speakers

smart-bash 2026 speakers

Nick Rust

Nick has had a long career as an executive in the betting industry, from shop floor to boardroom. He also led the British Horseracing Authority as Chief Executive from 2015 to 2021. Amongst other activities, he is currently Chair of the Starting Price Regulatory Commission and Chair of the Industry Forum at the Gambling Commission (an advisory group).

Anthony Kaminskas

Anthony is the founder of AK Bets, a growing independent bookmaker known for its sharp pricing and transparency. With experience on both sides of the counter — as a professional bettor and former Paddy Power trader — he brings a unique perspective to the betting world. Anthony is also a regular voice in industry discussions and media.

Tony Calvin

Tony is a well-known broadcaster and horse racing pundit, best known for his regular appearances on ITV Racing and contributions to Betfair. With decades of experience in the betting industry, he combines sharp insight with a straight-talking style that has earned him a loyal following among punters and racing fans alike.

Harry Stewart-Moore
Harry is a partner at the law firm Gardner Leader, with a speciality in cases related to the betting industry. Harry regularly acts for some of the leading names in the gambling world in both High Court proceedings and before various sports regulatory panels.
 
Sir Philip Davies
Sir Philip Davies was a Conservative MP for 19 years, during which time he was one of the UK Parliament’s most vocal supporters of individual liberties, including the freedom to bet. A longstanding member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Betting and Gaming, Sir Philip brings a direct political perspective to industry discussions, with deep insight into regulation, reform, and public policy. Currently the Chairman of the Star Sports Group of Companies and a Board Member of the Racehorse Owners Association.
Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith is a professional sports and political bettor with more than a decade of experience in the markets. Having worked at Star Sports and operated independently, Adrian is a data-driven trader with a sharp instinct for identifying mispriced odds — particularly in high-stakes elections and leadership contests.
 
Will Kedjanyi
Head of political content at Star Sports, delivering sharp insights on market trends and election outcomes. Regular contributor to the Racing Post Weekender, blending astute analysis with engaging commentary.
 
 
Paul Krishnamurty
One of the pioneers of political betting, Paul Krishnamurty has been analyzing elections and leadership contests, large and small, across the world, for over 20 years. He’s currently chief political oddsmaker at BetOnline”. 
Richard Hayler
Richard Hayler is Managing Director of IBAS, the UK’s leading gambling dispute resolution service. He’s currently spearheading efforts for IBAS to become the official Gambling Ombudsman.
Dan Abrams
Dan is a professional engineer and part-time sports betting analyst. He has previously written several articles on hedging and bankroll management and is the author of the book But How Much Did You Lose? which looks at ways that bettors can use risk management to optimize their expected bankroll growth and increase their bankroll more quickly.
 
 
Simon Nott
Simon Nott is a seasoned freelance journalist and media creator specializing in horse racing and betting. Renowned for his #BettingPeople interview series with Star Sports, he also contributes betting ring reports and columns to various publications, including Racing Ahead magazine.
Matthew Trenhaile

Matthew Trenhaile is the founder of Anubis Trading, a consultancy specializing in decision-making systems for speculative markets. With a background in odds compilation and trading at firms like Mustard Bet and Pinnacle, he brings over two decades of experience in the betting industry.

Jose

Jose is one of the most well-connected figures in betting, known for working closely with serious punters and syndicates around the world to help them get on and stay under the radar. Rather than modelling himself, he focuses on leveraging relationships, understanding market mechanics, and guiding profitable bettors toward long-term sustainability.

David Hipkin
David Hipkin is a seasoned betting professional with decades of experience across both punting and trading roles. David is also the co-owner of the SharpBetting app and website.
Luke Paton

Luke Paton is a long-time bettor and betting industry professional with deep experience across both the punting and operational sides of the game. Known for his sharp insights into value, market dynamics, and bookmaker behaviour, he brings a grounded, practical perspective to everything betting-related.

Varun Sudhakar
Varun Sudhakar is CEO and co-founder of BetDEX, a decentralised betting exchange focused on low fees and transparency. He also runs the BetDEX brokerage, helping high-stakes bettors and syndicates move large volumes efficiently.
 
Tanya Stevenson
Tanya Stevenson is a highly respected betting broadcaster, journalist, and former Channel 4 Racing presenter, known for her deep expertise in horse racing and betting markets.
 
Brad Enright
Brad Enright is the Director of Strategy at the Gambling Commission, overseeing key regulatory initiatives and sector reforms. With a career spanning from retail operations at Ladbrokes to senior leadership roles at the Commission, he brings two decades of hands-on experience in the betting and regulatory sectors.
 
Tom Dry
Tom Dry is a professional bettor with a background in football analytics and data science, including time working for Tony Bloom’s betting operation. He has built a highly profitable tennis betting model and is backed by Waterhouse VC.
Mark Hill

Mark is the Trading Director at Amelco, a sports betting end-to-end platform provider servicing operators such as Hard Rock, Fanatics, BET99, Fitzdares and the Tote. A former researcher and analyst for just under 10 years at Starlizard, Mark transitioned over to the other side of the counter in 2021, specialising in North American sports and products but with a rich history in football betting behind him.

Jack Adcock

Jack has worked in various trading roles at bookmakers and now runs a worldwide gambling syndicate primarily focused on the U.K. market for a private investor.

Miguel Figueres

Miguel, the CEO and founder of the highly successful Winner Odds betting algorithm, leverages AI to identify inefficiencies in bookmaker odds for sports like football and tennis. He is also a Civil Engineer and an Associate Professor at Valencia University, specializing in Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence. Look out for his special presentation at Smart Bash.

Stephen Darbyshire

Stephen goes to the races around 150 days of the year punting, up and down the length of the country. He has become known to viewers of Races Now with his idiosyncratic style for his daily selections, YouTube videos and betting ring reports with “friends of the channel”.

James King

James King is Global Head of Trading at Racing and Sports. A lifelong racing fan, he has over 20 years’ experience in the betting industry, including 12 years at Kambi, where he led racing strategy across multiple sportsbook brands.

Michael Cannon

Michael Cannon, with 40 years of on-course experience, is a respected bookmaker and form judge, now sharing his betting insights through popular pre-race videos on X.

Tom Brownlee

Tom Brownlee is a seasoned professional bettor and founder of Bookie Bashing, known for blending algorithmic modelling and hands-on sharp advantage play across football, horse racing, golf, darts, and more

Chris Fawcett

Chris Fawcett is a professional bettor and co-founder of SharpBetting.co.uk, known for combining data-driven strategy with decades of betting experience. Active since the early 1990s, he’s built profitable systems across football, horse racing, and greyhounds using automation and analytics.

Thursday’s Workshop

  • 12:30 Arrival - Coffee, tea & pastries
  • 13:15 Workshop 1 - Masterclass In The Basics Of Probability In Sports Betting:
  • 14:30 Workshop 2 - How To Price Up A Horse Race
  • 14:45 Presentation 1 - Winner Odds: How to Make a Model with Miguel Figueres
  • 15:30 Coffee Break
  • 16:00 How To Win More By Losing Less with Dan Abrams
  • 16:45 BetDEX: The Lifecycle Of An Exchange Market with Varun
  • 17:30 Finish
  • 18:00 Pre-Networking Drinks