iGaming Academy CEO Derek Hansen Discusses the Future of the Gaming Industry

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the podcast. Today I have a very special guest with me. His name is Derek Hansen. He's the CEO of a company called 'iGaming Academy'. Derek, welcome to the podcast.

[00:00:12] Speaker 2: Thank you very much. It's great to be here.

[00:00:14] Speaker 1: So, Derek, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background and how you got started in the gaming industry?

[00:00:21] Speaker 2: Sure. So, I've been working in the online gaming industry for over 20 years now. I started off working in the marketing department of a sports betting company and then I moved on to work for a couple of different software providers. And then about 10 years ago, I started 'iGaming Academy', which is a training and consultancy business for the online gaming industry.

[00:00:43] Speaker 1: That's very interesting. So, can you tell us a little bit more about 'iGaming Academy' and what kind of services you offer?

[00:00:51] Speaker 2: Sure. So, we offer a range of different services to the online gaming industry. We provide training courses on a variety of different topics, such as responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and data protection. We also offer consultancy services to help operators and suppliers with their compliance requirements. And we have an eLearning platform, which is used by a number of different companies in the industry.

[00:01:15] Speaker 1: That's very interesting. So, how do you see the gaming industry evolving in the next few years?

[00:01:22] Speaker 2: Well, I think the gaming industry is going to continue to grow and evolve over the next few years. We're going to see more and more countries legalizing online gaming, which means there will be more opportunities for operators and suppliers. We're also going to see more innovation in terms of the products and services that are offered. And we're going to see more focus on responsible gambling and compliance, as regulators become more strict in their requirements.

[00:01:48] Speaker 1: That's very interesting. So, what advice would you give to someone who's looking to get started in the gaming industry?

[00:01:55] Speaker 2: I think the most important thing is to be passionate about the industry. It's a very dynamic and exciting industry to work in, but it can also be very challenging at times. So, if you're not passionate about it, it's going to be difficult to succeed. I would also recommend getting as much experience and knowledge as possible, whether that's through working for different companies or taking courses like the ones we offer at 'iGaming Academy'.

[00:02:21] Speaker 1: That's great advice. So, Derek, thank you so much for joining us today. It was a pleasure having you on the podcast.

[00:02:28] Speaker 2: Thank you very much. It was great to be here.