Samuel Barclay

Professional Background

Sam began freelancing in 2021, picking up iGaming briefs early on. Quickly, he realised this was the space he wanted to grow in. The combination of sports, casino, strategy, and the forever-changing regulatory landscape was something that interested him.

Over the following years, he produced 1M+ words of content, receiving over 500 five-star reviews. He’s written for all types of businesses in the industry, from casino operators all the way to affiliates and agencies in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.

For a short period, Sam also helped scale remote editorial teams through SOPs, editorial standards, and QA workflows. While he valued the experience, he found that hands-on writing was what he liked best, so he returned to freelancing solo.

Alongside this, he’s contributed sports content to The Stacey West, Lincoln City’s #1 fan podcast. He’s also a regular attendee at industry-related events, such as iGB, ICE, and SiGMA.

What Makes Sam an Expert

Sam’s expertise comes from repetition. Having produced over a million words of iGaming content for multiple brands, affiliates, and service providers, he knows exactly what readers want and rightfully deserve.

Sam’s Top Tips

• Always read the fine print on bonuses before claiming: Check bonus terms like wagering requirements, game restrictions, contribution percentages, duration, max bets, max wins, etc., to see the true value of a bonus.
• Know the casino or sportsbook you’re signing up for: Perform 5-10 minutes of research before signing up for a platform. Check licensing, customer reviews, and what they generally offer. It won’t take long, and it’ll save you a ton of headaches.
• Don’t make impulsive bets: Emotional and reactive betting is a good way to lose money. When emotions are high, take a walk and come back to it when you’ve calmed down.
• Loyalty programs can be more valuable than most think: Don’t overlook ongoing rewards for flashy welcome bonuses. A strong loyalty scheme can provide far better long-term value.

Work Experience

• Samuel’s Writing - Freelance iGaming Content Writer (2021 - Present)

Education

• Self-Education - Certified Search Specialist (Digital Marketing Institute), Advanced SEO Training (Gotch SEO Academy)
• Industry Training - Internal training from operators, affiliates, and service providers in the industry.

Q&A

Q: Why did you get into the iGaming industry? By trial and error. It came into my writing career early on, and I found it more interesting than other industries like travel, tech, history, etc.

Q: What makes you good in this role? I know the industry inside and out and generally care about the reader. Their time is valuable, so I always want to produce the best content for them.

Q: How do you ensure a casino or sportsbook review is complete? Intensive research, personal experience, and third-party validation. These tell me everything I need to know about what the platform is, what they offer, and how well they offer it.

Q: What’s the biggest issue you see with iGaming content today? Far too much content is being produced for search engines and not people. If it doesn’t benefit the reader, the content isn’t doing its job.