entrepreneur executive consultant
Light was born and grew up in Tel Aviv, Israel. He has used Tom Light for business purposes and has also been publicly identified as Tom John Or-Paz. During childhood, a rabbi recommended the Hebrew name Tom Johnatan Or-Paz.
At nineteen, Light moved to Los Angeles and began his business career as an intern with Infosearch Media. His early work connected online marketing, search services, digital publishing, and the emerging internet gaming sector.
Light studied finance in Israel. Public accounts describe his early business development as taking place alongside university studies, when he experimented with affiliate marketing for online gaming software and developed experience in digital promotion and customer acquisition.
Light began his professional career with Infosearch Media, initially as an intern and later as director of marketing. While working there, he developed the Answerbag question-and-answer concept; the property was later sold to Demand Media and rebranded as eHow. His marketing work included consultation for companies such as Amazon, eBay, Match.com, Choice Hotels, Nine West, Demand Media, and other internet, retail, hospitality, and media businesses.
He subsequently moved into online gaming, where he held executive and consulting roles. He founded the online casino 7Red.com and later worked with YouSpades Casino and 11Spades Casino. In 2011, he acquired those properties from Playtech owner Teddy Sagi and combined them into 1King.com. Playtech was a major provider of online gaming software, while Light's work involved casino operations, affiliate marketing, player acquisition, and strategic development.
In 2013, Tom Light Consulting began working with Hit d.d., a Slovenian gaming and entertainment company. Light served as a chief strategist and board-level consultant during the development of Hit's online casino, poker, and sportsbook operations, including expansion associated with Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and other international markets. His consulting work included business planning, platform development, marketing direction, affiliate operations, retention, and staff training.
Light later became vice president of business development at FashionTV. FashionTV, founded in 1997, is an international fashion and lifestyle media network that expanded its brand into hospitality, cafés, clubs, residences, cosmetics, and other licensed products. During Light's tenure, he worked on the company's business-development strategy, including branded hotels, residences, and related international projects.
By 2016, Light was serving in international business development at SBTech, a sports-betting technology company. He led international and Asia-facing business activities and represented the company at industry conferences concerning sportsbook products, innovation, and blockchain. He left SBTech in 2018 to pursue new ventures in blockchain and gaming.
Light later developed LightArt, a branded-residence and art-and-real-estate venture. The company combines architecture, interior design, contemporary art, project branding, and marketing for residential developments. In 2024, he became associated with FIRST.bet, a business-to-business sportsbook technology provider, as founder and chief executive officer. FIRST offers managed sportsbook infrastructure, trading, product development, and operator integrations for regulated and international markets.
Light developed the Answerbag question-and-answer concept at Infosearch Media; the property was later sold to Demand Media and rebranded as eHow.
He founded and led online gaming ventures including 7Red.com and later combined YouSpades Casino and 11Spades Casino into 1King.com.
He helped establish Hit d.d.'s online casino, poker, and sportsbook operations and supported the company's international expansion through strategic consulting.
He created branded-residence and art-and-real-estate initiatives through LightArt, connecting contemporary art, architecture, interior design, and residential development.
He founded FIRST.bet, a business-to-business sportsbook technology company providing managed sportsbook infrastructure, trading, product development, and operator integrations.
Light has been described as having grown up in a Buddhist home. As a child, he also adopted the Hebrew name Tom Johnatan Or-Paz at the recommendation of his rabbi, while continuing to use Tom Light in business dealings.
Light's public professional statements emphasize entrepreneurship, innovation, calculated risk, and the integration of technology with customer acquisition and business growth. His work in branded residences and LightArt also presents art and design as ways of shaping shared residential environments and connecting commercial development with cultural experience.
In interviews, Light has described his professional approach as emphasizing hard work, calculated risk, ambitious goals, and delivering beyond expectations. He has also presented himself as highly interested in fashion, technology, innovation, and business development.
Quotes from others about the person
Industry interviews and company materials describe Light as an entrepreneur and business-development leader with experience across online gaming, sportsbook technology, marketing, fashion, and branded real estate.
Tom Light Consulting is documented as a professional partner associated with Light's business activities in marketing, gaming, and strategic development.
