Beyond the Gloves Boxing Brings Wellness and Community to iGaming

When the 2026 season of sports betting and gaming conferences gets rolling next week at ICE Barcelona, there will be a segment of attendees climbing out of their hotel beds before the sun rises, putting on their shorts, T-shirts and hoodies and then heading to the gym for some skipping, jabbing, bobbing and weaving. . . and trying to avoid getting knocked on their derrieres by the heavy bag.

Who to “blame” for this early-morning sweaty session around the boxing ring? That would be Lee McFarland, the creator/owner of Beyond the Gloves, with a helping hand from the Chair/founder of Bede Gaming, Michael Brady. Bede, the sponsors of this august podcast, are supporting the latest opportunity for gaming industry types to live and learn from the teachings of McFarland in Barcelona.

The pro-pugilism pair were our guests on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. McFarland explained the decision to launch Behind the Gloves towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2023 to support people – many of whom were looking to reconnect with peers and others as they began to leave remote work environments. McFarland, who also co-founded Recovery in iGaming last summer, talked about the reaction to his boxing sessions at conferences and company team-building events.

Brady, who was trained by McFarland for his participation in the UK-based SBC Boxing Championship/Oliver’s Wish event, spoke about his enthusiasm for the Behind the Gloves program and the impact it has had on his own life and on Bede employees participating in the BTG sessions.

While we had the two gaming industry veterans in the virtual studio, we also asked them for their thoughts on the current industry landscape. Brady addressed Bede’s partnership with OLG, Ontario’s regulated market, the company’s plans to grow in Canada, and what’s happening in other parts of the world.

While McFarland has sold out his BTG sessions for ICE Barcelona, conference attendees can put their names on a waiting list.

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