Since January 2024, Matthew D’Emanuele has served as the CEO of Yolo Entertainment, a key division of Yolo Group.
However, Matthew D’Emanuele’s career path is anything but conventional. He first worked in contact centre outsourcing, before selling cars online. He then moved to Oman to work for a major company that managed a wide variety of businesses.
Later, he transitioned into finance, becoming Chief Operations Officer at Oxford International Financial Holdings in Malta.
His journey into iGaming began in 2016 when he joined Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) before taking on the CEO role at Eastrock Group, a casino brand business which focuses on Asia.
Driving Growth at Yolo Entertainment
Under D’Emanuele’s leadership, Yolo Entertainment has grown significantly. The company now has approximately 250 employees spread across multiple global locations.
Indeed, expansion is certainly a key priority for Matthew D’Emanuele. He noted that ‘scaling into new markets requires infrastructure, and that’s where we’re investing. Regulation is a core part of our strategy — it’s about gaining expertise and operating freely in key jurisdictions’.
With that being said, D’Emanuele isn’t afraid to make big decisions. Recently, Yolo exited the Brazilian market.
He explained, ‘We spent a lot of time analysing the market’s potential. We had success, even started the licensing process, but when we looked deeper at the marketing requirements and competitiveness, we felt there were other opportunities more worthy of our focus.’
However, he said that Brazil isn’t off the table forever. ‘It’s a strong market, and we’ll always have the ability to return when the time is right.’
D’Emanuele is known for his innovative leadership style, always wanting to stay ahead of industry trends. His faith in the expansion of cryptocurrency into traditional financial sectors seems to be his primary focus, and this has rubbed off on his company.
Yolo Entertainment is a crypto-first company. It sees digital currencies as more than just a payment method, but as an integral part of its ecosystem.
D’Emanuele explains ‘we see it [crypto] as something bigger — removing friction in gaming. We’re investing in technology to integrate crypto deeper into the customer experience, not just as a cashier option.’
He added, ‘we’re waiting for that ‘Apple iPhone moment’ — the tipping point where crypto moves from niche to mainstream. It’s coming, and we want to be ready.’
D’Emanuele is evolving as a leader, adjusting to the challenges of running a growing company. He explained ‘I used to be very hands-on, but as CEO of Yolo Entertainment, I can’t be in every detail. My role now is to ensure our leadership team embodies that same philosophy.’
Matthew D’Emanuele reflected that challenges, ups and downs, and surprises are inevitable when running a business, especially in an industry as dynamic as the iGaming sector. His key to success lies in staying curious and surrounding himself with talented, driven people who challenge and inspire him daily.
