Hot Fiesta

What is Hot Fiesta?

The operator has made a number of key operational and technology changes during this process, including switching its sportsbook backend from DraftKings to OpenBet. And hiring a number of industry stalwards to lead its competitive business.

Former Scientific Games veteran Chris Armes was appointed as the new executive VP of Gaming Technologies in early August. Armes is set to take up his new role in the autumn of 2026, leading Veikkaus’ technology organisation from its Helsinki headquarters. 

In July last year, Veikkaus iGaming EVP Jarkko Nordlund told iGB: “The competition will be fierce when the market opens, so we must be very competitive. Our aim is to challenge the mentality of our current position, so we need to secure market leadership.” 

About Hot Fiesta

On Thursday, Codere Online announced a multi-year partnership as the official betting partner of the National Football League (NFL) in Mexico, as the US’ NFL season kicks off.

The collaboration includes sponsorship rights for significant NFL events such as Super Bowl LXI and the NFL Mexico Game – a regular-season NFL matchup on 22 November 2026 in Mexico City between the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings. 

The deal extends to activations around the 2027 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. The companies have outlined provisions for hospitality programmes, VIP experiences, activations across several Mexican cities and official NFL merchandise opportunities for Codere Online’s customer base.

What is Hot Fiesta?

The first time I walked into an iGaming conference was daunting. I knew next to no-one in the industry and, as far as I knew, no one knew me. I was an outsider in every sense, representing an unknown product in an industry I believed would be resistant to change.

While this initially seemed terrifying, I quickly discovered that this outsider status was a gift. It has allowed me to view the industry through fresh eyes. I do not have any preconceptions about companies or products. This has become my superpower, allowing me to analyse the industry without bias and, hopefully, help shape its future.

iGaming was not the industry I set out to work in. Before 2021, I worked in finance and business – agro companies, management consultancy and investment funds, none of which were remotely linked to the industry.