iGamingLeader.com

As a leader in iGaming, you face decisions they can't use ChatGPT for.

When you're running P&L for a £100M+ business, managing regulatory changes across 12 jurisdictions, or navigating a potential acquisition, you can't ask AI what to do. 

You need peers who've been there.

I'm Leo Judkins, and after 15 years in iGaming leadership, I created The iGaming Leader mastermind because the industry's most experienced executives were making critical decisions in isolation.

The Reality:
- Your biggest challenges require context, not content
- Generic business advice doesn't account for regulatory complexity
- You can't discuss sensitive strategic decisions with your team
- Industry conferences are for sales, not solving real problems

What We Solve:
Complex strategic challenges that require human judgement:
- Regulatory strategy across multiple markets
- M&A due diligence and integration
- Crisis management and reputational risk
- Building high-performance teams in a regulated environment
- Navigating political and compliance pressures

Who We Work With:
VPs, Directors, Founders, and C-suite executives from Flutter, Entain, bet365, Evolution, and 50+ other iGaming companies. All with 15+ years experience leading teams of 20-100+ people.

How It Works:
Weekly mastermind sessions with 4-6 vetted peers, expert workshops, quarterly meetups at major conferences. <10% acceptance rate ensures every conversation raises the bar.

Some problems require industry expertise, not life coaching.

Ready for the strategic conversation you've been missing?

Founder @ iGamingLeader.com | Vetted Mastermind for iGaming Leaders

BetVictor

Promoted to Director at 33. Youngest in company history. But the first revenue meeting was brutal:

"Leo, can you explain the bonus costs on our P&L?"

I panicked.

• Did bonuses come off NGR when wagering or when lost?
• How did it work with deposit bonuses vs sportsbook?
• What about credited but unused bonuses?

I had no idea. And nowhere to run. Surely, a Director of Retention should know this...
I felt like a fraud.

• I couldn't find it on Google
• I couldn't ask the team because I'd look like an idiot
• And I had no one to talk to outside the company that I trusted

That's the first time the idea for the iGaming Leader Mastermind sparked.

I needed a room with trusted peers.

Since then, it's happened dozens of times. Complex strategic decisions that required outside experience, not frameworks. Nuances that weren't in any playbook. Crisis situations where the stakes were too high for guesswork.

Over the next 8 years, I proved I belonged in that director role:
- Built BetVictor's entire bonus engine and marketing automation platform from scratch
- Replaced Optimove with our own in-house CRM platform for segmentation and campaiging
- Led CRM teams across multiple continents and dozens of languages
- Drove our transformation from B2C operator to B2B platform provider

But those moments of strategic isolation never stopped.

That's why I left to build The iGaming Leader mastermind. The trusted peer group I wished existed when I was that panicked 33-year-old director.

Because some problems require human judgement and industry context, not ChatGPT.

Director of Retention Marketing

Telefónica Digital

We saved £3M by getting customers to help each other.

Led O2 UK's peer-to-peer support community where customers solved each other's problems before calling support. In 12 months, we significantly reduced inbound calls and saved £3M in operational costs.

This role proved something crucial: the right people in the right room can solve problems faster than any system or process.

That insight became the foundation for everything I built later, including The iGaming Leader mastermind.

Head of Community Management

PokerStrategy.com

This is where my iGaming journey began.

I started as a Dutch Community Manager. Left leading international operations across 19 languages and many more territories.

Helped scale PokerStrategy from startup to global leader:
- 6.5 million members across 19 languages
- 400+ employees + thousands of freelancers
- $24 million annual profit

Led cross-cultural teams through rapid expansion and navigated the industry crisis of Black Friday—including managing necessary restructuring across multiple regions.

My first lesson in how high-stakes decisions require trusted advisors who understand the context.

Head of Regional Business Units

Smits Communications

Promoted to General Manager at 22, leading teams and P&L responsibility while most peers were still in university.

Learned early lessons about sustainable leadership under pressure that would shape my approach to helping senior executives balance high performance with long-term effectiveness.

The foundation for understanding how ambitious leaders can achieve more without sacrificing everything.

General Manager

The higher you climb in iGaming, the lonelier it gets.

You make decisions you cannot discuss.

• Your friends don't understand
• Your partner doesn't want to hear it
• Your employees would freak out if they knew

And the problem is, network conferences are for sales, industry memberships are shallow, and coaches lack industry understanding.

I'm Leo Judkins, Founder of The iGaming Leader - a vetted mastermind where senior iGaming executives solve problems they can't use ChatGPT for.

After 15 years in gaming leadership and working with 300+ executives, I discovered the real problem isn't capacity - it's isolation. You need peers who understand your context, not generic business advice.

The iGaming Leader is for:
✅ VPs, Directors, Founders in iGaming (15+ years experience)
✅ Leaders managing teams of 20-100+ people
✅ Executives tired of carrying strategic challenges alone
✅ High performers ready for confidential peer discussions

NOT for:
❌ Junior or mid-level managers
❌ People seeking surface-level networking
❌ Anyone who can't maintain strict confidentiality

What you get:
• Weekly mastermind sessions with 4-6 vetted peers in rotating groups
• Expert workshops from industry veterans on strategic challenges
• Quarterly meetups at major conferences (Malta, London, Barcelona, Lisbon)
• <10% acceptance rate ensures quality conversations
• Strictly confidential environment for sensitive discussions

We've worked with senior leaders from Flutter, Entain, Bet365, PokerStars, and 50+ other iGaming companies.

Some problems require human judgement, industry context, and trusted peers - not algorithms.

Ready for the conversation you've been missing?

Apply at iGamingLeader.com/apply

Just rewatched the podcasts with 6 people involved in SBC Boxing. Here's what they've been through:
 
Rob went from drinking every night, ashamed to take his shirt off on the beach, to running ultra marathons (actually doing one today!) and thriving as a CEO.
 
Roger dropped 21kg after he couldn't run after his kids anymore. Waist size 44 to 36.
 
Lee had many friends take their own lives. Diagnosed with PTSD. Struggled with alcoholism. Now he's organising this event.
 
Daniel was adopted from birth. His brother went to drugs and alcohol. Dan went to sport and adrenaline. Both coping with the same trauma. He's organising too.
 
Lex worked every waking hour, drawing from an empty well, almost gave up, to finding peace for the first time in 18 years.
 
Me? Overcame burnout twice, drank every night and lost 35kgs to now helping others find their way too.

That bell in March will mean so much for all of us.

Leo Judkins

Mastermind for iGaming C-suite, VPs & Directors | For the conversations you can’t have anywhere else | Apply → iGamingLeader.com

Pierre Lindh⚡️joins us today. One of the most likeable and charismatic founders in the industry.

Topic: How to build deep, trust-based relationships. 
Taking networking at conferences to the next level.

Fireside chat. Strictly confidential.
 
Looking forward to it.

Just realised I've worked with half the people involved in the SBC boxing event I'm fighting at.
 
Coached Lee, Lex, Ben and Rob.
Had Daniel and Roger on the podcast.
 
Messaged Dan: 
"So cool how small the industry is."
 
He said:
"Maybe not a small industry. 
More a narrow lane of like-minded individuals."
 
He's right.

I learned this the hard way. 
At 33, as a director at BetVictor, I couldn't tie my shoelaces. 

I was drinking too much. Brain fried every night. Just had my first son and thought I wouldn't see him grow up.

When I started taking one hour per week for the gym, I found time I didn't know I had. 

Problems got solved faster. Work wasn't that heavy any more.

You don't create more time by working harder. You win it back by taking better care of yourself.

That's why I built iGaming Leader, so iGaming executives don't have to figure it out alone like I did.

Huge thanks to Narcis for the conversation.

Interviewing the greatest people in the online casino industry | Historical data about iGaming | iGaming History

What is the most common lie that iGaming execs tell themselves?

Leo Judkins: "It's going to get better after X.

After the next project, after the next deadline, after the next quarter, after the next it'll get better. 

This is just temporary. When we look back, we all know it's not temporary. 

When we tell ourselves that lie, that there's never enough time to do the things that we need to do, that's the thing we've gotta break."

Took a full day off on Friday. First one since starting the business 5 years ago, I think…

Kids in school. No meetings. No obligations. Just… nothing.

10am workout and sea swim. Met a friend. Picked up rugby coaching kit. Got the car serviced. 

The things you never make time for.

Felt weird. But so good.

Funny how the thing I tell Mastermind members is the thing I’m worst at doing myself.

Alex Windsor his wife nearly had a heart attack.

Because he thinks about work 24/7. Works every holiday.

So when he told her he's not taking his laptop on holiday in December, she nearly collapsed.

No one told him to "work smarter, not harder."

But inside his Inner Circle, five other iGaming Leaders showed him how to delegate the work he's held onto forever.

Mastermind taster session with iGB Executive later today. Slight complication though...

My son's sitting in the corner of the office.
Headache. Had to pick him up from school.
 
Life of an expat parent.

I’ll be stepping in the ring as 1 of 12 fighters at the SBC Charity Boxing Championship in March.

Proud to be selected. Nervous as hell.

A year ago, a rugby injury forced me to stop playing. Gained weight I’d worked hard to lose. 
Scared I’d slip back to dark days I’d left behind.
Couldn’t find my mojo. Felt lost.

Until I joined one of Lee McFarland his sessions in Malta. That was the spark. Got a boxing coach. Started training. Found my fire again.

Then spoke to Daniel Beard to see if we could make it happen.  

And here we are. It’s now starting to get real. 

After a call with the organisers, my opponent even messaged:

“Hey mate, looking forward to the big fight. Just wanted to say hello and say I’m excited to have a scrap.”

Super cool. That’s what’s it’s about. 
Two blokes stepping up. For a good cause. With respect.

27 March 2026. 
London Hilton on Park Lane. 
For Oliver’s Wish Foundation.

Let’s go.

🥊 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗕𝗖 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲! 🥊

We’re teaming up once again with Oliver's Wish Foundation to bring you the third edition of this knockout night, landing on 27 March 2026 at the iconic London Hilton on Park Lane.

Get ready as 12 industry contenders lace up their gloves and go toe-to-toe under the lights — joined by celebrity hosts and a crowd of 500+ guests, all swinging together for an incredible cause. 🔥

We’re delivering the full ringside experience: a champagne reception, a 3-course dinner, and complimentary drinks all night — the perfect combination of entertainment, atmosphere, and top-tier networking. 🥂

The lineup of all 12 fighters will be announced soon — keep your guard up. 👀

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 ⬇️
https://lnkd.in/g82PDs7

We’d like to thank Daniel Beard, Partner at Partis Capital, Rob Dowling, Founder and CEO at the Conexus Group & Lee McFarland, Founder of Beyond the Gloves and Jon Arnold, CEO at Arnold Ash Group, for helping organise this fantastic event to raise money for the Oliver's Wish Foundation and these fantastic charities: Chestnut Tree House, Cystic Fibrosis Trust & SUDC UK.

#sbcevents #SBCCharityBoxingChampionship #OliversWishFoundation #Charity

"When you're in a senior position, it's lonely"

That's what Ben Davies told me earlier today. 
He shared his experience on the Mastermind.

Because someone he trusted had told him:
Don't open up about your problems
 
Advice that set him back years.

Ben joined the Mastermind because he was tired of figuring everything out alone. House renovation, new baby, launching a business, trying to stay healthy.

All while thinking he had to have all the answers.

Now he has 5 other iGaming Leaders who get it in his Inner Circle. Who hold him accountable. Who he can actually talk to without the performance.

The loneliness at senior levels is real.
Because the higher you go
The fewer peers you have.

Mark Schmidt’s episode was our most listened to this year. 311% more plays than average.

We’ve been mates for years. 
Online mostly though.

From well before I even started the mastermind.

We check in on each other on WhatsApp. Had a quick wave at SBC Lisbon. He said it was his favourite wave of the conference 😂.

Talk rubbish about rugby (although I haven’t mentioned THAT thumb yet).

All round great bloke.

So I’m proud this one connected with people.

Dropped my son at breakdancing. Had an hour to kill so I'm sat in the car editing a testimonial I just filmed.
 
One of the members told me this story:
 
At his work Christmas party, a colleague he'd worked with for 10 years walked up and said: "You look like you're gonna have a heart attack, man."
 
Not "How you doing?" Just straight truth.
 
He knew it was true. He just wasn't expecting someone to say it.
 
He said: "To get that kind of feedback from your peers and to get the truth - that's what you need, right? You don't wanna just live with platitudes."
 
That's what stuck with me while editing.
 
Senior executives don't need cheerleading. They need people who'll tell them the truth.

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Used app blockers to stay off LinkedIn this weekend. Sounds simple. Felt impossible.

Yesterday my daughter sat on my lap and we read BFG. She's 7. She said it was her favourite thing to do. We did it again this morning.

First time in ages I was present enough for it. 
Not mentally distracted. Not rushed. 

Not sure how much longer she'll want to do it.

After coaching 300+ iGaming leaders, I built something I wish existed five years ago.
 
It's called the iGaming Leader Score.
 
The problem: 
You're a VP, director or exec.
Been in iGaming for 15+ years. 
Making big decisions every day.
 
But do you know where you stand? How good you really are? Where you have the biggest opportunity to grow? And how to actually do that.
 
Probably not.

Because most of us are in our own echo chamber. No benchmark. No comparison.
 
So I built one.
 
Takes 5 minutes. You get scored against the 300+ senior leaders I've coached on four pillars:
1) strategic thinking
2) team performance
3) executive presence
4) decision-making
 
Then you get a personalised PDF with your strengths, gaps, and a clear action plan on what to do next.  

Our members took it first.
Feedback: "This is insanely valuable."
 
I've been overthinking it for months. 
But I've had enough. So screw it, it's live.
 
Take it. Tell me what you think.
 
Here's the link: https://lnkd.in/eKDRzPPp

Every casino client fired Bill Pascrell, III (BP3)  after he said he’d bring iGaming to America.

Two years later, he’d done it.

Guy’s a legend.

Full story:
https://lnkd.in/dcmJqQGT

"I fear it's all gonna come crumbling down."
 
Michael Baker-Mosley, CMO at iGP said this on a group call six months ago.
 
Someone else replied:
"That's how I feel every day."
 
Recorded his testimonial yesterday.
The bit that stuck with me:
 
"The shit I had going on 12 months ago is the same shit I've got going on now. I just handle it differently."

Apply to the Mastermind here:
https://lnkd.in/enBQH-MN

We'll run an in-person Mastermind at ICE Barca with our partners iGB Executive.
 
Rosie just emailed all members yesterday.

We ran this session once before. At iGB Live in London. One group got so much value out of it that they even met up again at SBC Lisbon to follow up on what they'd committed to.

We'll be matching people as they come in.
Same level, same challenges.

Drop Rosie a DM if you want in.

Buzzing about this one.

Today, Ashley joined us as Expert Speaker. He said something I can't stop thinking about:
 
"I don't like people being bound by job titles. I hire as pain reliever."
 
When you get more responsibility, do the work first. Only when it gets too heavy, hire to relieve the pain.
 
Simple.

This morning's mastermind chat started with one member sharing their fitness transformation over the past few months, naturally followed by an honest conversation about daily routines, cutting back on drinking, managing conference hangovers, and finding a sustainable approach to staying in shape while travelling for work.

It reminded me why health isn't optional for leaders in iGaming.

Every single person in that thread understood the connection between their physical state and their leadership performance.

Over half of our mastermind members are actively working on health and wellbeing either as their primary or secondary goal. 

That's not a coincidence.

When you're running on poor sleep, too much alcohol, processed food, and dehydration, you might push through for a while. 

But sustainable high performance? That requires taking care of the fundamentals.

The directors, VPs, and C-level executives who consistently perform at the highest level aren't superhuman. 

They've just realised that their energy, mental clarity, and decision-making quality are directly tied to how they treat their bodies.

You don't need to be an Olympic athlete. You just need to be intentional about the basics: movement, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and moderation.

Everything else performs better when you get this right first.

Jovana and I first met in Lisbon. Instant connection. 

We went deep straight away: The isolation at the top, the decisions that weigh on you alone, the version of yourself the world sees versus what you’re actually carrying.

A few weeks later, she publishes an amazing piece for iGamingBusiness: “The hidden weight of leadership.”

It’s raw. 

The post-ICE high followed by a Barcelona police station. The pressure of being CEO. The unspoken rift between you and your team, no matter how hard you try to bridge it. The sacrifices nobody sees.

It is the reality most iGaming leaders live, but rarely talk about.

Next week, our full podcast drops. Jovana opens up even more about what it actually takes to lead at this level. Not the polished LinkedIn version that most CEOs show, the real one.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s just you feeling this way: 

it’s not.

Coming out on Wednesday.

That balance everyone talks about? It doesn't exist.

Next week on the iGaming Leader podcast, Jovana Popovic Canaki, CEO at iGP, gets refreshingly honest about the myth of work-life balance.

She's not just running a company. She's a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend.

And like so many leaders, she faces the daily reality of impossible choices between her work and career, and her personal life.

The pressure to "do it all" is real.
 
Join us next Wednesday as Jovana shares her unfiltered perspective on iGaming leadership.

From being robbed in Barcelona, failing her first MBA exam, and being called "Dragon Lady" to almost crying at an all-hands meeting.

She shares how she went from making cold calls in a freezing basement office to presenting to executive boards of publicly listed companies. 

The doubts, the sacrifices, the moments when finishing an email meant missing her daughter's homework time.

What's your take: does work-life balance exist?

Launched the iGaming Leader Score yesterday. 100+ leaders took it. One question took twice as long as others:
 
"Your biggest client calls during dinner with your family. What do you do?"
 
People genuinely struggled. 
Because it's not theory.
It's Tuesday night.
 
Take yours:
https://lnkd.in/eKDRzPPp

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