On this episode of the Business of Betting podcast, Jason is joined by Katie Bo Lillis, CNN intelligence reporter and author of Death of a Racehorse: An American Story.
Hear them discuss:
01:06 – Katie’s rural upbringing and start at the racetrack
02:28 – From walking hots to bloodstock reporting in Saratoga
03:10 – Thoroughbreds, quarter horses, and racing’s breed confusion
04:21 – How horse racing thrives globally in Ireland and Hong Kong
05:13 – Racing’s financial dependence on gambling and takeout
07:06 – Parimutuel betting, field sizes, and why it still matters
08:28 – Why racing can’t build stars like Formula 1 does
10:05 – Short careers and shifting allegiances hurt fan engagement
12:13 – Flightline and the business logic behind early retirements
13:33 – Breeding economics: 200 mares at $250k per stallion
15:27 – The rising tension between tradition and modernization
19:19 – The central ethical dilemma: horse fatalities and public trust
24:06 – Why catastrophic leg injuries mean euthanasia
25:59 – Sudden deaths, arrhythmias, and unknown causes
28:30 – The Baffert controversy and thyroid drug concerns
30:20 – Breakdowns and the real welfare crisis in racing
34:50 – Overbreeding from flawed sires: risks to the sport
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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.
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40:14
E245 - Matthew Trenhaile (re-release)
We're bringing back one of our all-time most popular episodes for a special re-release!
Originally aired last year, this conversation with Matthew Trenhaile was a fan favorite. Matthew is one of the sharpest minds in the sports betting world, and his insights into exchanges, market making, and the future of the industry are as relevant today as they were then.
Hear them discuss:
02:41 – The Smarkets origin story, and why Jason thought an exchange was needed
08:59 – How Smarkets almost became a social betting platform, and the role that social features play in the exchange experience
13:30 – The Betfair API, developer ecosystems, and why Smarkets currently operates as a "closed garden" platform
22:11 – The backstory of how Smarkets came to be its own market maker, and the challenges that came with that
29:49 – Whether the value proposition of exchanges will ever become broadly appealing to recreational bettors
37:58 – The allure of pivoting to B2B for exchanges and syndicates
47:45 – The challenges of offering political betting markets
52:50 – Trading on Betfair in the early days
61:25 – What Matthew wants to be when he grows up
⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X
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⚡️ Apply to be a guest here
---
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:07:58
E244 - Thomas McGrath from TXODDS
On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason is joined by Thomas McGrath, Chief Revenue Officer at TXODDS.
Hear them discuss:
01:29 - The founding story of TXODDS and its early product evolution
02:57 - Jason’s experience using TXODDS as a customer
04:06 - The role of TXODDS in data origination and live scouting
05:16 - Addressing historical issues with soft pricing and long-tail market coverage
06:10 - How TXODDS approaches market coverage and their Fusion feed upgrade
08:51 - Improvements in user interface and the shift away from Java-based tools
12:00 - Ethical data collection practices and how TXODDS handles scraping
12:52 - Thomas’s vision for TXODDS over the next decade
14:11 - Why TXODDS chose to originate college sports data
15:30 - Details of their live scouting operations and staff scale-up
17:39 - Future plans for expanding into other sports
19:48 - How legacy systems impact the evolution of data services
21:01 - Thomas’s hopes for the near-term future of the industry
22:26 - Jason and Thomas on the future of horse racing
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---
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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26:27
E243 - Office Hours with Jason
On this episode of the Business of Betting Podcast, Jason returns for another Office Hours session, answering listener questions and reflecting on Smarkets’ journey, product-market fit, and the future of U.S. regulation.
Hear him discuss:
03:00 – Lessons from building a global trading platform
04:50 – What Jason would’ve done differently with Smarkets
08:40 – Why sports betting should be separate from casino
10:40 – Ethics of limiting sharp bettors
13:00 – How his leadership style has evolved over time
16:30 – Why Smarkets won’t pursue the sweepstakes model in the U.S.
⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X
⚡️ Watch BoB on Youtube
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⚡️ Apply to be a guest here
---
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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19:06
E242 - Roger Ehrenberg from Eberg Capital
On this episode of the Business of Betting podcast, Jason is joined by Roger Ehrenberg, founder of Eberg Capital and a seasoned investor with a background in Wall Street and venture capital.
Hear them discuss:
05:43 - From Wall Street to sports: Jason’s trading roots and the power of price in investing
07:06 - Roger’s seed investing strategy: founders, pricing, and the long game in sports
09:58 - Luck, skill, or timing? Unpacking Roger’s unicorn wins in sports and beyond
12:32 - High stakes, big rewards: Roger’s concentrated approach to sports investing
15:00 - Gritty founders in sports: lessons from Jason’s Deliveroo misstep
17:05 - Spotting sports founders with passion and proven excellence
21:39 - The psychology of sports founders: predicting resilience in high-pressure moments
24:09 - Sports as social glue: Roger’s vision for fandom in a fragmented world
26:22 - Live sports vs. short attention spans: the battle for fan engagement
29:36 - Emerging sports and gaming: where fandom meets the future
31:14 - MLB’s turnaround: rule changes and the quest for younger fans
32:32 - Inside Roger’s sports portfolio: Marlins, Real Salt Lake, and Alpine F1
37:38 - Sports betting as social currency: tying fans together through wagers
41:18 - Fixing sports betting’s financial game: why it lags and how to catch up
43:01 - Navigating chaos: Roger’s advice for sports founders in uncertain times
⚡️ Follow BoB on Twitter/X
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⚡️ Apply to be a guest here
---
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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