【Angel vs sinner slot game download】Ask The iGaming Coach: A Candid Look at Leadership, Burnout, and Boundaries in iGaming

What came back was a raw and honest look at what leaders in this industry are really facing behind the scenes.

From alert fatigue and travel burnout to unclear managers, emotional pressure, and the guilt of logging off; this was not a scripted coaching session. It was real people asking real questions.

During a high-impact hour-long session on NEXT.io’s WhatsApp and Telegram channels, Leo tackled 13 of them.

This article captures his answers in full, in a format you can read and return to at your own pace.

If you’d rather watch the video responses, both parts are available on LinkedIn:

Part 1: Watch the video responses here

Part 2: Watch the second part here

If you lead, work, or simply want to survive in this industry, this one’s for you.

Q: How can I manage alert fatigue and get people to respect downtime?

Leo Judkins:Great question. We’re all flooded with notifications: emails, Slack, Teams, phone alerts. Many of us treat emails like instant messages and feel the need to respond immediately.

The first thing I recommend to all clients is to manage your notifications and take control of your attention. When you’re constantly reacting to messages, you’re working on someone else’s priorities instead of your own.

Here’s something to consider:

• We get distracted every 11 minutes on average
• It takes 26 minutes to return to the same level of focus

Task switching like that is a massive energy drain. Turning off notifications on your phone and computer helps you stay focused and get more done.

Now, when it comes to communicating this to your team or company, take the emotion out of the conversation. Talk about the facts. Explain how protecting uninterrupted time helps you work more effectively. Position it as something that benefits everyone.

It’s also important to recognise that protecting your downtime is your responsibility. Just because someone sends an email at 10 p.m. doesn’t mean you need to see it or respond. If expectations aren’t clear or realistic, start the conversation.

Boundaries only work if you uphold them. If others are overstepping, or if you are yourself, be honest about it. Small shifts in how we communicate can lead to a more respectful and productive work culture.

Q: How do I keep myself fresh while constantly traveling across time zones?

Leo Judkins: A lot of us in iGaming travel for conferences, switch between time zones, and have our sleep disrupted. Then we return home to family who expect us to be present and energised. All of that puts a big demand on your time and energy.

The key to staying fresh is not pushing harder. It’s about managing your rest and recovery. People often think high performance means working more or being more disciplined. But what they’re usually dealing with is a lack of energy, not a lack of focus or willpower.

When you’re tired, everything becomes harder. Staying focused, being patient, making good decisions; all of it requires energy. So the first thing to do is prioritise rest. Especially when you’re traveling, recovery becomes even more important.

There are lots of useful sleep strategies for dealing with time zones, and I’d encourage you to look into those. But more than that, build in recovery time. Give yourself permission to switch off. That might mean sleep, doing nothing, or stepping away from work completely, even for a short while.

The biggest mistake people make in this industry is thinking they can always be on. But you can’t. You have to switch off in order to show up well.

So ask yourself:

• Am I giving myself enough space to rest?
• Am I building in intentional time to recover after high-demand periods?

That’s the real key to staying fresh.

Q: What are the early signs of burnout I should watch out for?

Leo Judkins: Burnout is hard to spot if you haven’t been through it. The early signs often feel like things you should just push through, but that’s exactly what makes it dangerous.

One helpful model to look up is the stress-performance curve. On one end, when stress is too low, you’re bored and unmotivated. On the other end, when stress is too high and unmanaged, performance drops and burnout sets in. The sweet spot is in the middle—where pressure is balanced and you’re in the zone.

So what are the signs of burnout?

• Waking up tired, even after a full night’s sleep
• Struggling with motivation
• Losing joy in work and life
• Feeling mentally and physically drained throughout the day

But here’s the key: burnout isn’t just about how many hours you work. It’s about the weightof those hours. If you’re doing something you love and find meaningful, you can do it for long stretches. But if your work feels pointless or misaligned with your values, even five minutes can feel exhausting.

I’ve seen this firsthand. A client of mine at Bwin wasn’t working excessive hours, but he was completely drained because the work no longer felt fulfilling. He ended up in the hospital from the stress.

So don’t wait for burnout to hit. Focus on recovery.

Look at what’s in your control and make changes early. That’s how you create a more stable foundation to handle stress without sliding into burnout.

Q: How can I avoid feeling guilty for logging off on time, especially when others are still online?

Leo Judkins: This is something a lot of high achievers struggle with. You log off while others are still working, and you feel guilty, like you’re letting people down or leaving work unfinished.

Here’s what I want you to remember: You are not paid for your hours. You are paid for your impact.

Sitting at a desk for ten hours doesn’t mean you’ve contributed value. It just means you were present. The business doesn’t benefit from your time. It benefits from your results.

The guilt usually comes from not being clear on the value you bring. High performers often brush off their own accomplishments, telling themselves, “That’s just what I expect of myself.” But if nothing ever feels good enough, then of course logging off will feel wrong.

So ask yourself:

• Am I clear on the value I deliver?
• Do I actually acknowledge what I’ve done?

The second piece is communication. If you’re logging off on time, talk about it. Let people know why. Not as an excuse, but to normalise it.

In our mastermind groups, we see VPs, founders, executives (real leaders) drop the mask and talk openly about their challenges. That openness creates space for others to do the same.

When you stop pretending everything’s fine and just explain what you need, the pressure lifts. You no longer have to prove yourself by being the last one online.

So: get clear on your value, and talk about what you’re doing and why. That’s how you shift the culture—not just for yourself, but for the people around you.

Q: How do I reset my mindset after a chaotic week so that Monday doesn’t start with leftover stress?

Leo Judkins: Such a great question. What most people do with stress is suppress it.

They try to push it down with distractions: binge-watching Netflix, doom scrolling, drinking, constantly checking their phones. These might offer short-term relief, but they don’t actually process the stress.

To reset properly, you need tools that actually help you release tension. Some of the most effective ones are simple:

• Go for a walk without your phone
• Get into nature if you can
• Do some deep breathing
• Reach out to a friend and have a real conversation
• Move your body in any way that feels good

But here’s the most powerful technique: close your week with intention.

At the end of the day, or the end of the week, reflect on what you’ve done. Then schedule what still needs to be done.

That way, your tasks move out of your head and into your calendar. You’re no longer mentally carrying them over the weekend or into Monday.

If you want Monday to feel calm, start preparing for it on Friday.

Break your tasks into smaller, clear actions and assign time for them. That helps you offload stress and come back focused instead of frazzled.

Q: How do I manage a remote manager who isn’t very communicative?

Leo Judkins: This is such an important question, especially with more of us working remotely.

First, here’s something to keep in mind:

What your manager is doing and how you’re interpreting it are two different things. If they’re being uncommunicative, it could be because they’re overwhelmed or simply don’t realise how much clarity you need. It’s easy to assume the worst, but those assumptions aren’t always accurate.

Once you recognise that, the next step is simple; have the conversation.

Say something like: “I’m unclear about what’s expected of me in this area. Could we talk through it together?”

Being proactive about seeking clarity is much better than waiting and hoping for it to appear.

Especially in remote work, communication needs to be deliberate. You don’t get the body language, the small cues, the informal check-ins that happen naturally in an office. Tools like Slack or email strip away most of the nonverbal communication we rely on to build trust.

So my advice:

• Schedule a proper one-on-one
• Use video if possible
• Be calm, clear, and factual
• Set your intentions going into the conversation
• Ask for feedback and clarification

Remote relationships take effort. But the more clear and present you are, the easier it becomes to manage expectations and reduce the stress that comes from uncertainty.

Q: How do I manage supervisors who get overly emotional with me under pressure?

Leo Judkins: This is a big one. Many of us have been in situations where a supervisor gets frustrated or emotional and takes it out on us. It creates stress and slows down your work.

So how do you deal with it?

Start by separating their behaviour from your reaction. You can’t control how someone else acts, but you can control how you choose to respond. That’s where your power is.

A model I often reference with clients is the sphere of control.

Ask yourself:

• What about this situation is within my control?
• What isn’t?
• What can I change about how I react next time?

You have more control than you think.

Once the pressure has eased, once the deadline or crisis has passed, have the conversation. Talk to the person. Don’t make it emotional. Stick to facts. Be specific about how their behaviour affected your ability to do your job.

You could say something like: “When things get tense, I find it harder to focus when emotions run high. Can we talk about how we approach those moments going forward?”

You’re not accusing anyone. You’re asking to work together more effectively.

To sum up:

• In the moment, manage your reaction
• Afterward, speak up and set expectations for how you want to work together

It’s about protecting your well-being while keeping the relationship intact.

Q: When is the right time to go for a promotion without risking burnout?

Leo Judkins: I agree, people in iGaming often get promoted too early. But the bigger issue is that we don’t give people enough support once they are promoted.

Let’s start with timing.

You grow by stepping outside your comfort zone. Waiting until someone else notices your potential isn’t a strategy. You have to be proactive.

A great example is Sasha, CCO at Playtech Live. She got her C-level role by knocking on doors, literally.

They didn’t know her, so she introduced herself. She kept following up. She clearly explained what she could bring to the role, and she didn’t stop until they listened. She was persistent, not annoying. That made the difference.

Now, about protecting your well-being once you get promoted.

Here’s what often happens:

• You get promoted internally
• People assume you already know the job
• You’re not onboarded properly
• You feel like an imposter
• You try to do your old job and your new one
• You overwork, micromanage, and burn out

It’s a trap.

The person who got promoted was probably the top performer. That leaves a big gap behind. But instead of stepping into the new role fully, they try to do both. That’s when things fall apart.

The answer is delegation.

You have to let go, even if others don’t do the task as fast or as well as you did. That’s part of their growth. Your job is now to lead, not to fix everything yourself.

So yes, knock on doors. Ask for the role. Show what you can bring.

But once you’re in, let go of what you used to carry. That’s how you grow without breaking yourself in the process.

Q: What are the most common good and bad habits you see in iGaming leaders?

Leo Judkins: I’ve worked with over 300 leaders in iGaming, and yes, there are definite patterns. The best performers share a few key habits.

Let’s start with the good.

High-performing leaders tend to:

• Get proper rest
• Protect their time
• Delegate well
• Match their energy to the type of work they’re doing
• Say no to the wrong things so they can say yes to the right ones

One concept I often share is the “not-do list.”These leaders are very aware of where their time gets wasted. They avoid shiny object syndrome. They know that being busy doesn’t mean being productive.

They also understand their energy. Some people are sharpest in the morning, others in the afternoon or evening. Top performers align their most important work with the time of day when their brain is at its best. That kind of alignment is a game changer.

Now, the flip side, what holds people back.

The most common bad habits are:

• Overthinking
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Poor prioritisation
• Constant distractions
• Being too involved in the day-to-day
• Not being able to let go

These habits don’t just slow leaders down, they prevent their teams from growing. If you’re always involved in everything, people never learn to take ownership.

So if you’re leading a team in iGaming, ask yourself: Am I making space for performance, or am I getting in the way?

Q: What’s the best way to create boundaries with upper management, especially during intense periods?

Leo Judkins: Good question, and I’ll start by saying I’m not completely sure what kind of boundaries you mean; whether it’s around time, expectations, or something else. But either way, the principle is the same.

Boundaries are your responsibility.

Yes, people should respect your boundaries. They shouldn’t be disrespectful or cross lines. But what’s in your control is how clearly you define those boundaries, and how well you communicate them.

It doesn’t matter if it’s someone in upper management, someone in your team, or anyone else. You need to be clear on where your limits are, and you need to speak up when those limits are being crossed.

A lot of people wait for others to notice or guess their limits. That’s not how it works. Boundaries only function when you make them known, and stick to them.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or under pressure, ask yourself:

• Have I communicated my limits clearly?
• Am I reinforcing them through my actions?
• If someone is pushing past them, have I addressed it directly?

The conversation might feel uncomfortable, but it’s often necessary. And it’s a key part of maintaining long-term high performance.

Q: What are the best techniques for operating at 100% while avoiding burnout?

Leo Judkins: Here’s the honest answer: you can’t operate at 100 percent all the time.

Some days, your 100 percent might only be 20 percent of your usual energy. And that’s okay. The key is to recognise what you have in the tank, and work with that, not against it.

Burnout happens when people try to push through and force output their body and mind can’t sustain. You can’t outwork biology. If your energy is gone, forcing more performance won’t get you results, it’ll just wear you down faster.

So instead of chasing perfect output, focus on the input side: rest and recovery.

That doesn’t just mean sleep. It also means:

• Taking real breaks during the day
• Disconnecting from work completely, even for five minutes
• Breathing deeply, walking outside, shifting your mental state
• Doing things that refill your energy, not drain it

Here’s a common mistake: people take a “break,” but they’re still on their phone, checking emails. That’s not a break. A real break is disconnecting from your work mode entirely, even briefly, to let your system reset.

If you want to operate at your best, the first thing to manage is your recovery. That’s what gives you the capacity to perform, whatever “100 percent” looks like on any given day.

Q: What specific actions can I take to stay focused on key tasks and quiet the monkey mind?

Leo Judkins: Yes, the first step is reducing distractions: turning off notifications, closing unnecessary apps, using noise-cancelling headphones if you’re in an open office.

But that only addresses external distractions.

The tougher part is managing internal distractions; the monkey mind.

We talk a lot about this in our mastermind. Internal distractions are the mental urges that pull your attention away from what matters. And to deal with them, you need more than just discipline. You need awareness and strategy.

Here’s one powerful technique we use: the circuit breaker.

This is the space between your urge and your action. When the distraction pops up—like checking social media, refreshing your inbox, switching tabs—you pause. You notice the urge, label it, and give yourself even a few seconds before acting on it.

That pause gives you a chance to make a different choice.

In meditation, they call this “noting.” You don’t try to suppress the thought—you observe it and let it pass, like a cloud in the sky. The same applies here. The distraction will come, but whether you act on it is up to you.

It’s a skill. And like any skill, it gets stronger the more you practice.

So:

• Remove external distractions
• Build awareness of internal ones
• Use circuit breakers to break the pattern
• And when you slip up, just begin again

That’s how you train your focus over time.