Former BeyondPlay CEO Karolina Pelc Launches Debut Book Her Play

Entrepreneur, investor and former BeyondPlay CEO Karolina Pelc published her debut book, Her Play: Make Your Own Luck, in the UK on 9 June 2026, with the U.S. edition following on 28 July. Pre-orders for the upcoming U.S. edition are now open.

Known throughout the gaming industry for founding BeyondPlay and leading the company through its acquisition by FanDuel less than three years after launch, Pelc's first book takes readers beyond the headlines to explore the experiences, decisions and setbacks that shaped her career.

Part memoir and part exploration of leadership, risk and reinvention, Her Play is a retrospective look back at a diverse 20-year career. The book follows Pelc's unconventional path from casino dealer to founder, investor and author. Along the way, she navigates international moves, corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, motherhood and one of gaming's most talked-about startup exits. Few executives have experienced as many corners of the gaming industry as Pelc, whose career has spanned land-based casinos, cruise ships, online gaming, venture-backed startups, and public company board positions.

"I needed to write this book to find the answers to questions that were locked inside me after two decades in this intense industry," said Pelc. "But more importantly, I wanted to create something that would truly empower others. Hearing the initial feedback from tens of beta readers has been incredibly moving, because they’ve confirmed that the book achieves exactly that. It is not about building a startup; it’s about building yourself, finding your voice, and creating your own opportunities when the path ahead isn’t obvious."

Why Her Play Matters Rather than offering a polished, traditional startup playbook, Her Play explores the raw realities of ambition across two decades in business, alongside the personal challenges, setbacks and moments of doubt that rarely make headlines. The book journey kicked off with an exclusive gifting edition on Necker Island, where the very first copy of Her Play was personally gifted to Sir Richard Branson. At its core, the book asks a simple question: What if the greatest gambles are not on the cards, but on the life you dare to build?

Readers Will Discover

• Why career success is rarely linear and how to navigate uncertainty across a multi-decade journey.
• How risk, resilience and adaptability can become genuine competitive advantages.
• The hidden role that confidence, self-belief and visibility play in creating opportunities.
• How psychology, neuroscience and inherited patterns (epigenetics) influence decision-making, confidence and performance.
• A practical perspective on "engineered serendipity" — the idea that luck is often created through movement, action and deliberate exposure to opportunity.

The HerPlay Framework At the heart of the book is the HerPlay framework, a mindset model developed from Pelc's experiences across entrepreneurship, leadership and personal reinvention. Built around seven pillars — Hustle, Execution, Risk, Passion, Luck, Adaptability and You — the framework challenges conventional thinking about success and explores how opportunity is created through action and intentional decision-making.

Industry Endorsement & Book Tour Early praise for Her Play has come from some of the gaming industry's most influential leaders, including Sportingbet founder Mark Blandford and LeoVegas co-founder Robin Ramm-Ericson.

The upcoming UK and Malta book tour will bring together founders, investors, operators and business leaders across both hubs. The London schedule includes a special author-to-author fireside chat featuring bestselling author Nir Eyal, whose books Hooked and Indistractable have influenced millions worldwide. An additional industry-focused launch event is planned for July.

The release has already generated significant momentum, building on interest from national press, major sector outlets, and mainstream publications. Pelc’s entrepreneurial insights and views on leadership have previously attracted coverage from global benchmarks like Forbes, prominent national titles like City AM, and prominent industry leaders and trade platforms. Recognising the growing demand for audio content, Pelc has also recorded the audiobook edition herself, offering listeners a more personal experience of the stories and lessons shared throughout the book.