Phoenix

What is Phoenix?

Recently, Margaret Dunn, portfolio director at WorldGaming, interviewed Sergey Kastukevich, chief technology officer at SOFTSWISS, in a primer of both Tech Race and ICE Hall 7. The pair also shared their perspective on the development of AI in the industry.

Tech Race Summit 2026 takes place on 10 September in Warsaw. It gathers the experts working on the technology behind today’s digital businesses.

According to Kastukevich, Tech Race Summit is filling a genuine void. Although he has seen plenty of business-focused conversation in iGaming, there is almost no dedicated space for engineering and technology discussions.

What is Phoenix?

Based on its projections, EKG sees the overall sports wagering industry growing 8% year-over-year, outpacing the current baseline growth rate of 5% (a figure that strips out temporary boosts from the 2026 World Cup).

Assuming that 8% spurt is realized, it’d be impressive because since the end of the 2025 football season, only Missouri and Alberta, Canada joined the live and legal sports betting party with Arkansas opening to DraftKings and FanDuel earlier this year.

Prediction markets have proven effective at attracting sharp bettors and high-rollers who are often limited or banned by traditional sportsbooks. However, consumer surveys indicate that when given the choice between a sportsbook and a yes/no exchange, most recreational bettors still prefer the traditional sportsbook interface. That dynamic helps explain why prediction markets remain in second place.

How to play Phoenix

As such, there should be plenty of licence for both sides to attack each other and we can see there being some great entertainment on offer at Elland Road.

We like Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison to get in amongst the goals in a win for The Whites and that’s at a very tasty price given Jack Grealish is likely to be out for six weeks and the Villains are also missing Matty Cash, who would have been man-marking Harrison if fit. In fact, this is our bet of the week.

Our tip: Jack Harrison to score and Leeds to win (4/1)