As the countdown to the SBC Summit in Lisbon accelerates, we spoke to Becky Liggero, who provided candid insights into the evolution of iGaming events and revealed the one person she has always wanted to interview but never had the chance.
iGaming Expert: Can you tell us about how much iGaming media has evolved since you first came into the industry?
Becky Liggero: Oh wow, so much has changed, especially with video and the nature of our content. Let me explain. In March 2005, when I first came into the iGaming space, I was working for Casino City, a publisher that still exists to this day. Video content was rare back then; I believe J Todd of APCW was one of the first to start producing videos for the iGaming industry, starting around 2006 after the passage of UIGEA.
In 2007, GPWA (part of the Casino City family) published its first physical magazine, and I was a contributor, mostly submitting picture-heavy recap articles from iGaming conferences. We even had an ‘iGaming industry Superlatives’ spread that I put together for one of the issues, can you imagine something like that in 2026?! The industry has matured so much over the past several decades.
It wasn’t until 2009 that I started producing video content for iGaming via CalvinAyre.com, a former iGaming industry publication. I used to cover all the iGaming conferences and parties with my camera crew, flanked by ‘Ayre Head’ models. One of my responsibilities was taking a picture of the drunkest person at each party and delivering a ‘DAF’ (drunk as f*ck) award to that person the next morning on the CalvinAyre.com site. Again, can you imagine something like this in 2026?
For the majority of its run as an iGaming news site, CalvinAyre.com was one of the only publications that created video content from conferences – highlights, interviews, lifestyle, Question of the Day- with a professional camera operator, producer and presenter. Fast forward to today and anyone can create high resolution video content using their phones, portable mics and AI video editing tools. Videos are shorter. They are rougher. They are published almost instantly via socials. The way that people consume content is totally different now.
However, with that said, J Todd still produces his Perspectives Weekly video for APCW, GPWA still publishes its physical magazines and there are so many iGaming media companies now, I cannot even keep track of them. You won’t see superlatives and DAF awards anymore, though.
What was the most eccentric interview that you did during your time at Calvin Ayre?
Without a doubt, it was my interview with David Hasselhoff. I had 30 minutes with him at G2E in the early 2010s and I was SO green and nervous- I would kill to have another 30 minutes with him now. We talked about the slot company he was representing and his ‘fun loving ways’. I was told by his handler that I did not have any limitations on topics to cover, so I asked him about the cheeseburger incident and his handler was NOT happy – my camera opp had to talk me off the ledge!
Some other interviews of note include Hulk Hogan, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Max Keiser, John Barnes (yes, he did the rap), Rio Ferdinand, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Evander Holyfield, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Phil Taylor, Brock Pierce, I could go on and on and on…I’m so grateful for these experiences.
Is there anyone you haven’t interviewed that you would absolutely love to? What would you ask them?
I’ve always wanted to interview Richard Branson. I love the Virgin brand and its family of companies- I remember when there was even a Virgin-branded online casino. There was one point when Calvin was moving the Bodog brand in the brand licensing direction, so I spent time studying what Richard was doing with Virgin and his personal brand. I just love how he is thriving at 76 years old…my father is also thriving at 84 years old so I know it is not luck, you have to work hard at it.
I would ask Richard how he challenges himself to stay relevant and sharp as he ages, tips for building a stand-out personal brand in today’s influencer-obsessed society and how he sees the start-up space evolving in this new world of AI.
Generally speaking, how much has influencer marketing impacted the iGaming media space?
I can comment on LinkedIn ‘influencer marketing’ and how I see it impacting the iGaming media space. Instead of publishing recap articles, op-eds, or guest posts, it seems like a lot of iGaming professionals take to LinkedIn with their ‘top takeaways’ from events they attend or thoughts they might have on a particular hot topic.
I will admit, the cookie-cutter ‘thought leadership’ content on LinkedIn drives me a bit crazy (especially after a conference) and I usually skip it. A number of these posts are AI-generated now, so it just doesn’t land the same way. However, delivering thought leadership content- AI-generated or not – must provide some sort of value because people keep doing it.
How do you believe media firms have to adapt in this new economy for the attention span of consumers?
It kills me to say it, but most content needs to be shorter- both articles and videos. Longer content needs to be offered in a summary version or chopped up into bite-size pieces in addition to posting the full version. Personally, when it comes to video content, I skip the short options and purposely seek out the longer ones so I can actually pick up something substantial, but I guess it all depends on who your audience is and if they are looking to be entertained or educated.
It’s also important to find the best, most engaging ways to share your bite size content on social media platforms. We really do need to keep on top of what content these platforms tend to favor, so media firms must have a serious social media strategy in place, something that just did not exist before.
Can you tell us more about CoinGeek and what drew you to this space and this platform?
Well, this is an easy one…the decision was made for me. Calvin acquired CoinGeek.com, a blockchain news site, in 2017 and for four years I was creating video content for both sites which was CRAZY! Calvin ceased publication of iGaming industry news on CalvinAyre.com in February 2021 and shifted his focus entirely to blockchain tech via CoinGeek, so I followed suit.
While I will always consider myself an ‘iGaming-lifer’, I love that I was forced to get out of my comfort zone and familiarize myself with blockchain while also building new contacts in the space. Over time, the iGaming industry has caught up with blockchain and now I’m focused on the intersection of these two worlds at CoinGeek and I could not be happier about it!
What should operators be aware of before embracing the web3 space?
I think it’s important to understand the ‘web3 space’ includes much more than just crypto payments. To enjoy the true advantages of web3, the entire tech stack should be built on blockchain rails vs. plugging blockchain into traditional rails. However, for iGaming operator incumbents, to make a full transition straight away is not realistic, so doing it piecemeal via various suppliers who utilize blockchain tech on their end is likely the best way.
It’s also important to fully understand and abide by the regulations that apply to crypto payments if an operator is in it for the long game.
How much can crypto payments help the regulated gambling market get ahead of the unlicensed sector?
I think it depends if crypto payment regulations are in place in the regulated markets- if they are, adopting crypto payments could help licensed operators compete with the unlicensed operators who often have better offerings for players, especially the younger generation who want everything instantly and already have crypto wallets. If crypto guidelines do not exist yet in a regulated market, I would urge operators to educate those regulators on the benefits of crypto payments so they can compete with unlicensed market offerings.
How much have industry events evolved and how excited are you for the SBC Summit in Lisbon?
Industry events have changed so much since I attended my first event in 2005 (GiGSE) – there are many more events now, they have ballooned in size and truly matured in terms of expo floor eye candy and evening activities. I can remember when scantily clad models were all over the conferences, even topless sometimes! The parties back then were absolutely NUTS – especially Calvin’s – and don’t forget the DAF awards I mentioned above; maybe we should bring them back at SBC Summit…or maybe not!
Speaking of which, I’m so excited for the SBC Summit in Lisbon. This will be the first time I’ve attended an SBC event since they were in London, I think that was before COVID if you can believe it. I hear SBC Summit has grown into such a fantastic event with so many moving parts covering every aspect of the industry; I simply cannot wait to see everyone and talk blockchain.
