Advisory to operators, investors and boards navigating M&A, market entry, regulatory disruption and value creation across regulated gambling markets worldwide. Over 20 years of experience from the equity desk to the boardroom.
About
TEISE Advisory is a specialist strategic advisory firm focused exclusively on the gambling and gaming sector. Founded by Vaughan Lewis, the firm provides board-level counsel to operators, investors and technology businesses across regulated markets worldwide.
Vaughan brings over 20 years of experience spanning equity research, corporate development, C-suite and board leadership. As Chief Strategy Officer at evoke plc (formerly 888/William Hill), he led the strategic repositioning of the group from a fragmented, grey-market-led operator into a focused top-three player across five core European markets — the UK, Italy, Spain, Romania and Denmark — with c.90% of revenues concentrated in regulated markets with sustainable competitive advantages. The transformation required a full portfolio restructuring, including strategic acquisitions, multiple market exits, and the integration of the William Hill business. During his tenure at evoke, Vaughan also served as interim CFO and held direct P&L ownership across multiple business units alongside broader transformation leadership.
Earlier, Vaughan held senior corporate development roles at Sky Betting & Gaming and The Stars Group, contributing to two landmark sector transactions: the $4.7bn Sky Bet sale and the $12bn Flutter/Stars Group merger. He also serves as Chairman of CarbonPay and has held a board role at SIS.
TEISE Advisory combines deep operational experience with an investor’s analytical rigour. The firm works across the full strategic lifecycle, from market entry and M&A origination through to regulatory navigation, integration execution and exit preparation. Clients include PE-backed operators, high-growth challenger brands, listed gambling groups, technology platforms and institutional investors active in the sector.
Services
Board-level strategic counsel for operators, investors and technology businesses. Market positioning, growth strategy, competitive response and strategic reviews. Typical situations: new CEO strategic review, response to regulatory or tax disruption, pre-transaction strategic positioning.
Buy-side and sell-side advisory across the gambling and gaming sector. Target identification, commercial due diligence, valuation, deal structuring and integration planning. Track record across transactions ranging from bolt-on acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic capital investments through to multi-billion pound combinations.
Regulatory pathway analysis, market prioritisation, licensing strategy and go-to-market planning for new jurisdictions. Experience across European, North American, African and Latin American regulated markets.
Navigation of evolving regulatory and tax frameworks. Policy analysis, government affairs strategy and compliance structuring. Active voice in the UK gambling policy debate with published commentary on taxation, channelisation and black market dynamics.
Commercial, regulatory and management due diligence for investors, boards and acquirers. Expert network and expert witness services. Investigations covering competitive positioning, management assessment, regulatory risk and market integrity.
Equity story development, investor communication and capital raising support. IPO readiness, strategic positioning for exit and investor Q&A preparation. Experience supporting businesses from seed-stage through to public markets.
Interim executive leadership for operators requiring hands-on strategic and operational transformation. Business turnaround, performance improvement, team restructuring and execution management. Experience as interim CEO for an international sports betting operator.
Experience
Representative advisory mandates. Client names withheld for confidentiality.
Led strategic advisory for a high-growth UK operator’s international expansion programme, delivering a board-ready market entry strategy covering nine priority jurisdictions across Europe, North America, Latin America and Africa. Work included regulatory pathway analysis, competitive landscape mapping, financial modelling and partnership identification.
Conducted comprehensive commercial and management due diligence for a private equity investor evaluating a regulated European online casino acquisition opportunity. Scope included due diligence of management plans, competitor benchmarking and deal structuring.
Strategic review of African sports betting platform with omni-channel operations. Scope included competitive positioning analysis, management assessment, regulatory risk review and a detailed retail estate optimisation framework.
Provided expert strategic counsel on UK gambling tax policy following the October 2024 Budget, including quantitative analysis of channelisation impact, black market growth projections and evidence-based recommendations for policy reform. Published analysis cited in industry and media coverage.
Strategy evaluation and fund raising plan for a venture-backed prediction markets platform entering US regulated markets.
Latest thinking
TEISE Advisory publishes regular analysis on gambling industry strategy, policy and regulation. Selected recent pieces:
Speaking & media
Vaughan is a regular contributor to industry debate on gambling strategy, regulation and policy. Recent appearances include:
Eilers & Krejcik Gaming — Zero Latency podcast
Barstewards — podcast
CMS Gambling Conference — panel on black market dynamics
Illegal Gambling Prevention Summit 2026 — “Racing to the Black Market” panel
Luck on Sunday — broadcast appearance on greyhound racing welfare and regulation
Contact
To discuss a potential engagement or explore how TEISE Advisory can support your business, contact Vaughan directly.
[email protected]Based in Kent, working globally.