Written by: Lauren Harrison

Having specialized as a copywriter, casino critic, and analyst for multiple gambling jurisdictions over the last eight years, Lauren came on board to help execute the cabbie vision in early 2020. Charged with populating and editing the site, undertaking the research, and collecting the data that is the backbone of Casino Cabbie, you can find out more about Lauren or get in touch with her via LinkedIn.

How Casino Cabbie Started

I'd worked closely with Alex freelance for about two years before he approached me regarding Casino Cabbie. He already had the brand nailed, and we conjured up a pretty swish content strategy for a gambling review site built on reliable data and analysis alongside expert gaming advice. All that was needed were a hella load of words, a lot of primary data creation, and some downright demon coding and networking with basically zero funding - no problemo, right? 

Alex is the kind of get-things-done guy - hence he's at the helm of Cabbie affiliate connections. As a perfectionist who loves to learn. He knows content and SEO inside out (having managed a site for a top firm for years), but he's built to code whatever we can conjure up to help US players get a better deal. 

As Cabbie's content editor, I'm more of a get-to-the-gritty-details copywriter who'd take hard facts and legal data over opinion any day of the week. While that might not sound appealing, it makes for grade-A content and some wicked data analysis alongside a lot of counting and firsthand testing - everything you see on Casino Cabbie is created or based on primary data that we collect.

There's no avoiding the fact that between us, we're a small break-away brand and a start-up lacking experience (we've been learning as we go, so we won't say zero), but this is what's different about us, and makes Casino Cabbie a standout review site.

We're incredibly proud to be licensed to legally recommend casino sites in the US; it's a sign of our authority on the matter and that our content and recommendations are legitimate.

Background and Education

If you know about European gambling, you'll be aware of the Malta Gambling Authority. It's one of Europe's biggest gambling licensing bodies, and it opens the door to the free market for iGaming operators. What you might not know is that this small Mediterranean island also has business-friendly tax laws, meaning shareholders can claim a 5/7 rebate. These factors make it the perfect European home for gambling operators, suppliers, and secondary industries. It was also where I found myself living in 2016.

In Malta, the iGaming industry employs over 10,000 people, bringing over €1.5 billion a year in revenue to the Economy, not including the secondary industries that serve the iGaming market.

Naturally, living there and with a working background in teaching (and, therefore, a sound understanding of language construction), plus a lifelong love of language, I quickly found myself drawn into the content creation and affiliate industry, working freelance at the same company as Alex. 

Eight years down the line, I've worked on some pretty big casino contracts, featured regularly on the industry's top news sites, written literally hundreds of casino reviews, and currently work as the editor of Casino Cabbie. It's been a pretty wild ride.

Education

• 2011-2014: University of Northampton: BA International Development - First Class.
• 2017-2018: University of Malta: MA Diplomatic Studies - Honors.

Quick Fire Question Round

Years working in iGaming

Eight+

Favorite slot studios

Booming Games, 4 The Player, ReelPlay, High5Games, and Fantasma.

What was the first casino game you fell in love with? 

Blackjack is a game I've loved since childhood and played during family holidays, betting match sticks in a tent.

Favorite real money game now? 

Blackjack, especially live dealer games, has a special place in my heart, but a big part of my job now is following slot releases. I play a lot of new slot games and get to stay on top of all the latest trends, which makes me a pretty keen spinner.

Favorite US casino and why

Uhh, I have a few: I'm a big fan of no wagering bonuses because of the freedom they provide, so I love BetRivers and FanDuel for this; no minimum banking limits are great, so StarDust and DraftKings for that, but all-round gaming experience and lobby size, I'd pick Borgata or BetMGM every time as they have hundred more games than competitors and always have exclusive options.

Most money you've won on a casino game

I'm not a high-stakes gambler; I like cheap games and casual punts - I'm not about playing the game. While this tends to mean I bet low, I did win around $250 on an online slot machine bonus round once. 

Tournaments - take them or leave them? 

There's one high-stakes area of an online casino I can't resist, and that is tournaments. I usually join when there's a promo to make things even more appealing!

Why the USA? 

Affiliate marketing is wild and filled with well-resourced companies. To have a fair shot at getting into the iGaming market, we needed to enter somewhere fresher and, due to the requirement of an affiliate license, less competitive. The idea of making a mark on a newer market also appealed as there is lots happening 24/7 with new states legalizing gambling and new games, software, and operators hitting the market. 

Get in Touch

We love hearing from interested parties. Whether it's cause you like what we're doing or want to come on board for an interview, you can reach out to me via my Linkedin profile or send me an email at: [email protected]