Ep. 174: Managing the grind of going from starting to scaling w/ Evan Fisher from Sparket

The Gamble & The Glory showcases founders that built their companies into category leaders in the betting and gaming industry.   In Episode 1 of Season 2, we speak with Einar Knobel from TXODDS, recorded in person at the SBC Summit Americas Conference in Fort Lauderdale.   Hear him discuss: The early days of TXODDS and landing first customers like Betcris and World Sports Exchange How a scrappy, bootstrapped journey scaled into a 25-year industry leader powering global betting markets The rise of in-play betting, Asian liquidity, and the importance of clean, reliable data Lessons from scaling a global data business while keeping culture strong and team-oriented Why TXODDS continues to innovate, from streaming data to U.S. college sports coverage Advice to today’s founders on fundraising, monetization, and building for longevity Video version of this episode can be viewed here. Learn more 👇 ➡️ TXODDS website ➡️ Einar Knobe on Linkedin  If you’re at SBC Lisbon, be sure to drop by TXODDS’ Trev’s Bar in Hall 3 at C320 to say hello to Einar, Trevor and the TXODDS team!   The Gamble & The Glory is made possible by Segev LLP, a full solutions law firm purpose-built for the gaming and betting industry. To learn more, visit: www.segev.ca.

Ep. 180 features Zach Wick from BtrBet, which is a SaaS platform offering a white-labeled tool stack for sports betting creators to manage content, engage audiences, and monetize their communities.   Hear him discuss: • How legal sports betting in Ohio sparked his idea to build a personal betting tracker • The pain points of spreadsheets and the inspiration behind automating bet syncing and analysis • The evolution from a consumer app to a full-stack community tool for content creators • How BtrBet users are building engaged communities on their own branded domains • The business model built around tool subscriptions, with creators keeping 100% of their affiliate revenue • One creator’s story of hitting nearly $1,000 MRR within one week of launching on BtrBet • Key lessons from joining Stripe as employee ~250 and watching it grow to over 8,000 people • Why BtrBet is bootstrapped, and how they're nearing profitability solely through revenue • The challenges of running a lean two-person startup and what he wishes he knew before founding   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ BtrBet website  ➡️ Zach Wick 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/   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 179 features Ryan Murphy of SharpSports and Vijay Dewan from Pine Sports, who sit down to talk through their recent merger to form the new Pine Sports, a full-stack sports data and AI company serving both bettors and B2B partners.   Hear them discuss: • The origin story and strategic rationale behind the Pine Sports and SharpSports merger • How mutual investor Chris Grove sparked the deal by introducing the two founders • How the merger combines SharpSports’ B2B infrastructure with Pine Sports’ consumer-facing AI tools • Why clean data pipelines are essential to powering jaXon, Pine’s chat-based betting assistant • What they've learned from launching LLMs into real betting workflows with jaXon • The future of “autonomous betting” and where they see chat interfaces playing a role • How they’ve integrated tech stacks and restructured roles across the combined team • Their strategy to scale both the SharpSports API and Pine Sports’ user base • How big‑name athlete Marshawn Lynch is backing the company, and how his endorsement is boosting Pine Sports' brand credibility • Trends in how casual and sharp bettors are adopting new tooling • Why they view betting tools as an underserved and high-growth category • How Ryan and Vijay split responsibilities and stay aligned post-merger Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Pine Sports website  ➡️ SharpSports website  ➡️ Vijay Dewan on Linkedin ➡️ Ryan Murphy 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/   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 178 features Trent Hoerr from BullRush, which is a gamified platform offering multi-participant competitions using virtual currency with real cash prizes.   Hear him discuss: • His early days as a professional runner turned prop trader during the 2008 financial crisis • The legal and regulatory path to proving BullRush competitions as games of skill • Why he believes traders often overlap with sports bettors due to shared analytical skills • The significance of peer-to-peer competition and restoring the social side of betting • BullRush’s growth to 150,000 users across 170 countries since launching in 2023 • How he bootstrapped BullRush using profits from his previous startup • Their current NFL Survivor contest with a $100K prize pool • Why he believes BullRush can grow to 5M+ users as more bettors get limited by sportsbooks • The long-term convergence of financial trading and sports betting platforms   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ BullRush website  ➡️ Trent Hoerr 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/   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 177 is the official First Pitch preview episode, where we will meet the 5 startups selected to present at SBC Summit on September 18 in Lisbon, Portugal.   Sue Schneider, Co-founder of Defy the Odds, shares her perspective of the upcoming event, highlighting the global nature of this year’s competition with finalists representing 5 different countries across 3 continents, the evolution of First Pitch, and the opportunities for all startups at the Summit.   In this episode, you will hear from the five finalists: AI Stats, Alexey Vorobey Betpass, Bruno Barroso ChatBet AI, Joshua Swerdlow LiveDuel, Will Martin Nandemo Draft Co., Keigo Namiki   SBC First Pitch brings together some of the most exciting startups within the betting and gaming industry to compete for a chance to win an exclusive prize package, valued at over €90,000 to assist in the winner’s development and growth plans.   The First Pitch event is hosted by BettingStartups.com's Jesse Learmonth. Judges for the event: Martin Collins from Soft2Bet Lloyd Danzig from Sharp Alpha Dee Maher from La Royale Group Mark Phillip from Metabet Andrew Reader from Velo Capital Partners   If you don't have a ticket for the event yet, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for $300 off your pass. Grab your ticket here: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/ticket-options/ -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.  

Ep. 176 features Reid Rooney from Betsperts Group, which acquires and builds brands with loyal, engaged communities in fantasy sports, golf, and sports betting.   Hear him discuss: How Betsperts began by exploring crypto, cannabis, and sports betting before ultimately focusing on sports betting Applying a Stanley Black & Decker “multi-brand” mindset to execute a roll-up strategy in sports media How he was able to partner up with Matthew Berry and Paige Spiranac Mapping out a portfolio that includes 4for4, Dynasty League Football, Bleacher Nation, and Fantasy National Why a strong, engaged community is the non-negotiable of any acquisition target Avoiding quick changes after an acquisition to protect brand loyalty and customer retention Structuring deals with flexible mixes of cash, equity, and earnouts to align incentives Raising over eight figures in capital from top U.S. and international investors Managing founder burnout, embracing therapy, and making time to celebrate wins Short- and long-term growth ambitions, including positioning for iGaming in the U.S.   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Betsperts website  ➡️ Reid Rooney 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/   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 175 features Rick Allec from OddsLogic, a classic odds screen platform delivering real-time betting data to both sportsbooks and bettors, built by one of the industry’s most experienced operators.   Hear him discuss: How he’s launched 3 data startups over 25+ years, including Sports Options and OddsLogic Why he merged Sports Options into Don Best after a decade of head-to-head competition The story behind Don Best’s acquisition by Scientific Games post-PASPA Why Rick left media/pick-selling behind to return to his first love: data How OddsLogic launched in late 2023 and now supports real-time screens and API feeds The planned rollout of player props and positive EV alerting ahead of NFL season Why Rick believes a usable interface is still the biggest differentiator in betting tools How he’s bootstrapped every company he’s built—and why he has no regrets What it’s like keeping the same core team together across 3 startups and 20+ years His take on the sports betting graveyard—and why “fun” still matters most in B2C His 5-year vision to power sportsbooks with real-time alerts, data tools, and risk profiling   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ OddsLogic website  ➡️ Rick Allec 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/   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 174 features Evan Fisher from Sparket, which is a B2B platform helping operators reach new demographics through alternative betting markets and gamified slots. Hear him discuss: How he and co-founder Aaron built Sparket after work hours while still at Google and in finance Why Sparket is doubling down on alternative markets like pop culture and reality TV to attract underserved bettors New partnerships with Penn Entertainment and Wonder Nation, and what they signal about Sparket’s momentum Their soon-to-be-granted patent for AI-powered market creation, filed back in 2020 How Sparket raised ~$2.5M through angel investors while avoiding institutional capital (so far) What winning “Startup of the Year” at The Starties meant to him and why it felt different from other industry awards His honest take on the mental toll of founding a startup, and how he manages the grind Why gratitude, yoga, and stepping away from the screen help him stay sane while building How Sparket is preparing for NFL season with Swift-Kelce-themed contests and slot-credit tie-ins   Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Sparket website  ➡️ Evan Fisher on Linkedin ➡️ Check out Evan's article here.   📩 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/   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.  

Ep. 173 features Kenny Huang from TinyRex Games, which is building next-generation instant games at the intersection of social and iGaming.   Hear him discuss: How his experience at EA and Bluebat Games led to founding TinyRex Games during the pandemic Why TinyRex focuses on “original, edgy, cheeky” instant games beyond traditional slots How their catalog has grown from 3 to 12+ games in just the past year Why the crash game format has become so popular amongst players (and profitable for operators) Why TinyRex targets both crypto and traditional iGaming operators with its distribution strategy How aggregator partnerships complement direct operator integrations for better margins and branded exclusives Why he decided not to raise institutional capital to grow Tiny Rex, instead favoring revenue-led growth His lessons from the Bluebat acquisition, and why he’s prioritizing resilience and independence this time   Applications now open for SBC Summit First Pitch competition returning to Lisbon this September 16-18. Eligible startups can submit their applications until July 25 for a shot at over $100,000 worth of prizes.    Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ TinyRex Games website  ➡️ Kenny Huang 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/   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.  

Ep. 172 features Richard Acosta from Vor Interactive, a UK-based sports data provider creating proprietary first-party data and predictive models.    Hear him discuss: How a soccer algorithm built by his co-founder sparked Vor's launch and first predictive model Why their proprietary data now generates 2,000+ prediction points per soccer match across 50+ global leagues How they’ve expanded from soccer into NFL, college sports, cricket, and tennis while focusing on first-party data Why they chose a B2B model delivering data products to affiliates and operators instead of professional betting How their predictive data powers both marketing widgets and pricing models for iGaming companies How Vor designed a simple integration process that lets partners go live in under 48 hours The early traction they’ve seen with Odds Shark in the US and Hub Affiliations in Italy, including strong early conversion rates Why Richard believes staying lean and agile is key as they scale globally and expand their APIs and productized solutions His long-term vision to grow Vor Interactive into a major global sports data supplier over the next five years   Applications now open for SBC Summit First Pitch competition returning to Lisbon this September 16-18. Eligible startups can submit their applications until July 25 for a shot at over $100,000 worth of prizes.    Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ VOR Interactive website  ➡️ Richard Acosta 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/   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove, the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.