market. Their evidence-based findings not only expose the restrictions adopted in a number of of the 20 jurisdictions analysed in the report as having the opposite effect to that intended by policymakers but challenge many of the myths fuelling mainstream debates on betting and integrity, such as in-play, secondary betting markets and points-only betting being drivers of corruption. Enjoy the podcast!

In this episode of Right To The Source, host Ed Birkin chats social casino with social slot consultant Guy Hasson, who reveals he only entered the space in search of “a normal, regular job” after being so tired and exhausted by a shoot of a science fiction movie he’d written. Guy also unpacks the history, mechanics and appeal of this $6bn+ global industry – “the people who created it came from the industry, came from 888. They couldn’t figure out why this worked either” – as well as the much-targeted but never-executed conversion of this now 27.5 million-strong daily audience to real-money. “I’m guessing that most of the first two exits, Playtika and DoubleDown, were because they thought they could turn the social players into real-money. The fact it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it can’t”. Enjoy the podcast!

We catch up with Joe Saumarez Smith, chairman, Eyas Gaming.

This week, Ed catches up with Chris Pirrone, from USA Today, on the US sports betting market.

This week, Ed catches up with friend and colleague, David Henwood, Director at H2 Gambling Capital, and we get the latest Covid Tracker update from Josh.