Earlier this month, we sat down with DataArt for their ‘The Encores‘ podcast series to talk through how The Unit has scaled globally, how we stay close to clients, and the trends shaping iGaming products in 2025. This blog captures some of the key takeaways from that conversation.
There’s plenty shifting across betting and gaming right now. Taxes are going up. Regulations are tightening. Operators are being pushed to move faster and build smarter, which is where strong iGaming products become essential. For us, that means staying close to the people doing the building.
In a recent episode of The Encores podcast, our Co-Founder Paddy Casey joined DataArt to talk through how The Unit has grown, how we work with clients, and what’s actually driving product innovation in 2025.
From Four Staff in Dundalk to a Global Product Partner
“We celebrated our seventh birthday as The Unit in early July,” Paddy said. “We’ve kind of evolved from what we were when we started back… a small office with no heating, just the cold water and four staff.”
Today, we’ve got close to 100 people across Ireland, Moldova, and New York, with a new office on the way in Zagreb. That growth has come from one simple focus: building good products, and staying close to the people we’re building them for.
“We design and develop iGaming products for operators and platform providers. Some of our engineers work as an extension of our clients’ internal teams. In other cases, we build specifically siloed products that slot into a wider portfolio. We don’t really have a preference.”
This approach has been core to how we deliver iGaming product development for operators with very different needs, timelines, and tech stacks.
Why Betting and iGaming Operators Need Teams on the Ground
In January, The Unit opened an office in Manhattan. For a team already working with clients across North and South America, it was a logical next step.
“Mark O’Hare, our VP of Sales for America, is running operations there,” Paddy said. “We’ve got experienced product people in Ireland, the UK, and now in the US. That means we’re close to clients, we can understand their culture, and we can get requirements properly before pushing anything to development.”
That face-to-face contact still matters. “Think of New York. Like Frank Sinatra said, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. I genuinely believe that. You’ve got to know your stuff. We do.”
Where Product Innovation in Betting Is Actually Happening
Paddy touched on where we see the next wave of innovation coming from.
- Prediction exchanges and peer-to-peer models
- Crypto casino features
- SGP and cashout functionality applied to new products
- Loyalty mechanics tied to spend, activity, and brand retention
There’s also interest in how big operators like DraftKings and Fanatics are approaching prediction markets. If legislation changes at a federal level, it could create space for exchange-style products in every US state.
“Crypto will eventually be regulated,” Paddy added. “Maybe not in the US first, but we’re already seeing a lot of innovation in that space, especially on the casino side.”
Tax Increases Are Driving Smarter Betting Software Strategies
Illinois and New Jersey were namechecked during the chat, but the bigger point was this: rising tax rates are driving change.
“Some operators might try to add additional margin into SGPs or their trading book,” Paddy said. “There will be product innovation because it affects the bottom line.”
That might mean rethinking stake limits, loyalty structures, or entirely new product types that work across regulated and grey markets.
“When taxes increase, and no one’s showing up to protect the sector, innovation becomes the only option.”
Watch the Full Interview:
If you’re building iGaming products and need a partner who can move fast in regulated and emerging markets, we’d love to chat. Get in touch with The Unit and let’s talk about building what’s next.
