
NEXT.io Podcast Wojciech Stellmach on Prediction Markets, Sweeps & Paid Media: What Actually Works
🎙️ NEXT.io Podcast #259 with Wojciech Stellmach, CEO of BugsyEmpire.
In this episode, Wojciech Stellmach CEO of BugsyEmpiere, explains what’s actually working right now across emerging verticals: from sweepstakes (sweeps 2.0) to prediction markets and why “easy money” is a myth.
We unpack the shift from talking about grey markets to “grey products”, why payments + marketing access can create real advantage, and what operators must get right in marketing tech, tracking, and foundations before spending big.
⏰ Timestamps:
00:31 - Sponsors message
01:50 - Welcome Wojciech
04:15 - Why BugsyEmpire moved into sweepstakes and emerging verticals
06:55 - The real USP: platform relationships + deep product/tech checks
09:23 - “Grey products” vs grey markets
10:53 - Sweepstakes hype vs reality
11:17 - What “grey products” means
14:43 - Other emerging verticals: prediction markets, DFS, pari-mutuel + more
20:41 - Ad rules tightening (Google/TikTok)
23:28 - Why emerging verticals can beat black market brands
28:53 - Why most operators fail at paid media
39:13 - Paid media breakdown: social vs search vs brand/programmatic
01:06:10 - Winning operators checklist: focus, tech, payments, lean teams
01:07:49 - NEXT New York + Emerging Verticals Summit (9 March)
đź”” SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio/podcasts
CONNECT WITH NEXT.IO
âś© Website: https://next.io/This episode of NEXT.io is brought to you by:
Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technologyhttps://pragmatic.solutions/
Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content providerhttps://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/
