Crypto-Casinos.com has announced the appointment of Paul Puolakka as CMO and Co-Founder, marking an important step in the company’s ambition to build a trusted media brand focused on the future of crypto gambling and digital entertainment.
Puolakka brings more than a decade of experience across affiliate marketing, operator growth, partnerships and executive leadership. Having worked on both the operator and affiliate sides of the industry, he has built a reputation as a commercially minded leader with a passion for brand-building, sustainable growth, and industry collaboration.
As Co-Founder and CMO, he will lead the company’s marketing strategy, partnerships, communications and long-term brand development.
For Crypto-Casinos.com, the objective extends beyond becoming another casino comparison website.
The company’s vision is to build a trusted brand that players return to because they value the quality of the information it provides while also becoming a respected voice within the wider industry through educational content, interviews, analysis, and thought leadership.
Co-Founder and CEO Havard Lehn believes Puolakka is the right person to help realise that ambition.
Paul has a rare combination of experience from both the operator and affiliate sides of the industry. He understands growth, partnerships and brand building, but he also understands where the market is heading. Crypto gambling, alternative payment solutions and prediction markets are all areas that we believe will play an increasingly important role over the coming years. We’re not interested in building a short-term affiliate project. We want to build a trusted brand with long-term value for both players and industry stakeholders. Paul’s experience, entrepreneurial mindset and credibility within the industry make him a natural fit.
For Puolakka, the decision to join Crypto-Casinos.com was both a professional and personal one.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some fantastic people and businesses throughout my career. At the same time, I’ve always enjoyed building. There is something incredibly rewarding about creating something new alongside people you trust and respect.
At this stage of my career, I wanted to be involved in a project where I genuinely believe in both the people and the long-term vision. Opportunities like that don’t come around every day.
Puolakka believes crypto payments will continue to play a growing role in online gambling as player expectations evolve.
Players increasingly expect speed, flexibility and convenience. Crypto addresses many of those needs in ways that traditional payment methods often struggle to match. That doesn’t mean traditional payments disappear tomorrow, but I do believe crypto payments will become an increasingly important part of the future online gambling ecosystem.
He also sees prediction markets as one of the most interesting developments currently emerging around the broader gaming landscape.
Prediction markets are still relatively new to many people within iGaming, but I think they’re one of the most fascinating developments we’ve seen in years. Whether they ultimately sit closer to betting, financial products or somewhere in between, they’re attracting new audiences and creating entirely new conversations. I believe they’ll become an increasingly important part of the broader digital entertainment ecosystem.
Beyond reviews and rankings, Crypto-Casinos.com plans to invest heavily in educational content, market insights, and conversations about the future of gambling, payments, and emerging technologies. Puolakka said,
There are thousands of websites and projects competing for attention in this industry. What excites me about this project is the opportunity to build something people genuinely trust. Whether you’re a player looking for information or an industry professional trying to understand where the market is heading, trust has to sit at the centre of everything we do.
As the industry continues to evolve, both founders believe that trust will become an increasingly important differentiator.
Crypto payments, prediction markets and new forms of digital entertainment may reshape how consumers engage with gaming, but brands that prioritise transparency, expertise and long-term thinking will ultimately be the ones that stand the test of time.
For Puolakka, that’s exactly the kind of business worth building.
I’ve spent more than ten years in this industry and I’m still as excited about its future as I was when I first entered it. The opportunity to help build a trusted brand centred on where the industry is heading, while doing so alongside a great team, felt like the right challenge at the right time. I’m excited for what comes next.