In this episode of the iGaming Leader, Leo sits down with Fintan Costello, former MD at BonusFinder and current Non-Executive Director at Gambling.com Group. Fintan shares the remarkable journey from launching daring stunts at Paddy Power to scaling an affiliate business through grit, creativity, and relentless execution. The conversation explores entrepreneurship inside and outside the corporate world, leadership lessons from marketing war zones, the truth about exits and earnouts, and what it really means to pursue “Big 2025 Energy.” A must-listen for iGaming professionals seeking resilience, strategic vision, and human depth.GUEST BIO:17 years in the gambling industry but really a marketing nerd at heart. Fintan worked at some of the giants including PaddyPower, PokerStars and Google. Exited Bonusfinder to Gambling.com group where he currently serves as a Non-Executive Director. In his spare time he likes to run really long distances.Key Topics Discussed:00:00 – The iGaming marketing arms race and civilian outsiders04:30 – From Paddy Power stunts to Seal Team Six: Fintan’s first break09:45 – What drives competitiveness and staying power in iGaming14:10 – The zero-to-one obsession: entrepreneurship vs. comfort zones18:40 – Building BonusFinder: from near burnout to acquisition25:00 – The truth behind exits: exhaustion, timing, and what people don’t see30:15 – Adapting after the sale: investing time vs. investing money35:10 – Rediscovering purpose and mentoring new founders38:00 – What “Big 2025 Energy” really means41:30 – Fatherhood, legacy, and designing your best years intentionallyMEMORABLE QUOTES:"Being an affiliate is probably one of the most brutal jobs out there because eat what you kill." "It's like taking a tank to a knife fight. That's what it's like when you’ve done marketing in gambling and move outside the industry.""If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.""I was more excited about my son making the Mario Kart Benelux finals than selling a company.""Parenting is role modelling. If I want him to be the best version of himself, I need to be the best version of myself."IMPORTANT LINKS:Follow with Fintan Costello: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fintancostello/Follow Leo Judkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-judkins/Subscribe to the iGaming Leader newsletter: https://www.igamingleader.com/signup Join the iGaming Leader Mastermind: https://www.igamingleader.com/
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46:13
Who am I when I leave the Company? The Story of Nakeeta Janse van Rensburg
In this episode of iGaming Leader, host Leo Judkins sits down with Nakeeta Janse van Rensburg, former Group CEO of the MEGA Group, co-founder of StratEdge Group, and UK ambassador for Women in Gaming Africa. Nakeeta shares her extraordinary journey through 17 years in iGaming leadership, culminating in her transition to entrepreneurship. The conversation explores leadership, burnout, servant leadership, emotional intelligence, and cultural challenges in corporate environments, offering powerful insights and hard-earned advice for executives navigating rapid growth, health challenges, and the personal cost of high performance in the gaming industry.Guest BioNakeeta has been in the iGaming industry for over 17 years. With her roots in VIP, CRM and customer retention she has worked in almost every department in the B2C and B2B space.After 6 years of running the Ellipse Entertainment/MEGA Group she recently exited and has now co-founded StratEdge Group Inc which offers consulting services for new market entry worldwide, helping businesses navigate the entry without the unnecessary financial burn.Nakeeta serves as the UK Ambassador for women in iGaming Africa and pioneered the 3 pillars of leadership to build strong teams of leaders serving each other.Key Topics Discussed00:00 – When "We're a family" culture becomes toxic02:54 – Building a confident, empowered, global team06:20 – The cost of career growth: imposter syndrome and overwork10:08 – The risks of not setting boundaries from the beginning14:05 – The most important thing you can do for yourself17:04 – Redefining relationships after stepping into leadership20:00 – Coping with isolation at the top23:00 – Sacrifices behind the scenes27:43 – The power and traps of servant leadership38:00 – Finding identity beyond the job title46:15 Launching StratEdge agency and rediscovering purposeMemorable Quotes"Some businesses actually do expect the team to die for the business — and will even use that language.""You have made work non-negotiable, and everything else is negotiable.""Servant leadership isn’t about doing what everyone says — it’s about being courageous for the whole.""I was the job. I wasn't even so much my title — I was the company.""Fear is just a trigger warning system. How you deal with fear is a completely different thing."Important LinksFollow Nakeeta Janse van Rensburg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nakeeta-janse-van-rensburg-mbm-063173195Follow Women in iGaming in Africa on LInkedIn to learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-gaming-africa-orgFollow Leo Judkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-judkins/Subscribe to the iGaming Leader newsletter: https://www.igamingleader.com/signupJoin the iGaming Leader Mastermind: https://www.igamingleader.com/
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51:32
The Real Cost of Always Saying Yes with Frank Op de Woerd
Episode SummaryIn this episode of iGaming Leader, Leo sits down with Frank op de Woerd, co-founder and CEO of CasinoNieuws.nl.Frank shares his journey from bluffing his way into poker journalism to becoming a respected media figure in the Dutch iGaming industry. He opens up about burnout, leadership, the emotional fallout of COVID, and why he walked away from high-status opportunities to start something he could truly believe in.The conversation explores his reflections on poker fame, rebuilding from scratch, setting editorial standards, and staying true to his values in a highly competitive industry.GUEST:Frank op de Woerd discovered poker while studying at Utrecht University in 2005. Though he never turned pro, his passion led him to a role at PokerNews.nl, eventually rising to Head of Content at PokerNews.com.With the Dutch gaming market on the verge of regulation, he co-founded CasinoNieuws.nl, which quickly became one of the largest affiliates in the Netherlands. Frank now serves as CEO of CasinoNieuws.nl, overseeing other leading platforms like OnlineCasinoGround.nl, BesteCasinoBonussen.nl, and GokkastenXL.nl, while also preparing to launch OnlineCasinoUSA.com.He also founded the Online Casino of the Year awards, the most prominent recognition for legal gambling sites in the Netherlands. Key Topics Discussed:00:00 - Welcome to the iGaming Leader Podcast 02:35 - Bluffing His Way into Poker Media 06:22 - Becoming the Face of Dutch Poker 10:04 - Hall of Fame Recognition & Industry Evolution 13:55 - Losing His Job During COVID 18:01 - Starting Over with CasinoNieuws.nl 21:46 - Launching with 1,000+ Articles and No Monetisation 25:40 - The Article That Changed Everything 30:10 - Building Trust and Editorial Integrity 36:08 - Balancing Leadership with Personal Values 41:00 - Advice for Founders and Industry CreatorsMEMORABLE QUOTES:“If you say yes to everything, you're basically saying no to yourself.” “It was terrifying—starting a media company without monetisation or a safety net.” “We didn’t want to be the biggest; we wanted to be the most credible.” “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame didn’t make me feel successful. Starting over did.” “Saying no became my survival skill.”IMPORTANT LINKS:Follow Frank op de Woerd’s work:https://www.casinonieuws.nlcasinozondercruks.nlcasinozondervergunning.nlonlinecasinovanhetjaar.nlFollow Leo Judkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-judkins/Subscribe to the iGaming Leader newsletter: https://www.igamingleader.com/signupJoin the iGaming Leader Mastermind: https://www.igamingleader.com/
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48:58
Hitting Rock Bottom to find his purpose
In this episode of the iGaming Leader, Leo Judkins sits down with John Wright, co-founder of StatsDrone. John shares challenges and tough decisions he faced, almost going bankrupt and starting over with his business, finding his purpose, the role of therapy in his life, and the way he navigated through some professional and personal setbacks.The conversation explores his experiences with public speaking, social media engagement, and ultimately finding sustainable high performance.GUEST:John has been in iGaming for over 20 years as a professional gambler, affiliate manager, casino operator, affiliate and now as an affiliate analytics software builder. On top of being an affiliate coach, he is also on the Board of Trustees at BetBlockerKey Topics Discussed:00:00 Welcome to the iGaming Leader Podcast01:20 John Wright's Journey into iGaming05:59 Finding Purpose and Overcoming Challenges10:57 The Role of Therapy and Personal Growth16:31 Balancing Patience and Agility in Business21:07 The Painful Decision to Relaunch25:05 Business Partnerships31:22 The Highs and Lows of Pitching to Investors36:01 Advice for Aspiring EntrepreneursMEMORABLE QUOTES:“All those previous 20 years they made me better at what I am today.”“You don't realize what we're locking inside ourselves…”“So when I look at people, I try to go a bit deeper and go, I know there's more pain and things that we don't see on the surface”“I believe if I don't do this work, someone else will but if I do this work, I also have an opportunity to do something positive about it”IMPORTANT LINKS:Contact John wright :Follow John Wright on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alwayslookright/Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/affiliate-bi-7063965031784148992/Affiliate BI podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/0nTNXugQTY4Ww8JiSULeiu?si=a5654594f03041a3Follow Leo Judkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-judkins/Subscribe to the iGaming Leader newsletter: https://www.igamingleader.com/signupJoin the iGaming Leader Mastermind: https://www.igamingleader.com/
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38:59
The Hidden Cost of Chasing Success in iGaming
In this episode of iGaming Leader, Leo sits down with Daniel Beard, Partner at Partis Capital and long-time advisor in the gaming industry. Daniel shares a raw and honest reflection on his journey—from adoption trauma and imposter syndrome to leading multimillion-pound deals and founding one of the most community-driven events in iGaming.The conversation explores leadership under pressure, emotional resilience, the real drivers behind burnout, and the surprising role sport, therapy, and charity have played in Daniel’s success. Guest BioDaniel Beard began his career 20 years ago in recruitment at Pentasia. He then transitioned into a commercial role at Openbet, where he played a key role in securing one of their largest clients, Betfair.Following that, Daniel joined Progressplay, a white-label solution provider, helping scale the business from 6 to 64 sites.He later moved to GSI, a casino middleware layer, which was eventually acquired by Push Gaming.Today, Daniel serves as a Partner at Partis Capital, a leading M&A advisory firm in the gaming industry, and is also an active investor across various businesses.Key Topics Discussed00:00 – How adoption trauma impacts business performance07:00 – Breaking imposter syndrome through introspection14:00 – Daniel’s first panic attack in front of a client18:00 – The purpose of Oliver’s Wish Boxing Event22:00 – Re-evaluating life after burnout and loss27:00 – Managing emotional triggers and boundaries32:00 – How not to bully yourselfMemorable Quotes“Before you've even brushed your teeth, you're already bullying yourself.” “Why are you in the room? Why do they believe in you?” “For me, it's all personal. It’s never just business.”Important LinksConnect with Daniel Beardhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/danielbeard/https://oliverswish.org.uk/https://partissolutions.com/Follow Leo Judkins on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/leo-judkinsSubscribe to the iGaming Leader Newsletter: igamingleader.com/signupJoin the iGaming Leader Mastermind: igamingleader.com
The iGaming Leader Podcast with Leo Judkins uncovers the human side of the iGaming industry's most successful leaders. Join us as we explore the untold stories, challenges, and triumphs of the executives shaping one of the world's most dynamic sectors.
Each week, we dive deep into conversations with C-suite leaders, founders, and directors from global betting firms and innovative startups. Our guests share their authentic journey to the top, revealing pivotal career moments, leadership philosophies, and personal strategies for sustainable success in this high-pressure industry.
More than just another business podcast, we focus on the crucial intersection of wellbeing and high performance. Discover how industry leaders maintain peak performance while managing stress, work-life integration, and team dynamics in an industry that never sleeps.
Whether you're an aspiring leader, current executive, or passionate about the iGaming sector, each 30-minute episode delivers actionable insights to help you thrive in this fast-paced environment.
Subscribe now to join a community of high-achieving iGaming professionals committed to making this industry not just successful, but sustainable for its leaders.
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