As ever, huge thanks, virility and blessings bestowed on our benevolent sponsors Optimove and Clarion Gaming. We love you bigly.

In a side-step from the norm, Fintan and Jon discuss the news among themselves, focussing mainly on recent events around Bally’s, the Chicago casino plan, and a potential takeover, and also a lawsuit being brought against AC gambling resorts for alleged price collusion. We also discuss various topics including Easter celebrations, the challenges of being a parent, the high severance packages of top executives, and more. We also explore the idea of joint ventures between online operators and land-based casinos, why they might or might not work, Bally’s high debt and what it means going forward; the potential sale of GameSys, and sport stadiums in Chicago. We also touch on the role of algorithms in AI and the gambling industry, and the marketing strategies of gambling companies, the importance of transparency and accountability in algorithmic decision-making, car bumper stickers and niche clothing. It’s everything you could want and more.

Some choice quotes from the episode:

• "I paid a fortune in therapy to learn what you've just done automatically as a nine-year-old."
• "For that kind of money, you could give me whatever nickname you wanted. Who's the real winner here?"
• "This must be what it's like to be one of your nipples. I feel so dirty."
• "Cash is king. You can't be bleeding cash if you've got a ton of debt."
• "If they're not having those conversations already, they are mental."
• "The problem with AI is even the AI companies don't really understand how the algorithm works."

This podcast is presented by Optimove, which is used by 56% of the EGR Power50 to personalize player experiences. Visit Optimove here for more info, not least because it helps to support independent podcasts like ours. Go on, click it! Find out! It’s awesome.