Launched in June of 2020, The Long Con represents CalvinAyre.com’s equivalent to a podcast, but with an added bonus of a video with polished visuals for those who like to watch while they listen. These longer interviews allow us to explore topics beyond the usual gambling industry material, including but not limited to lifestyle, health & wellness, fitness, executive coaching, charity, futurism and innovation.
While we’re just getting our feet wet with this type of content, we’ve had some outstanding personalities join us on the show so far, with the top 10 most viewed Long Cons listed below. Thank you to all of our Long Con interviewees this year and if you’ve got an interesting professional or topic you’d like to see on the show in 2021, please do get in touch!
10: Jesper Kärrbrink offers new predictions for a COVID world
Jesper Kärrbrink of Green Jade Games, formerly of Mr. Green, is an outstanding speaker and someone who is not afraid to say what’s on his mind, no matter how controversial it may be. In this Long Con episode, Kärrbrink dives into the state of the iGaming industry in the midst of a pandemic, shares some predictions for the future and some insights on how professionals in our space can stay on top of their health and wellbeing.
9: Rasmus Sojmark sees opportunities in online events
Event organizing companies in our space were and still are some of the hardest hit during the pandemic, forced to shift from in-person to digital pretty much overnight. In this episode of The Long Con, Rasmus Sojmark of SBC takes us through his journey this year, revealing SBC’s greatest wins and biggest challenges in these uncertain times. Sojmark also shares how his organization plans to tackle 2021, along with some predictions on how the event space will change.
8: Earle G Hall on the coming surge of cashless casinos
Earle G. Hall, CEO of AXES.ai and chair of the GSA Blockchain Group, is always so fascinating to listen to, especially when it comes to ground-breaking technology and a vision of what the future holds. In this interview, Hall talks on his transition from a jet-setting to sedentary life, what impact COVID is having on the land-based gambling industry, a movement towards cashless casinos, how blockchain fits into the picture and lessons learned in 2020, both from an economical and societal point of view.
7: Blaine Graboyes is giving casinos a way to monetize sports
As the inventor of “video game gambling”, Blaine Graboyes of GameCo is at the forefront of innovating to attract the younger generation of gamblers. With a focus on the regulated U.S. market, Graboyes sees huge opportunities in betting on esports and explains in this interview how such betting can be monetized. He also goes on to explain just how huge esports has become and why its so appealing to millennials.
6: Steve Donoughue on the forces of UK gambling regulation
As you can see from his expression in the screengrab of our interview at the link above, Steve Donoughue is quite a personality in our space, with political views that he is most certainly not afraid of sharing. In this episode of The Long Con, we dive into the proposed gambling industry restrictions within the U.K., put forth in an effort to prevent problem gambling. Donoughue also provides some background into the politics behind gambling rules and regulations in the U.K., delivered in a way that is certainly entertaining, to say the least!
5: Brett Abarbanel discusses UNLV gambling study findings
How Vegas casinos are going to deal with the ongoing pandemic, namely the social restrictions imposed to reduce the spread, has been a huge topic of discussion this year. In this episode of The Long Con, Brett Abarbanel, Director of Research at UNLV revealed the results of a customer safety study conducted with the help of KPMG. The study uncovered five safety points that customers care about most and Abarbanel also talks on customer views towards mandatory masks and a shift from land-based to online play.
4: Dr. Agne Matulaite looks at the psychology of COVID-19
This interview with Dr. Agne Matulaite covers a topic that is often overlooked in a sea of news surrounding COVID case numbers and the crumbling economies around the world- our mental health and wellbeing in a time of COVID. To help us all understand what we’re going through, Dr. Matulaite explained why the unknown makes us feel so anxious, why staying away from the news can help, how leaders can support their teams from a psychological point of view, along with some silver linings too.
3: Former William Hill CEO Ralph Topping forecasts sportbettings future
Ralph Topping is one of the ultimate legends in the sports betting space, having served as William Hill’s CEO for a number of years and now serving as Chairman of the Board to CIS-facing SuperBet. In this episode of The Long Con, Topping shares the story of how he discovered the sports betting industry and fell in love with it, what it was like getting William Hill to go online, his relationship with Playtech executives, the opportunity in sportsbetting for the U.S., hiring for the top from within and so much more.
2: Erik Bergman and the importance of charity
We’ve had the pleasure of welcoming Erik Bergman as a guest on The Long Con twice since its inception, the only interviewee who has come back a second time. Bergman also represents our only interviewee thus far who has discussed the importance of charity at length, explaining to our audience why and how he has decided to dedicate so much of his time and money to amazing causes such as global warming. In this episode in particular, Bergman reveals his plans behind Great.com, his general view on charity and talks about his background as a professional in the iGaming affiliate space.
1: Nick Garner looks to history for answers
Turns out the most viewed Long Con of the year was also the first one! In this “pilot” episode we welcomed Nick Garner, a professional who has been featured on CalvinAyre.com a number of times, talking on subjects such as SEO, Bitcoin casinos, wellness and more. In this interview, Garner shares a number of insights into how COVID will impact our economy both present and future, his views on the “death” of high street retail, an analysis of historical trends and a general shift to working remotely vs. from an office.
