In celebration of World Book Day, this month’s Bettingjobs newsletter shines a spotlight on a side of the gambling industry that doesn’t always make the headlines.

The sector is rarely associated with literature. Conversations tend to centre on regulation, revenue or upcoming summits – not memoirs, reflection or storytelling. Yet beyond the statistics and stereotypes lies a wealth of personal journeys and industry insight, with powerful stories waiting to be told.

For this special edition, we had the pleasure of speaking with four fantastic individuals who are each pioneering iGaming literature in their own way. Their stories reflect the depth, diversity and personality within a sector that is often viewed through a single lens.

Of course, we recognise these are just a handful of the voices shaping gambling’s literary landscape. There are many more authors, perspectives and untold stories across the industry that we didn’t have the opportunity to feature this time. But for World Book Day, we are proud to celebrate these contributors – and to acknowledge the growing body of literature that continues to give the iGaming world a richer, more human narrative.

Ian Sherrington – Gambling Articles

The purpose of this newsletter is to celebrate literature of all kinds – not only those who write novels, but those who document the stories of industries, ideas and movements as they unfold. Few have captured the evolution of online gaming quite like Ian Sherrington.

Over the course of 13 articles and the ambition of reaching 40 over the next year or so, Ian has chronicled the extraordinary rise of the iGaming industry – from its uncertain beginnings to the multi-billion-pound global force it is today. But as he reflects, writing was never something he naturally set out to do.

“I don’t know why I started writing articles because it’s not in my nature really… I like being at the beginning; it was a unique situation.”

Sherrington was there when online gaming was little more than an ambitious idea, when risk outweighed reward, and the future was far from guaranteed.

The growth of iGaming is often told through statistics: revenues, mergers, regulation and expansion into new markets, but Sherrington’s articles bring the human element to the forefront, often using quirky analogies – including a reference to Schrödinger’s cat in a Valentine’s Day article!

“You have to go through hell to get to where you want.”

That determination is evident in the progression of his writing. What began as a challenge became a craft. There is a quiet pride in his reflection: “I like to be able to look back on something I wrote a year ago and think that was not bad actually.”

And “not bad” is an understatement; Sherrington has created a written archive of an industry’s transformation.

To check out these articles – click the link below⬇️ https://crownstar.com/crownstar/category/gambling-articles/

Karolina Pelc – Her Play

An entrepreneur, investor and now author, Karolina brings more than 20 years of experience across high-stakes sectors of global technology. This June, she adds a new chapter to her journey with the launch of her first book, ‘Her Play’ – a business memoir that challenges one of the most persistent myths in business: luck.

Success Isn’t an Accident

The idea for the book began with a question she was asked repeatedly after selling her company:

People repeatedly asked what the secret to her success was. They were looking for a clear formula, she explained, but she didn’t have one. While writing her book, she began reflecting more deeply and came to see that the answer wasn’t found in the three years she ran the company, but in the two decades that led up to it. As she put it, “The success wasn’t built in those three years – it was built in the 20 before them.”

What she discovered was that success rarely comes from a single breakthrough moment. It is built over decades of experience, resilience, setbacks and reinvention.

At the heart of Karolina’s book is a clear message:

“People need to stop waiting for luck to land.”

Her story reframes success not as a lightning strike, but as the result of consistent risk-taking, hard work and an unwillingness to sit on the sidelines.

Her best piece of advice?

“Don’t let the bastards put you down.”

It’s a phrase she believes in so strongly that she had it tattooed – a permanent reminder to stay resilient in industries that can be competitive, high-pressure and, at times, unforgiving.

This memoir is not just a professional milestone – it’s a personal one. A culmination of two decades of experience, distilled into lessons for the next generation of founders, operators and leaders navigating high-growth industries.

As the iGaming sector continues to mature and professionalise, stories like Karolina’s add depth to the conversation around leadership and success. Her book promises not a step-by-step formula, but something far more valuable: an honest exploration of the mindset, endurance and inner resolve that underpin real achievement.

And if there’s one takeaway?

Don’t wait for luck.

You can pre-order Karolina’s book here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/4a2nkv6d

Claire Adamou – Life After Divorce

With over 20 years’ experience in the iGaming sector, Claire Adamou has built her career as a vice president, coach and facilitator in one of the fastest-paced industries in the world. But her book, Life After Divorce, takes readers somewhere far more personal.

Adamou is clear about why she wrote it:

“I wrote this book for other people that have gone through divorce or separation.”

It was something much more human – a guide born from lived experience during what she describes as the most difficult chapter of her life, and yet, the impact has stretched beyond its intended audience.

“Even though it is called Life After Divorce, there are a lot of people who have read it who haven’t been through that and have taken advice from it”.

What began as a deeply personal project has evolved into a broader conversation about relationships, boundaries, resilience and rebuilding.

Despite decades of leadership experience, publishing the book wasn’t easy.

“I procrastinated because I was afraid of putting it out there and being so vulnerable to the world and particularly the industry – I am bringing in something so personal into a corporate environment, I had massive fear around that.”

In the corporate world, and particularly in high-growth sectors like iGaming, personal struggles are often kept separate from professional identity. Claire admits she wrestled with the fear of being judged or perceived differently.

But ultimately, she leaned into the same resilience that had carried her through both her career and her personal life.

“I think I was more resilient than I realised, because of this industry it is fast paced, you HAVE to be resilient, you have to be hard working.”

Claire’s story is a reminder that leadership doesn’t exist in isolation from life. The skills that make someone effective in iGaming like resilience, adaptability, grit, are often the same skills that carry them through personal adversity.

As the industry continues to showcase its literary voices, Life After Divorce stands out not because it’s about iGaming, but because it isn’t. It adds depth to the conversation around the people behind the sector -proving that strength isn’t just about hitting targets, but about rebuilding when everything falls apart.

Dive into this amazing book 📕 https://tinyurl.com/3zfskm6n

ICE Gambling Book Awards – Jon Bruford

At this year’s ICE Barcelona, a new initiative was introduced to spotlight a different side of the gambling world: the inaugural Gambling Book Awards. Founded by Jon Bruford and Fintan Costello, the awards aim to challenge the often-one-dimensional perception of gambling and highlight the depth, stories and personalities behind the industry.

According to Bruford, the idea stemmed from a desire to shift public opinion. He explained that whenever gambling is mentioned, it is typically associated with negative connotations.

“When anything associated with gambling is mentioned, it is perceived to be negative and have poor connotations,” he said. “We think that is bollocks.”

At its core, the awards were created to encourage a more balanced view of the sector and to celebrate the people and narratives within it – from memoir and history to business insights and personal journeys.

Bruford also pointed out that while many literary prizes exist, they often cater to very specific genres or audiences. “A lot of book awards are very niche,” he noted. In contrast, the Gambling Book Awards were designed to recognise a category of writing that rarely receives mainstream literary attention.

He was also refreshingly candid about the financial realities of authorship in the sector. “Nobody is writing a book on gambling to get rich,” he said. “We noticed that people writing these books were not making money, dedicating a lot of time and skill, so we decided to make the cash prize really big – let’s make it meaningful.”

As part of the event at ICE Barcelona, the four shortlisted finalists were flown out to the city, with the identity of the eventual winner kept secret until the ceremony itself. The approach was intentionally designed to remove the usual competitive tension. Instead of a drawn-out build-up, the finalists were encouraged to socialise, connect and celebrate their shared achievement in a relaxed, engaging environment.

The inaugural winner, along with the accompanying cash prize, was Peter Venison for his memoir SOL: My Friend and Adversary. Speaking about the selection, Bruford described the book as “unique”, praising the remarkable achievement of an author well into his eighties. Venison’s victory marked a fitting start to an award designed to showcase the rich and often overlooked stories from within the gambling world.

Beyond the winner, Bruford highlighted that there are many more compelling examples of gambling literature deserving of attention – from personal memoirs and industry histories to explorations of betting culture and its social impact. The awards, he suggested, are only the beginning of a broader effort to recognise and elevate writing that captures the complexity of the sector.

If the first year is anything to go by, the Gambling Book Awards are set to become more than a one-off initiative – they are a statement that the gambling industry’s story is deeper, more nuanced and far more human than many assume.