The iGaming industry moves fast, with constant innovation and fierce competition, both for operators and affiliates. For entrepreneurs, navigating such a dynamic market requires adaptability, a deep understanding of the audience, and a relentless focus on staying ahead.
Joonas Karhu, CEO of Bojoko.com, exemplifies these qualities. Under his leadership, Bojoko has become a trusted platform in the UK iGaming space, offering users transparency, guidance, and tools to confidently navigate online casinos.
In this interview, Karhu shares his journey from poker tables to the helm of Bojoko, reflects on the company’s achievements, and offers insights on leadership, innovation, and staying competitive year after year.
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Q: Your background as a poker player is fascinating. How has that shaped your approach to leading Bojoko?
Joonas Karhu: Poker taught me a lot about strategy, adaptability, and decision-making under pressure. At the table, you’re constantly analyzing your position, anticipating moves, and calculating risks. Those skills translate directly into business.
When you’re leading a company, you need to think ahead and make decisions with limited information—just like in poker. But it’s not just about strategy; poker also taught me patience and discipline. In business, you can’t get emotional about every setback or overconfident with every success. You have to stay steady, focus on your goals, and keep improving.
These principles have guided our approach to challenges and opportunities. Whether refining our platform or exploring new markets, we try to stay one step ahead and make moves that create long-term value.
Q: Can you tell us what drives Bojoko as a company? What’s the big mission?
Joonas Karhu: Everything comes down to empowering the player. The online casino space can feel overwhelming, especially for new players. There’s so much information out there, and not all of it is easy to understand or reliable. Our mission is to make it simple, clear, and trustworthy. We don’t want to just throw names at our users, and hope they sign up, we want to give them the tools to find the casinos, bookies and bingo sites that fit their tastes, preferences, and wishes the best.
Our focus is always on what genuinely helps users. What are they missing elsewhere? What can make their lives easier? We want every user to feel confident in their choices, whether it’s through our experts carefully vetting each brand we list, creating detailed reviews,
player feedback, or tools that let them personalize their searches, or technical solutions, like our comparison tool.
It’s also about listening to our users. Their feedback is invaluable. It drives us to improve and keeps us aligned with their needs.
Q: The iGaming industry is notoriously competitive. How does Bojoko thrive in such a fast-paced market?
Joonas Karhu: It’s true—it’s a tough space to stand out in. But we’ve always focused on what sets us apart: putting the user first. For us, it’s not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about offering genuine value.
We invest in the best people, high-quality content, innovative tools, and a seamless user experience. For example, our filtering system lets users customize their searches based on what matters most to them, like specific bonuses or payment methods. It’s a simple idea, but it’s incredibly effective because it gives players control.
We also stay adaptable. The industry changes quickly, and user preferences evolve. By staying close to our audience and listening to their feedback, we’re able to adjust and keep our platform relevant.
Q: Can you share some of Bojoko’s recent achievements that you’re particularly proud of?
Joonas Karhu: We had incredible growth over 2024. There are a lot of numbers we could talk about, but what really stands out is how we’ve been able to grow across all the key areas that matter—not just for us but for our operator partners and players, too.
We saw a 53.2% increase in commissions, which is fantastic because it means our work is directly translating into better results for our partners. However, the real highlight for me is the growth in user engagement. Our organic traffic grew by 70.6%, which shows that players are finding value in what we’re offering and, more importantly, trusting us to guide them in choosing the right casinos.
The most exciting part? First-time depositors (FTDs) increased by 73.3%, and there was a 91.8% jump in players registering with operator partners. These stats tell me that we’re not just bringing traffic to our site—we’re connecting players with casinos in a way that drives real action. It’s a win for everyone: players find casinos they love, operators see tangible growth, and we reinforce our reputation as a trusted platform.
Q: What advice would you give entrepreneurs looking to build something in such a competitive industry?
Joonas Karhu: First, know your audience. It sounds obvious, but it’s incredible how many companies fail to do this. Understand what your users want, listen to their feedback, and make that the foundation of everything you do.
Second, focus on what sets you apart. In a competitive market, you need a clear value proposition. For us, it’s about trust, transparency, and tools that empower users. Whatever it is for you, lean into it and make it your strength.
Lastly, stay adaptable. Industries like iGaming move fast. What works today might not work tomorrow. Be ready to pivot, learn, and evolve as the market changes.
Q: Finally, what does success mean to you as a leader and to Bojoko as a company?
Joonas Karhu: For me, success is about impact. If our users feel confident, informed, and supported when they use Bojoko, then we’ve done our job.
For Bojoko, it’s also about trust. We want to be the platform that players turn to when they’re looking for reliable, transparent guidance in the iGaming space.
On a personal level, success is about seeing our team thrive. Their passion and hard work drive everything we do. Building something great while fostering a positive, empowering culture—that’s the ultimate goal.
