?️ Welcome to episode #05 of Vested Interest, the podcast for iGaming and sports betting enthusiasts, navigated by Pierre Lindh. This episode promises an enthralling conversation with three formidable figures in the iGaming universe – Lloyd, the Managing Partner at Sharp Alpha Advisors, Benjie Cherniak, the Principal at Avenue H Capital, and Akshay Khanna, the dynamic Co-founder & CEO of Jackpot.com.
Journey with Pierre as he dives into the intricate maze of iGaming, gleaning game-changing insights. From contrasting the startup scene of two different decades to understanding how to make a powerful impact when you aren’t the market’s pioneer, this episode touches upon pressing concerns and evolving strategies in iGaming.
? ABOUT Akshay joined Jackpot.com in May 2022 as a co-founder and as CEO of the North America business. Shortly thereafter, the company raised $36.5M in a Series A round co-led by Accomplice and Courtside VC, with participation from renown investors and operators including: Sapphire Sport, Elysian Park Ventures, Arctos Sports Partners, Haslam Sports Group, Michael Rubin, The Kraft Group, Jason Robins, among others. Jackpot is a third-party digital experience that is attempting to become the leader in facilitating the sale of official state lottery tickets online.
Prior to Jackpot, Akshay was the GM of North America at StubHub. He joined StubHub in January 2018 as Head of Partnerships – NFL, NBA, and NHL, and was promoted twice within a year to take over the North America General Manager role, overseeing almost the entire StubHub business. In that role, Akshay oversaw and/or was directly responsible for every major lever of growth that drove the company’s business, including – supply, marketing, seller tools and product management & engineering, data & analytics, partnerships, strategy, pricing, and inventory management.
Prior to his time at StubHub, Akshay was the Vice President of Strategy for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), overseeing the business strategy group and involved in all revenue-generating functions of the organization’s teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center, Crystal Palace, eSports property Team Dignitas, and the Sixers Innovation Lab.
Before joining HBSE, Akshay served as an Associate at Sycamore Partners, a consumer retail-focused private equity firm in New York City. Prior to Sycamore Partners, Akshay was an Analyst at Audax Group, a middle-market private equity firm in Boston.
