Casino gaming and sports betting companies have adapted to the enormous changes the Internet has ushered in over the last 25 years. While some of the more traditional providers may have been slower on the uptake and not wanted to address just how much the industry was changing, several key figures have collectively created the new landscape as we see it today.
The most influential figures in iGaming identified that the market was about to witness a generational change and that users would migrate en masse from land-based providers to digital services.
The current gambling market has digital sports betting and online casino table games at the nucleus of their service. There’s such a range of demand and interest that growing subsidiary markets have sprouted up.This includes those who have been in the iGaming industry, with combined decades of experience, ranking their top-rated games—such as askgamblers.com/casino-games/table—and combining their knowledge and experience to categorize those platforms they believe offer that extra bit of quality and service.
Although dozens of people within the gambling world have helped the market become a multi-billion-dollar entity within a very short timeframe, a cluster of individuals spring to mind as a cut above the rest—those who have caused a permanent and significant change in the industry and left their mark on it.
Denise Coates
Not only is Denise Coates one of the most influential figures in iGaming, but she is also arguably the most influential female figure in the industry’s history. She became the first female billionaire to emerge from iGaming, and it was recently revealed that she is now Britain’s wealthiest woman.
As the figurehead for Bet365, one of the world’s biggest sports betting and online casino companies, Denise oversaw the process that went from their land-based operations—including operating from a van and going from town to town—to the digital revolution that occurred in the early 2000s. She understood that the market’s future would be online and ensured the company was there to pick up the lion’s share of the UK market.
However, having also innovated in many other ways, including the two-goal automatic payout—now standard practice for all the top sportsbooks—and odds boosts—which are prevalent throughout the industry—few names within the business can match her level of influence or success. Other influential female figures in the iGaming world include Jette Nygaard-Andersen, who oversees Bwin and Coral, and Amy Howe, the CEO of FanDuel.
Fred Done
The UK is a hotbed of influential iGaming figures due to several factors. One key reason is that the country’s regulations allow a smooth transition for betting providers who want to switch from land-based operations to online facilities.
Taking a walk down any high street in the UK shows just how prevalent gambling is in the culture. However, given that the UK was the first country to completely change its gambling legislation to accommodate the rise of online gambling in the mid-2000s, some of the most influential figures in the UK iGaming world quickly became some of the most important players on an international level, too.
Fred Done has over 50 years of experience in gambling but pioneered iGaming. He became the first company to offer early payouts in online sports betting markets when he paid out early on anyone who bet on Manchester United to win the 1998 Premier League and invested millions in moving his businesses online.
Stephen Crystal
Hopping across the pond, Stephen Crystal is another name that stands out as one of the most influential in iGaming. He has been involved in the industry for over 30 years, overseeing multi-billion-dollar takeovers and being the CEO of many prominent US iGaming companies.
Stephen’s vision has helped to create a more open discussion and legislative mood regarding online gambling, and while he might not be known for pioneering one landmark company in the way Denise Coates and Fred Done have, his influence, especially in North America, is amongst any of the top names.
Teddy Sagi
Sagi’s influence in iGaming is undeniable as the face of Playtech, a company that is deep-rooted in the technology that drives many of the underlying foundations of live casino table gaming, as well as designing some of the world’s most successful slot games.
The Israeli billionaire splits his time between London and Dubai and is one of the wealthiest people in the gambling industry. He founded Playtech in the late 1990s when few people were gambling on the idea of digital casinos and sportsbooks becoming as big as they now are.
Final Thoughts
With the benefit of hindsight, making a move online was the obvious play. The digital world continues to be so influential in shaping our wider society, from how we shop to remote working, which millions more of us now do.
The key difference is that the people we have discussed today could find ways to integrate their businesses online much earlier than others in the gambling realm. In 2024, iGaming is the dominant force in gambling. Still, back when Fred Done and Denise Coates were reshaping their business models to cater to online customers, the market was nowhere near as popular or readily available as it is today.
All the names we’ve touched on today have been instrumental in shepherding the industry into a digital-centric world. At the same time, there’s a clear influence from the wider culture, which has resulted in much cheaper smartphones, better Internet connectivity, and legislators who have been more willing to accommodate iGaming companies.
Many of the people we have discussed today were opening up their businesses and investing heavily when none of these factors were in play, which perfectly sums up why they are amongst the most influential figures in iGaming. Sure, it’s obvious now, and any casino or sportsbook looking to launch in 2024 must have some online facility—back when these figures were taking the risk, the landscape was entirely different, which is why they have emerged as the biggest winners from the industry as we see it today.
