Episode 108: Why Genius Spent $1.2bn On An Affiliate

Host Brad Allen is joined by Alun Bowden and Optimove VP of revenue Motti Coleman to discuss the state of the online gambling industry in 2026, including: Why loyalty programmes are now a must-have Why firms need to hire from Gen-Z How to keep customers coming back as RTPs fall

Host Brad Allen is joined by former Betfair/FanDuel exec and current HoldCrunch CEO Tom Johnson to discuss: Whether prediction markets are cannibalizing sportsbook handle Whether the Flutter sell-off is overdone What makes an elite prediction market product  

Host Brad Allen is joined by EKG's product testing team Jimmy Neilly and Danny McCarthy to discuss the latest online casino app rankings, including: How FanDuel and Fanatics climbed the ranks Which apps featured genuine innovation Who has the biggest cause for concern in the top 10

Host Brad Allen is joined by TXOdds CCO Alan Casey to discuss: Whether prediction markets can solve the age-old ecosystem problem in peer-to-peer gambling formats Why Kalshi is still there to be shot at Whether sportsbooks can profitably market-make

Host Brad Allen is joined by EKG policy director Becca Giden to discuss Which states will pass online betting/casino tax hikes this year How the new CFTC chair is impacting the prediction market landscape Positive online casino news in Virginia

Host Brad Allen is joined by Third Planet Media founder Adam Small to discuss Genius Sports' $1.2bn acquisition of Legend, including: Why the market hated the deal The people and execution risks for Genius Whether AI is an existential threat for affiliates

Host Brad Allen is joined by EKG analyst Alun Bowden to discuss recent industry news, including: BetMGM's big quarter Whether FanDuel and DraftKings will also surpass 4Q25 expectations Whether prediction markets are having an impact  

Host Brad Allen is joined by Intelitics CEO Allan Stone to discuss player acquisition and digital marketing, including: Why Fanatics is top tier at identifying player value Whether sportsbooks truly know a player's value to 80-90% certainty after one bet Tips for growing reach on LinkedIn

Host Brad Allen is joined by White Hat Studios CEO Andy Whitworth to discuss: White Hat's rise to the top of the Eilers-Fantini Online Game Performance Database slots GGR rankings What Andy learned from his days as an operator at GVC His mysterious bet with FanDuel casino MD Asaf Nofield  

Host Brad Allen is joined by EKG director of product analysis Jimmy Neilly to discuss his initial impressions of the DraftKings and Fanatics prediction markets products, including How they compare to each other and incumbents like Kalshi Whether they feel more like trading or betting apps