Ep. 167: Reduced juice for all w/ Gino Donati from BetOPENLY

Ep. 167 features Gino Donati from BetOPENLY, a peer-to-peer betting exchange eliminating the traditional sportsbook model by letting users bet directly against each other at true odds. This episode was recorded on-site at SBC Summit North America 2025 in Fort Lauderdale.


Hear him discuss:

Growing up in a sports-betting Italian family and booking bets in high school

How running numbers for syndicates gave him a window into the business

Why BetOPENLY was originally built offshore and pre-PASPA repeal

The core value prop of “win more, lose less” and how the 1% fee works

How trolls on TikTok helped drive the platform’s early growth

Why casual bettors and big action players both find value in the model

How BetOPENLY avoids deposit bonuses and operates with ultra-thin margins

Their “bet with friends” feature and zero-fee social sharing mechanic

How the team is solving liquidity challenges through third-party partnerships with companies like Kutt, BettorEdge, and THNDR

The legal framework that enables BetOPENLY to operate in 45 U.S. states

Expansion plans including peer-to-peer blackjack, DFS, and prediction markets

Gino’s other startup, Seed to Scale, and how he self-funds BetOPENLY

Why he’s in no rush to raise or exit—and where he sees the ceiling for P2P betting




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