Our mission is simple: to be your trustworthy companion, providing real-time data and insights to help you unlock the best promotions, maximize your value, and to serve as your insider guide in the gambling rewards world.
To do this, we provide the following:
Education
📖 Learn how to maximize your play to get better rewards.
We aim to be transparent in our reviews, letting you know where you will get better value. We help players understand how comps actually work.
Data
📊 A passion for data and sharing the complete story.
We pull all of the data, so you don’t have to. Our data-driven approach means you receive real insights to make the right decisions.
Value-Based
💎 Get the VIP service you deserve.
With local journalists and players, we provide you with the resources to maximize your rewards and get treated like a VIP.
Meet the team
Our content team combines decades of expertise in journalism and research-driven storytelling to deliver high-quality, accurate information. Every piece goes through a meticulous process, including but not limited to, in-depth research, thorough editing, and rigorous fact-checking.
Matt Coles
With over 17 years of experience in affiliate marketing and SEO, Matt Coles has helped businesses maximize online visibility and achieve organic growth. Since 2007, Matt has held leadership roles across the online gambling industry, driving innovation and delivering measurable results.
- Area of expertise: SEO, Marketing, iGaming
- Social media: LinkedIn
- Years of experience: 17
Matt calls Vancouver Island home, where he embraces the outdoor West Coast lifestyle—mountain biking, skiing, surfing and living his best life.
Cheryle Shepstone
Having worked in the iGaming industry since 2006, I have had the pleasure of wearing many hats with expertise in SEO and growth. The vision for Comped is simple: make sure we provide the best value so you can find the best value.
- Area of expertise: SEO, Marketing, iGaming
- Social media: LinkedIn
- Years of experience: 19
Living in Southern Ontario, Cheryle spends quite a bit of time hiking and enjoying the outdoors.
Comped contributors
Valerie Cross
Valerie Cross, Ph.D., is a seasoned editor, writer, and content strategist with a passion for the iGaming industry. With over seven years of experience crafting compelling content in gambling, poker, sports betting, and affiliate marketing, Valerie has honed her expertise in bringing timely, engaging, and data-driven stories to life.
- Area of expertise: Writer / Journalist
- Also seen on: PlayMichigan, PlayPennsylvania, Poker News
- Social media: LinkedIn | MuckRack
Based on the West Coast, Valerie’s contributions to Comped include insightful analysis of the regulated markets and journalism. She is an expert in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and California.
Brant James
Brant James pivoted from covering major-league sports to the developing gambling landscape in the United States in 2018, when the demise of the PASPA changed both beats forever. Having chronicled legal sports betting in the US from a new possibility to a phenomenon to a mainstream pastime, Brant brings perspective and insight to the developing industry.
- Area of expertise: Writer/Journalist/Podcaster.
- Also seen on: Gambling.com, Bookies.com, PlayUSA, Gaming Today, USA, Today, ESPN
- Social media: LinkedIn
Based in St. Petersburg, Fla., Brant’s contributions to Comped include deep analysis of the forces that continue to shape the legal gambling market in the U.S. and the stories of the people who create these forces. He’s an expert in Florida, the synergy of sports betting and mainstream sports, and emerging technologies.
Nicole Myslik
Nicole Myslik is our go-to expert for ensuring our pages are always accurate. She is a pro at creating dynamic, user-friendly pages so you can find what you need. With a keen eye for detail, Nicole handles weekly and monthly content updates, fact-checks information, and works directly with the editorial team to ensure all pages are informative, accurate, and visually appealing.
- Area of expertise: Content editing and fact-checking
- Also seen on: Catena Media
Nicole has a passion for sports and outdoor activities, whether it be playing baseball or enjoying a round of golf. With a competitive spirit and love of the game, you will always see Nicole on the ball field or watching her Blue Jays play the game she loves.
Dave Bontempo
Dave Bontempo is a multiple award-winning writer, broadcaster and analyst, spanning four decades in the sports and gaming world. Dave covered the ascent of boxing and gambling for multiple outlets and called live major events for ESPN, HBO, Showtime and pay-per-view networks.
- Area of expertise: Journalism / Analyst
- Also seen on: Arizona Daily Star, The Press of Atlantic City
- Social media: LinkedIn | MuckRack
Dave lives outside of Atlantic City and  is enshrined in the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame and the inaugural Atlantic City International Boxing Hall of Fame
Matt De Saro
Matthew De Saro is your go-to for all things casino betting, with a decade-long career and a portfolio that’s graced the pages of Forbes, Entrepreneur, Yahoo, and FanSided.
Matthew’s no stranger to a bit of excitement: he once had a decently long conversation with Usain Bolt without realizing who he was at—where else but a casino?
Matt’s contributions to Comped include coverage around reviews and where to get the best deals if you’re looking for a more personalized approach.
Sadonna Price
As a writer, Sadonna strives to provide honest and real information with no sugarcoating.
She has worked with several top research sites in the industry, providing the essential details for players interested in iGaming.
Sadonna knows the sweepstakes market. As a player herself, she can tell you who has the best purchase packages, where to find the latest games and which sites you should probably avoid.
Chris Feery
Christopher Feery has been writing professionally for several years, contributing to multiple outlets along the way.
One of his passions is sharing knowledge with readers. He does so in various ways, with reviews, how-to guides, analysis, news, and more. Christopher aims to keep things simple while serving as a trusted resource for online players.
- Area of expertise: Sports and promotions
- Also seen on: LegalSportsReport.com, CBS Sports
- Social media: LinkedIn | X
Chris is an NFL fan at heart and an expert in the legal sports betting space.
Our commitment to balanced coverage and transparency
Comped maintains content policies emphasizing balanced coverage and striving for transparency throughout our content. Our team of editors and journalists follows rigorous standards to ensure that each article provides accurate, fact-based information while offering a fair representation of different viewpoints. Reporters at Comped are required to verify sources, cross-check facts, and provide context to avoid misleading or one-sided narratives.
To uphold balance, we like to include multiple perspectives. We will often invite other industry leaders to contribute their points of view and share their knowledge. Our reporters are expected to separate personal opinions from factual reporting and avoid conflicts of interest that could undermine credibility.
Comped is owned by Pacific Tide Media, an affiliate company that receives compensation from gambling products and services. Our content strives to take a balanced view, even with partners we promote, so you have all the information you need to make informed decisions.