About Simon Young
Simon Young has spent the better part of three decades writing, editing and shaping content for some of the most-read publications and highest-traffic gambling platforms in the world. His career began in national newspaper journalism and moved into the online gaming industry at a time when it was still finding its feet digitally. That combination of old-school editorial discipline and ground-level iGaming experience is what makes his work different from most content you will find in this space.
Simon Young is the founder of Magic Word Media, a specialist iGaming content agency based in Ipswich, Suffolk, in the United Kingdom. He has been writing and editing professionally for more than 20 years, with a career that spans national newspaper journalism, corporate content leadership and independent agency work.
Before entering the gambling industry, Simon served as a news editor at three of the United Kingdom’s most widely read national newspapers: The Sun, the Sunday Mirror and the Sunday Express. Those roles demanded fast, accurate and reader-first writing under tight daily deadlines. That background instilled a standard of clarity and factual accountability that he has carried into every piece of content he has produced since.
In the mid-2000s, Simon moved into online gaming, eventually spending a decade leading the editorial and copywriting teams at The Stars Group, the parent company of PokerStars and at the time one of the largest online gambling businesses in the world. The Stars Group later merged with Flutter Entertainment, the group that owns Paddy Power, Betfair and FanDuel. His work in that role covered casino content, sports betting, poker, and bingo across multiple markets and jurisdictions, giving him a level of industry knowledge that goes well beyond surface-level research.
In 2018, Simon founded Magic Word Media to work directly with operators and affiliates on iGaming content. The agency has since built long-term relationships with some of the most recognised names in the sector, producing articles, guides, reviews and web copy that are built around accuracy, readability and search performance.
Areas of Expertise
Simon’s writing and editorial work is focused on the following areas:
Online Casino Content – game guides, slot reviews, live dealer explainers, responsible gambling pages, and operator landing pages written for regulated markets.
Sports Betting – pre-match and in-play betting guides, odds explainers, market breakdowns and operator reviews for UK, Australian and New Zealand audiences.
Poker – tournament coverage, strategy content, platform reviews and news written from the perspective of someone who has spent years inside one of the world’s leading poker businesses.
Affiliate and Operator SEO Content – long-form content built around search intent, written to meet editorial and regulatory standards while performing in competitive organic search results.
iGaming Content Strategy – editorial direction, content auditing and team management for affiliates and operators who need a senior editorial voice without hiring one full-time.
How Simon Approaches iGaming Content
Simon’s approach comes from two distinct professional disciplines: journalism and corporate content leadership. Both matter when producing iGaming content that holds up under scrutiny.
From journalism, he takes the habit of verifying claims before publishing them, writing for a specific reader rather than a general one, and cutting anything that does not serve the piece. These are not stylistic preferences. They are professional standards that were drilled in over years of working on national news desks where mistakes had consequences.
From his time leading content at The Stars Group, he developed an understanding of how gambling content functions inside a regulated business. He knows what operators and affiliates need from a content perspective, how compliance requirements affect what can and cannot be published, and what readers in different markets actually want to know when they land on a casino or sportsbook page.
Simon has personally written or edited many thousands of iGaming articles. He does not outsource research on complex topics or allow factual claims to appear without a basis. When a topic requires specialist knowledge beyond his own, he consults primary sources and clearly distinguishes between established fact and analysis.
Editorial Independence and Standards
Simon operates under a straightforward editorial policy. His content reflects his own research, analysis and professional judgement. Affiliate relationships and commercial agreements do not alter the editorial stance of the content he produces. If a product has significant weaknesses, those are reported. If a platform has changed its terms in ways that affect users, that is covered.
He does not write content designed to mislead readers into decisions that benefit a commercial partner at the reader’s expense. This is a professional standard he holds both for his own output and for the work produced under his direction at Magic Word Media.
Where content is produced in partnership with an operator or affiliate, that relationship is disclosed. Readers should be able to trust that a recommendation is based on genuine assessment, not on whoever is paying the most for prominent placement.
Simon is also aware of the specific responsibilities that come with writing about gambling. Content in this sector can influence financial decisions and, in some cases, interact with people who are vulnerable to gambling-related harm. That awareness shapes the tone and framing of what he writes, particularly around responsible gambling guidance and content directed at newer players.
Publications and Recognised Work
Simon’s editorial work has appeared across major online gambling platforms, affiliate publications and iGaming trade press. His agency, Magic Word Media, has worked with operators and affiliates that include some of the most visible casino and sports betting brands in the United Kingdom and internationally.
His background in national newspaper journalism means his bylines and editorial credits include work for some of the most-read print publications in the UK, produced during his time as a news editor at The Sun, Sunday Mirror and Sunday Express.
Within the iGaming industry, his decade at The Stars Group represents one of the most substantial editorial leadership roles held by anyone currently working as an independent iGaming content specialist. Very few writers in this space have managed content teams at that scale or had direct responsibility for editorial output across a business of that size.
A Note on New Zealand iGaming Content
Simon has written and produced content specifically for New Zealand audiences, including casino guides, operator reviews and responsible gambling resources tailored to the New Zealand regulatory context. He is familiar with the legal framework that governs online gambling in New Zealand, including the current status of offshore operators serving New Zealand players, the role of the Gambling Act 2003, and the way that responsible gambling standards are communicated to local audiences.
Content produced for New Zealand readers is written with that context in mind. It does not simply repurpose UK or Australian content with place names changed. The legal, cultural and market differences between these audiences are reflected in the content itself.
Get in Touch with Simon
If you are an iGaming operator, affiliate or content team looking for senior editorial input, Simon is available for the following:
- Long-form casino and sports betting content for UK, NZ and Australian markets
- Full content strategy and editorial direction for iGaming sites
- Content audits and quality assessments for existing affiliate publications
- Responsible gambling content written to current regulatory standards
- Copywriting for landing pages, operator reviews and game guides
Website: magicwordmedia.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/simon-young-copywriter Email: Available via the Magic Word Media contact page
Simon responds to serious enquiries directly. If you are looking for a quick brief turnaround, include the scope, target audience and market in your initial message.