Every time someone places a sports bet on their phone, a silent decision happens in the background.
Before the wager goes through, a system checks a simple but critical question: where is the bettor really located? And perhaps more important: are they lying about it?
Enter Xpoint.
The company builds geolocation software used by sportsbooks, online casinos, and other real-money gaming platforms to verify whether players are allowed to place bets from their current location. The idea sounds straightforward. The reality, according to CEO Manu Gambhir, is far more complex.
“On the surface, you might think that this is easy,” Gambhir told Refresh Miami. “You look up the location on the phone and say, okay, the player is here. But the real question isn’t where they say they are. The real question is: are they trying to fake it?”
Gambhir joined the company in May 2023 after more than three decades in the online gaming industry. He was brought in by investors to scale the business and help execute a clear opportunity: building a strong alternative in a space that historically had very little competition.
The stakes are high. Online gaming platforms must confirm that bettors are physically located in places where wagering is allowed. Those rules can be surprisingly detailed. A sportsbook might need to block players not just by state, but by specific locations such as government facilities, prisons, or other restricted areas.
But identifying location is only a small part of the job.
“If you listed out the code in our platform, maybe 10 or 15 percent is figuring out where the player is,” Gambhir said. “The other 85 percent is figuring out whether they’re trying to spoof their location.”
Some attempts are simple, such as using a VPN to appear in another state. Others are far more advanced. Fraud groups may create thousands of betting accounts using stolen identities and payment details, trying to exploit sign-up bonuses from sportsbooks.
“We’re basically the bouncer at the door,” Gambhir said. “Our clients are asking us in milliseconds, ‘Can I take this bet?’ And we have to answer that question correctly every time.”
Since launching, Xpoint has raised about $30 million and grown to roughly 50 employees. While the company operates globally, Miami remains part of its story. One of its lead investors is based in the city, the company was founded here, and Xpoint plans to add new hires in the region as it expands.
“What we’re finding is there’s really strong talent in Miami,” Gambhir said. “It’s one of the key areas where we expect to add headcount.”
For now, the company is focused on one goal: gaining market share in the fast-growing online gaming sector. Beyond that, Gambhir sees similar needs emerging in industries like telehealth, online pharmacies, and financial services.
“In business, I don’t think being first to market is the most important thing,” Gambhir said. “What matters is being best to market.”
Pictured at the top of this post: Xpoint’s team from left to right – Chris Boni (Chief of Staff), Ben Cheeseman (Chief of Customer Success), Ed Bedrosian (Chief Regulatory), Manu Gambhir (CEO), Tom Flaherty (CFO), Simon Volman (Head of Engineering), Shaan Devaraj (CTO).
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