NEXT.io Podcast

• Valentina Diaco: These Are the iGaming Companies Getting AI Right

  🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #255 with Valentina Diaco, Founder at Profit Matches. AI has officially moved beyond hype. In 2025, it’s reshaping iGaming in real, tangible ways — from CRM and engagement to compliance, marketing, content creation, safe gambling, and game development.In this episode, Valentina Diaco, one of the industry's most respected marketing and AI strategists, breaks down 10 AI companies that are already transforming iGaming today.⏰ Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:23 - Sponsors message02:09 - Welcoming Valentina & Profit Matches04:52 - What AI Match is and why she built it06:00 - Where AI in iGaming stands today09:12 - AI: the real value is what you do with it11:17 - Why AI fails in companies12:30 - AI-to-AI economy & the future of data infrastructure15:14 - AI agents & conversational interfaces18:10 - The 10 AI companies reshaping iGaming19:09 - Golden Whale: AI for UA, retention & bonus orchestration23:40 - Field Stream AI: profitability engine for marketers27:51 - Text.com AI: customer support & proactive assistance33:15 - Let’s .IO: regulatory intelligence for compliance38:11 - Gamblitude: AI-powered BI & data warehouse41:58 - MaxFusion: AI content & UGC generation46:47 - Mindway AI: responsible gambling detection51:00 - insightplay.ai: conversational betting assistant53:37 - Xenia AI: game development & personalisation56:28 - Bettor Faster AI: development & automation agency58:20 - Why companies resist AI adoption01:00:16 - Biggest blockers: lack of capacity & too many tools01:07:01 - The real cultural barrier01:10:16 - The future: smaller, smarter, AI-native companies🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTYoutube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo43Fota-gt1sMzujpavaGmRbTiRXETKE&si=R7VbrUspVkL1JyoxCONNECT WITH NEXT.IO✩ Website - https://next.io/This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by:Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology.https://pragmatic.solutions/Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider.https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/Sponsored by:Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

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• Emilie Jirsch: Creating a world-class brand via the Cool Shit Budget

  🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #254 with Emilie Jirsch, CMO at Dabble. Dabble has become one of the fastest-growing betting brands on the planet — not by outspending competitors, but by out-innovating them with community, culture, and entertainment-first marketing.In this episode, Emilie Jirsch, CMO at Dabble, reveals how the purple brand went from a small NSW startup to 1 million+ active customers, explosive US growth, and global expansion across Australia, the US, and the UK.⏰ Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:29 - Sponsor message01:50 - Welcoming Emilie Jirsch, CMO at Dabble02:21 - How Dabble started 04:45 - Launching in Australia & hitting 1M active customers06:03 - Product differentiation & brand awareness07:09 - The “purple cow theory” explained 08:32 - Dabble’s growth strategy11:23 - Creating talkable moments that build brand memory13:22 - Moderators, culture, and self-policing communities15:10 - $1M Hole-in-One PGA activation: the story behind it17:00 - The true definition of disruptive brand marketing20:49 - The “cool sh*t budget” explained24:01 - Launching in the US through DFS 29:08 - Why the US embraced Dabble instantly33:00 - Competitors 36:25 - Inside Dabble’s internal culture40:06 - What’s next: UK launch, Ireland license, expansion41:54 - Final thoughts 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTYoutube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo43Fota-gt1sMzujpavaGmRbTiRXETKE&si=jDpUksylKP-4_8T0CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO✩ Website - https://next.io/This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by:Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology.https://pragmatic.solutions/Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider.https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/Sponsored by:Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

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• Tom Wood: How Operators Should Think About Game Studios

  🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #253 with Tom Wood, CEO of RAW iGamingRAW iGaming calls itself “the pink shark in a sea of sameness.”In this episode, CEO Tom Wood joins Pierre Lindh to break down the realities of innovating in an industry releasing 18 new slot games per day and why true originality is harder (and riskier) than it looks.If you want to understand the future of game development in iGaming, this one is essential.⏰ Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:29 - Sponsors Message01:49 - Welcome Tom Wood, CEO of RAW iGaming02:30 - The mission behind RAW04:36 - “The pink shark in a sea of sameness” explained06:07 - Why most studios copy07:05 - 600 new games released in Sweden in one month10:06 - Competing in a market flooded with studios12:53 - How RAW gets operators’ attention18:07 - RAW’s innovation pillars: slots, arcade & Yahtzee28:23 - Innovation in live gaming30:26 - Game’s success: quality vs. positioning33:27 - The risk: AI lobbies might hide innovative games38:11 - Designing for local vs. global audiences42:16 - The next breakout hit: simple, unexpected, left-field innovation45:14 - How AI may reshape game production itself47:11 - RAW’s ambition: becoming a Tier-1 supplier🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo43Fota-gt1sMzujpavaGmRbTiRXETKECONNECT WITH NEXT.IO✩ Website - https://next.io/This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by:Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology.https://pragmatic.solutions/Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider.https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/Sponsored by:Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

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• Tim Heath: Yolo's Strategic Shift to Regulation

  🎙 NEXT.io Podcast #252 with Tim Heath, CEO and Founder at Yolo Group.Yolo Group has made one of the boldest moves in iGaming history — exiting grey markets entirely to pursue a regulated future.In this episode, Tim Heath joins Pierre Lindh to reveal the inside story behind Yolo’s transformation: why the company walked away from massive revenue, what the new UAE gaming license means, and how Yolo plans to bridge the gap between crypto, regulation, and entertainment.⏰ Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:23 - Sponsors message01:39 - Welcoming Tim Heath02:03 - Why Yolo decided to exit grey markets07:36 - The tightening of global enforcement and regulation10:56 - Yolo’s new B2B licenses in the UAE explained16:05 - Restarting Yolo: redefining focus and efficiency22:04 - Building a 360° player experience and hybrid casino model24:49 - Facing financial risk and the courage to rebuild27:34 - “Spring cleaning” the business and cutting organizational fat31:17 - Leading regulators toward crypto innovation33:41 - Why regulation must evolve with technology35:31 - Why the UAE is a perfect testbed for regulated crypto gaming41:06 - How the UAE licensing model may work (one per Emirate)48:08 - Yolo’s five-year vision: becoming the “Blackstone of iGaming”51:33 - The courage to pivot and restart55:55 - The future of wallets, payments, and hybrid player experience58:21 - Yolo’s new AI-driven social sports betting concept01:01:35 - Tim on Yolo’s next chapter and future in regulation🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTYouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo43Fota-gt1sMzujpavaGmRbTiRXETKE&si=0vgjHyIuWQbblEY4 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-io-podcast/id1515442333CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO✩ Website - https://next.io/This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by:Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology.https://pragmatic.solutions/Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider.https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/Sponsored by:Creedroomz - https://www.creedroomz.com/

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• NEXT In-Depth: Markets react to Playtech/Evolution bombshell

  NEXT.io News Editor Conor Mulheir is joined by Head of Investigative Content Zak Thomas-Akoo and Regulus Partners’ Paul Leyland, for a blow-by-blow account of how public markets and the wider iGaming industry reacted to the explosive news that Playtech was behind an attempted takedown of Evolution. On 21 October, it was finally revealed that the entity behind a short seller report, produced by investigative firm Black Cube in an attempt to take down Evolution, was industry competitor Playtech. After a complex and years-long legal battle to reveal the name behind the report, Evolution finally succeeded and uncovered Playtech as the entity responsible. So, what happens next? For Evolution, Playtech, and the broader industry, the impact of the news is sure to have a lasting impact. Tune in to get the latest!

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