25 PEOPLE TO WATCH 2025
Forging New Sports Betting Research
Brandon Mastromartino Assistant Professor of Experiential Marketing , L . Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management , San Diego State University
The start of a new year is always a time for fresh beginnings , but nothing can be fresher than launching the first research center focusing on sports wagering and gambling .
Brandon Mastromartino , Ph . D , an assistant professor of experiential marketing at the L . Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University , will lead the Sports Wagering and Gaming Research Center ( SWAGR Center ) in the school when it launches in January 2025 .
“ There isn ’ t anything like this in North America ,” Mastromartino says . “ I ’ ll be doing my own personal research , but we ’ ll also be able to give grants to researchers around the world at other universities to conduct research , both academic and industry-related . It will be practical , applied types of research .”
But the research center ’ s goal is also to develop the next generation of leaders in the sports and gaming marketing industry . For instance , Mastromartino says students connected to the center could go to a big event , like a Super Bowl , and help operators with an activation on site to give the students exposure to what a career in the gaming or sports industry can be beyond working for a team or operator .
The center will offer a certificate program for undergraduate students at SDSU , but also for industry professionals to help them hone their tool kit .
The center also hopes to provide research and information around industry relations , whether they are regulatory , consumer insights , sportsbook design or consumer experience issues .
“ We really want to be a hub for this kind of knowledge , bridging that gap between academia and industry ,” he says . “ It ’ s a really exciting initiative to push forward .”
Mastromartino , 36 , first became interested in sports the way many Canadian youths do — a love of hockey . Growing up as a Toronto Maple Leafs fan , Mastromartino says his love of sports and the community sports provided led him to his career around the industry .
“ The community , other fans , the people around me … I found that more interesting and exciting than the results on the field of play ,” he says . That sense of community and the experience of belonging drove him to find out how organizations develop that experience for the consumer and asking how those memorable opportunities help build communities .
Before moving into academia , Mastromartino worked in the sports industry . Working in marketing research for the Florida Panthers , he helped the team better understand their fans . Considering the pull of other entertainment opportunities in Miami — the beach , entertainment , etc .— really getting to know that fan base and build a community was exciting for him .
After working in the industry for an agency and continuing to do some consulting work on the side , Mastromartino is curious about the community that grows around sports betting . “ Sports betting has become a core aspect of being a fan ,” he says .
“ Even non-fans bet on sports . If you see your friend plays a wager or you and your friends are talking about the game , more often than not it might come up , so the communal aspect of it has become a large part .” The fear of missing out , or FOMO aspect of sports betting , particularly in the United States where it is relatively new , means the community aspect is extremely important for engagement .
“ A lot of the brick-and-mortar sportsbooks are doing it really well ,” he adds . “ What we ’ re seeing is that sportsbooks that used to be just a little corner of a casino or hotel have now expanded to something more like a movie theater , with competitions or raffles to encourage people to play and create that in-person experience ” that builds that community and enhances loyalty . — Kathy Urban
Battling the Black Market
Grainne Hurst CEO , Betting and Gaming Council
Grainne Hurst is one of the most recognizable names among our Top 25 , thanks to her hugely visible role at the helm of the U . K .’ s leading gambling trade body . The Betting and Gaming Council ( BGC ) is at the heart of U . K . gambling in its role as the industry ’ s representative .
Hurst was welcomed into the position in September and hit the ground running . Shortly after her promotion , the group published its first report on the scale of the U . K .’ s gambling black market . In it , she calls for a more holistic approach to tackling the problem , as enforcement is “ only part of the solution ,” she said at the time .
She assumed the role during a truly pivotal transition for gambling , particularly in the U . K ., where the sector is grappling with deep-rooted reforms introduced by the previous government ’ s white paper .
“ There is a huge amount of work ahead of us , not least delivering and implementing the outstanding proposals outlined in last year ’ s white paper , many of which our members called for ,” Hurst said upon taking the helm at the BGC .
“ Our members are rightly proud of their vital role in the U . K . entertainment industry , and the significant part they play supporting the local and national economies through tax and high-value jobs .” Intercepting the black market is at the top of
Hurst ’ s to-do list . “ My priority is ensuring we do
22 Global Gaming Business JANUARY 2025