Jeremy Castillo, Head of Sales at Affnook sat with Catie De Stefano, Marketing Director at Vegas Kings, on Day 2 of SBC Lisbon 2025. They talked about Catie’s 15 years in the iGaming industry, her leadership principles and her predictions for the future of the global gambling sector.
The conversation touched on everything from Catie’s career growth and the importance of women’s leadership to the latest changes in regulation and innovation, highlighting both seasoned experience and such dynamic ideas shared by one of the industry’s most respected voices.
Meet Catie De Stefano
Catie De Stefano serves as Marketing Director at Vegas Kings, a well established design and development agency focused on gambling industry. They provide end-to-end digital solutions to online casinos, bingo, sports books, poker brands.
Currently based in Marbella, Spain Catie brings a truly global background to her role. Born in Indonesia and raised in Sweden, Catie has worked in markets around the world. Catie got her start in the industry at Betsson, working as a customer support agent. It was the perfect place to begin because it put her right on the front lines, giving her a real sense of how the business operates and what players actually care about.
And from there, she spent years broadening her expertise by stepping into several different areas of the business. She took on challenges in VIP management, CRM, and affiliate marketing, eventually moving into B2B operations and marketing leadership.
Encouraging Women in iGaming Leadership
One of the most inspiring parts of the talk was hearing Catie speak about the growing number of women leading the way in iGaming. She pointed out that we’re seeing a real, positive change, with more women moving into senior positions and taking on the big responsibilities that shape the industry’s future.
And to promote this, Catie organised a unique networking event during the SBC Lisbon conference. Her goal was to provide a space where women could feel genuinely supported and build their confidence before navigating the high-pressure environment of a major industry event.
The gathering was about more than just making connections rather it was designed to empower. Catie wanted to ensure that every attendee felt recognised and respected as a leader in her own right.
Vegas Kings: A 30- year Legacy of Trust
Catie explained what makes Vegas Kings stand out in such a competitive market of the iGaming industry. With more than 30 years of experience, the company has a solid, long- standing presence in the industry.
Vegas Kings specializes in:
- Brand Design and Identity
- UX/UI for gambling platforms
- Full product development
- Marketing and Creative Strategy
According to Catie partnering with legacy firms brings confidence to both clients and partners who focus on long term vision and consistent delivery. She also shared how easy it is for potential partners to connect with her, whether through LinkedIn or by booking meetings directly via the Vegas Kings website.
A Fresh Take on Regulation and Global Markets
Catie gave her insights on the future of gambling and where the industry is headed, particularly regarding the increasingly strict regulations in Europe. In her view, these strict rules may actually be backfiring, instead of protecting players, they risk pushing them towards unlicensed black markets sites. She highlighted Sweden as a clear example, where players look for fewer restrictions as searches for unlicensed casinos has increased.
On the other hand, Catie notices a wave of innovation coming out of the United States. She is particularly interested in how the U.S. is leaning into new models such:
- Sweepstakes platforms
- Prediction markets
And this is happening because these models don’t fall under traditional gambling labels rather they have opened the door of much more creativity. According to Catie, this shift is a way to thrive by reaching audiences in entirely new ways.
Final Thoughts
To wrap things up, Jeremy thanked Catie for opening about her path and perspectives, stressing how these kinds of conversations are exactly what we need to truly understand where the industry is moving next.
Catie De Stefano’s experiences serve as a great reminder of what it takes to succeed over the long term. It really stems from know- how of the industry, flexibility, shaking things up and take on challenges while also lifting others along the way.
