Author Spotlight: Alan Walsh
What was your first impression when you discovered Playboy was expanding into the iGaming industry and that you’d be joining its official iGaming content team?
"My first reaction was genuine excitement! Playboy is one of the most iconic publications in the history of the world, so to climb aboard is a dream come true. Even better, Playboy is now in the thick of the iGaming industry, and they wanted my experiences and insights to be part of the process.
One of the more personally-entertaining aspects was telling family, friends, and total strangers that my work can be seen in Playboy. Most people have a one-track mind about this publication, but quite a few avid readers understand that most places are branching out into different areas for stories."
What would you say has been the most gratifying part of writing for the iGaming industry as a whole?
"The most gratifying part of writing in the iGaming industry is that it comes naturally to me. For over 10 years, I have been in the thick of it, starting as an active player in daily fantasy sports (DFS) before becoming an analyst and podcast host. Later on, I even found myself working for some of the most notable sportsbook operators, like FanDuel and Caesars, to bring in new customers through my writing and bonus promotions.
All in all, I have seen and lived through quite a bit of change in the different areas of iGaming. One of my particular strengths is helping people find those bonuses or house money; many sportsbooks and casinos offer them, so you may as well take advantage."
Do you have any hopes or predictions for the future of iGaming?
"My biggest hope is that every state/territory in the United States will have the same legalization standards everywhere for iGaming. It feels odd to me that I can bet on a baseball game and play blackjack on my phone here in Jersey, but when I travel to Arizona, I can only bet on the baseball game and not play blackjack.
I have been involved since the very beginning with my home state going live in 2018. Since then, we have seen incredible online sportsbook growth in so many states, while online casino gaming moves along at a snail’s pace. The money handle coming into these states has been a huge source of income, so hopefully others will see that soon."
What originally inspired you to become a casino and sports betting writer?
"I completed my Journalism degree at a much later age – just before turning 30 – and sometimes things happen when you need them to. Right around this time, DFS was exploding onto the scene, and I caught on with a company that went from having a 300-person community newsletter to a 2,000+ member base with a Slack/Discord chat by the time I had left.
Looking back, that timing was everything. I could have easily wound up writing about high school sports for the local (now defunct) newspaper or trying my hand at different non-fiction novels. The rapid growth of the iGaming industry truly matched up with my journalism career, and I could not be more grateful for that."
Have you received any unique awards or public recognition as an iGaming writer, or as a professional/academic writer in any field?
"While I haven’t received any unique awards or public recognition as an iGaming writer, I did have an “influential” piece from my time at FanDuel. During the 2018 NFL season, I wrote a series of articles on one market: “Which Player Will Have the Most FanDuel Fantasy Points This Week?”
In Week 5 of that season, James Connor and the Pittsburgh Steelers had a great matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, a team that allowed boatloads of fantasy points to the RB position. FanDuel had Connor listed as one of the biggest longshots, and I wrote an article about what a steal this was going to be. Connor finished the game with 185 total yards and three touchdowns, winning the bet, and making it the third time in five weeks that one of my articles predicted the winner. That market was not offered again by FanDuel for the rest of the season."
What would be your advice for anyone looking to become a professional writer in the iGaming industry?
"Oh man, where do I begin? First of all, starting writing on a regular basis – whether that means writing for your school/hometown paper or hosting your own blog. Honestly, you have no idea which direction writing can take your career. At one point early on, I followed rappers around and covered a minor league baseball team, and now I write for Playboy.
As for the iGaming industry, it certainly helps to be a customer of these sportsbooks and casinos. Having worked for a few different companies in the industry, I can tell you that your experience as a customer gives you a more unique perspective, even more so than the C-level types who are too close to the product. When I interviewing at Caesars, I showed them an article I wrote (for another site) about maximizing everything out of their sign-up bonus. They loved it, and I was hired!"
What is your favorite niche within the industry? (sports betting, casino gambling, sweepstakes casinos, other)
"I think it’s safe to say that sports betting will always be my bread and butter. Over the years, I have spent so much time on learning the ins and outs, and it was even a big part of how my DFS approach was done.
There are also a lot of lessons in sports betting that I have applied to my everyday life. Of course, things will go wrong, and that’s when you take a step back and reevaluate the entire process. Most of the time, you’ll find that it’s one minor tweak here or there, rather than an overhaul of the entire process."