Sports Betting Power Players

Carsten Koerl founded Sportradar, which sits at the intersection of the sports, betting, and media industries, in 2001 and has served as the company’s CEO since its inception. Prior to founding Sportradar, Koerl held management positions within the software development and gaming industries, including at betandwin Interactive Entertainment (“bwin”), an online betting company, which he founded in 1997, and was one of the most successful IPOs in the history of the Vienna market. He holds a Master of Electronic and Microprocessor Engineering degree from the University for Applied Sciences in Konstanz.

How will the sports betting industry evolve in the next five years?
The growth of sports betting over the next five years will come from live, in-play betting. Sportradar’s industry-leading technology is playing an important role in opening up this market.

For almost a decade now, Neal Kwatra has been a top strategist and advisor to Unions, advocacy campaigns and corporations at Metropolitan Public Strategies. His communications chops and strategic expertise has been nationally recognized on successful campaigns such as the Fight for $15, the campaign to legalize driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, leading the 2013 ‘Vote Yes on Prop 1’ campaign that brought full casino gaming to New York State and the campaign to hold Airbnb accountable in New York City. Most recently, he led the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council’s $2m independent expenditure on behalf of Eric Adams and half a dozen progressive City Council Members. Among his current campaigns are bringing full-scale gaming to downstate New York, campaigning on behalf of offshore wind projects in New York and working on the campaign to electrify and decarbonize New York’s buildings. He currently consults for Bally’s and Resorts World, both of whom have sports betting licenses in New York. Neal was formerly the chief of staff of the New York Attorney General from 2011-2013.

How will sports betting evolve in the next five years?
I think you are going to see a lot more in-game betting and experiences at the stadium that will integrate the sports betting consumer even more with the sports watching experience.

What is your favorite sports team?
New York Knicks.

Do you root for the underdog or the favorite-to-win?
I root for the underdog.

If you like to wager, what is your favorite betting story?
I was in Vegas for the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl and had the Falcons +3. I was riding high the whole game and trash talking with Pats fans, then came the 4th Quarter and Overtime and the rest is history. Pats came back from a 28-3 deficit to win 34-28 in OT in one of the best comebacks in Super Bowl history. I was humbled.

Yankees or Mets?
Yankees.

Robert D. Manfred, Jr., has served as the 10th commissioner of Major League Baseball since 2015, and has overseen the game’s growth in local communities as well as internationally. Under his tenure, the MLB reached a new collective bargaining agreement, began a youth participation program, and ensured a successful season despite COVID-19 by prioritizing the health and safety of players and staff. Before being elected commissioner, Mr. Manfred held the position of COO for MLB.

Kevin Nephew was named president and CEO of Seneca Gaming Corporation in October 2020, becoming the first member of the Seneca Nation to lead the company. He oversees the operation and performance of Seneca Gaming Corporation’s three casino properties – Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino in Niagara Falls, New York; Seneca Allegany Resort and Casino in Salamanca, New York; and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in downtown Buffalo – which collectively employ nearly 3,000 workers and attract millions of visitors.

Kristian Nylén has led Swedish company Kambi since its founding in 2010, overseeing operations in Europe. Following the 2018 ruling that legalized sports betting across the U.S., Mr. Nylén has overseen Kambi’s expansion into the American market, and under his leadership Kambi processed the first legal online wager in New Jersey in 2018. Kambi has also partnered with DraftKings and Rush Street Interactive as well as a number of casinos. 

Co-CEO Joe Pappano has been in the business of payments and payment technology for his entire 30-year career, most recently as a senior vice president of Worldpay Gaming. He joined WorldPay in 1991 when the company was known as Vantiv. Pappano’s experience in the payment industry includes merchant acquisition, card-issuing and servicing, prepaid and rewards, mobile and alternative payments, agent bank, and third-party processing. A focus on sports betting, casinos, lottery, and iGaming is critical as Sightline rapidly expands Play+. He’s collaborated with legislators, regulators, networks, issuers, and other constituents.

How will sports betting evolve in the next five years?
Further growth into new states, with a more pointed focus on ensuring that customers wager responsibly – both through advertising and the products themselves by providing tools to set budgets, loss limits, and more. Players will be able to use a sign.

What is your favorite sports team?
Die-hard Cincinnati Reds fan.

Do you root for the underdog or the favorite-to-win?
Underdog all the way. I’ve lived in Cincinnati for 30 years and we love a good underdog here, as you could see from the Bengals great run this season.

If you like to wager, what is your favorite betting story?
Today, I must drive 22.6 miles each way from my house to Indiana to place legal wagers. So, the opportunity to have legal sports betting later this year in the Buckeye State will save me a lot on gas.

Yankees or Mets?
I’m a National League guy so Mets all the way.

Kim Pegula is the first and only female president in both the NFL and the NHL, and also serves as president and CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment. Ms. Pegula has also been involved with the nonprofit NFL Foundation as well as the Super Bowl Advisory Committee. In 2019, Pegula Sports and Entertainment met with New York lawmakers to express its support for sports betting, and Ms. Pegula has voiced her support for mobile sports betting as well.

Luke Pergande is the co-founder of PropSwap. He spent three years in hedge fund sales at Bloomberg before launching PropSwap in 2015 in Las Vegas. He now resides in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Luke is in charge of fundraising for PropSwap, along with market expansion. He’s a voracious reader, loves to cook, and is always interested in hearing other startup stories.

How will sports betting evolve in the next five years?
Allowing all bets to be bought and sold, obviously 😉

What is your favorite sports team?
The Cubs.

Do you root for the underdog or the favorite-to-win?
Underdog, always.

If you like to wager, what is your favorite betting story?
I cheer for my customers, and when one cashed a $400 St. Louis Blues ticket for $100,000, that was pretty special.

Yankees or Mets?
Citi Field > Yankee Stadium.