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Exclusive interview with Steve Rogers – Founder and CEO at Playbook Fusion
We recently sat down with Steve Rogers – Founder and CEO at Playbook Fusion and talk about several important aspects that shape the game studios industry.
What made you want to launch a game studio given the incredibly competitive nature of the market?
Because we have identified a gap in the market in which we can offer something truly unique. There is a large audience of players who enjoy sports-themed video and mobile games, and the ownership and skill required to master titles such as FC Ultimate Team, and who also like to place a bet on their favourite sports, teams and players. Right now, there isn’t a game format that brings these two worlds together, but Playbook Fusion is allowing them to collide to provide an entirely new experience that these consumers will absolutely want to engage with.
The addressable audience for our games will be broad but it is currently one that operators are struggling to engage. This goes beyond those who bet on sports to include those who are simply sports fans, gamers who enjoy management format titles and who are light-touch gamblers, virtual sports players looking for ownership over their teams and fantasy sports players seeking round the clock action.
In all instances, our strongest appeal will likely be among the next generation of players – those who are unlikely to walk into a retail betting shop or have a bet on the Grand National, but who are engaging with mobile and video games, social media and streaming.
How will you leverage your industry experience to lead Playbook Fusion to success?
I have more than 20 years of experience in the industry, and this has enabled me to amass a deep understanding of key factors required in bringing successful betting products to market, such as regulation, compliance, content deployment and ultimately what goes into making a hit game. I have been delivering RNG sports games to operators for various companies for a long time now and have good relationships with the right people within most of the major tier one and tier two brands, opening up a clear path to deploying our games with the biggest operators in the business. My experience has also taught me what a good game looks like and has allowed me to identify the gap in the market that Playbook Fusion has an ambition to fill.
Where I lack experience or in-depth understanding, I have brought in experts including video and mobile games veteran, Santiago Jaramillo. Santiago has more than 13 years of AAA gaming experience and has previously worked as Creative Director for EA Sport’s FIFA Franchise and was Executive Producer of MonopolyGo! He was also Head of Sports at Dapper Labs where he conceived and created NBA Top Shot, an award-winning, first-of-its-kind product anchored in blockchain technology.
Our complementary skillsets will absolutely be key to ensuring the future success of Playbook Fusion.
How will you stand out from your rival studios? How will your content offer something new to operators and players?
The level of ownership, the persistent progression within the games and the ability for skill development that each of our titles will offer will set Playbook Fusion apart from its competitors. We are working on a range of innovative mechanics that will allow players to boost the capabilities of their teams, which in turn will increase the chance of them winning. Gameplay will include acquiring or earning packs that players can open to strengthen their lineup before they decide what kind of contest they want to engage with. There’s really nothing like this in the sports betting space at this point and this strong, clear point of difference is what is already allowing Playbook Fusion to stand out and catch the attention of sportsbook operators.
Bringing together the worlds of gambling and video/mobile gaming is a tough task. How have you approached this?
It comes down to building a team of the brightest minds and creative talents from both industries. From the gambling sector, we have sought to hire dynamic individuals with a passion for sports and who understand what the next generation of sports bettors are looking for. Then, from the gaming sector, we have Santiago and a growing team of designers and developers who have an in-depth understanding of the mechanics behind successful video games. We are bringing the edges of these industries together and creating an environment in which everyone can learn from each other. I truly believe that we have a game-changing concept and with the team we have in place, we can bring it to life and disrupt the industry.
Can you share some insights into your first game? What will it look like? How will it play? Who has it been developed for?
Our first game will be a football title. Football is the biggest sport globally and will allow us to hit the ground running with a game that has mass market appeal. It will take the football manager format, with players able to build a team by acquiring and trading players. They can also do things like buy packs and reveal cards that all help in strengthening their team. They then compete with others across several game types including seasons, player vs player and in contests with friends. Players earn points based on the performance of their team, which are posted to a real-time leaderboard. The more points players accumulate, the more league levels they clear and the more rewards they earn. Betting is a core part of the game loop but, unlike more traditional virtual sports games, the bettor will have a much greater sense of ownership over the team they are betting on, just like in real sports betting. We plan to replicate this format for other sports including basketball and cricket.
Why should sportsbook operators partner with Playbook Fusion?
Our games will enable operators to generate incremental revenues from existing player groups, particularly Virtual Sports and Fantasy players, by offering a more engaging betting experience on a 24/7/365 basis. Also, our games will allow them to tap into a new, lucrative but hard-to-reach audience. These are not traditional sports bettors, but rather the next generation of customers looking for social, fast-paced gameplay where they can improve and display their skills and strategy with the chance of winning money – the YouTube, Fortnite, tech-savvy generation that will become a sportsbook’s core player base in the coming years.
The post Exclusive interview with Steve Rogers – Founder and CEO at Playbook Fusion appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News
Global Esports Federation Launches its Innovation & Research Centre in Athens
The Global Esports Federation has launched its Innovation & Research Centre (IRC) in Athens, Greece, in collaboration with Socialinnov, a non-profit organisation dedicated to digital empowerment and social entrepreneurship.
The GEF Innovation & Research Centres are envisioned as collaborative spaces where technology, creativity and innovation converge to unlock human potential in the digital era. They will anchor forward-looking programmes that connect esports with education, wellness and opportunities in adjacent industries.
The Athens IRC anchors this global network, strengthening local ecosystems, enabling cooperation across regions and expanding opportunities in esports, gaming, technology and entertainment.
Thanos Karagrounas, GEF Chief Impact Officer, said: “The launch of our Innovation & Research Center in Athens is a milestone in the GEF’s journey to shape an inclusive and impactful future for esports. By combining Socialinnov’s deep expertise in digital empowerment with the GEF’s international network, we will unlock new opportunities for innovation, education, and investment – with people at the center of everything we do.”
“We are proud to partner with the Global Esports Federation to bring the GEF Innovation & Research Center to Athens. This collaboration reflects our mission to empower individuals and communities with the skills and tools needed to thrive in the digital age. Together, we will cultivate new pathways for youth, educators, and entrepreneurs to engage with technology, esports, and innovation on a global scale,” said Stella Psarrou, Director, Socialinnov.
Leveraging Greece’s growing digital ecosystem and Socialinnov’s expertise in education, youth empowerment and SME support, the Athens IRC will serve as a platform to develop strategies, programmes and investment opportunities focused on responsible gaming, holistic wellness and sustainable career pathways in esports and beyond.
The post Global Esports Federation Launches its Innovation & Research Centre in Athens appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Entain’s Andrew Vouris to Speak at Regulating the Game 2026
Leading gaming law and regulation conference Regulating the Game has announced the newly appointed CEO of Entain Australia and New Zealand as its first Featured Speaker for its March 2026 event in Sydney.
The conference is scheduled to take place from 9 to 11 March 2026 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.
Andrew Vouris, who was appointed CEO of Entain Australia and New Zealand in August, brings almost two decades of leadership experience in wagering, operations and innovation at some of Australia’s largest wagering operators.
His career spans senior leadership roles in Tabcorp’s multi-billion dollar wagering and media business, heading global operations of a pioneering esports and wagering platform, and partnering with private equity to build early-stage ventures in esports. Across these roles he has been deeply engaged in navigating complex regulatory and compliance challenges.
Since stepping into the CEO role at Entain Australia and New Zealand, Vouris has outlined his desire to embed a culture of “win, but not at all costs”, to return to the basics of selling bets and to lead innovation while ensuring customers are protected.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak at Regulating the Game 2026, which provides a unique global platform for advancing dialogue between regulators, industry and thought leaders,” Vouris said.
“At a time when public expectations and regulatory demands are at an all-time high, I look forward to sharing Entain’s vision for balancing sustainable growth, compliance leadership, and customer protection.”
Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game, added: “Andrew’s leadership vision for Entain and his extensive track record across wagering and esports bring an important perspective to Regulating the Game 2026. His focus on culture, compliance and innovation aligns strongly with the values of the conference, and we are thrilled to feature his insights as part of this year’s program.”
The post Entain’s Andrew Vouris to Speak at Regulating the Game 2026 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Better Collective Launches Playbook
Better Collective has launched Playbook, an AI-powered betting solution transforming how fans place bets by fitting seamlessly into the way they already engage.
The launch follows the company’s press release of 12 February 2025, “Better Collective powered more than 8 million wagers and gathered football fans in New Orleans for the Super Bowl,” where Better Collective piloted early retention-driven products. With Playbook, these pilots are now scaled into a fully integrated solution – expanding Better Collective’s role in the betting ecosystem and strengthening engagement with sportsbook partners. With sports fans globally wagering more than 1.5 trillion EUR annually, the opportunity for innovation in this space is significant, and Playbook positions Better Collective to capture a greater share of this market.
At its core, Playbook is built to make betting seamless and more engaging for fans. Playbook enhances the user experience by delivering an actionable link – utilising bet slip image recognition built on AI and smart deeplinks – from betting content and tips that opens directly into a sportsbook app or website with the bet pre-loaded.
Jesper Søgaard, Co-Founder and CEO of Better Collective, said: “Playbook reflects our ambition to lead in delivering unique, and engaging sports betting experiences for sports fans and bettors while driving strong retention value for our partners. This positions Better Collective uniquely within the global sports betting ecosystem, where sports fans wager more than 1.5 trillion EUR annually.”
Initial launch in the US ahead of the NFL season
Historically, Better Collective’s affiliate model has been focused on acquiring new customers through its owned sports media, paid channels and partnerships. With the launch of Playbook, the addressable audience naturally expands to include all active bettors – not just new sign-ups. By complementing its global leadership in acquisition with direct engagement in bet placements at scale, Better Collective establishes a stronger position in the emerging retention betting space and secures touchpoints across the entire customer lifecycle. By engaging users directly at the point of bet placement, Playbook introduces a new layer of value creation for Better Collective, with new commercialisation opportunities that complement the company’s existing acquisition-driven and brand advertising revenue streams.
Playbook launched on September 3 in the US ahead of the NFL season, with additional key markets in the pipeline. Furthermore, Better Collective plans to build out a broader AI-suite of tools and betting assistants, reinforcing its position at the forefront of innovation in the sports betting ecosystem. Its rollout is supported by Better Collective’s owned sports betting communities, scalable technology infrastructure and partnerships with the world’s leading sportsbooks. These communities already attract millions of followers and thousands of paying subscribers, giving Playbook a built-in foundation to increase engagement and channel value directly to partners from day one.
The post Better Collective Launches Playbook appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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