Ep. 153: Converting sports fans into sports bettors w/ Tyler Amirault & James White from HotTakes

Ep. 153 features Tyler Amirault and James White from HotTakes, which is the ultimate free-to-play sports betting simulator.   Hear them discuss: How their time at Western University led to HotTakes, starting as a passion project before becoming a full-time venture The idea behind HotTakes—letting sports fans try betting for free, win real cash prizes, and learn without risk Their business model, which monetizes user attention and shares value with players through an affiliate-driven rewards system Why they've been so successful as affiliates at a time when so many other affiliates are struggling The recent launch of their redesigned app as their entry point into the US market Why they believe betting growth comes from new players, not competing for existing high-value bettors How having top industry advisors such as John Gordon, Paris Smith, and Benjie Cherniak has unlocked new opportunities for HotTakes Plans to raise $3M in Series A for user acquisition, key hires, and brand-building   Speaking of the NEXT NYC Summit, capacity is limited and tickets will sell out. Secure yours now and get $200 off your Full Event Pass with code SB2NYC52. Get your ticket here: https://next.io/summits/newyork/#tickets Catch the video version of this episode here.   Learn more 👇 ➡️ HotTakes website  ➡️ Tyler Amirault on Linkedin  ➡️ James White 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.