Co-Founder of Alea on Troubled Past and Putting Health and Happiness of Employees First

_{Alexandre Tomic, co-founder of Alea. (Image: Alan Evans/Casinos.com)}

Alexandre Tomic is the co-founder of Alea, an award-winning creator of innovative online casino experiences. With more than 10 years of industry experience, including roles as an affiliate network owner and casino operator.

Passionate about innovation, Tomic is also a biohacking and VR enthusiast who is dedicated to promoting social responsibility and raising awareness about the societal impact of gambling.

Tomic has a chequered past, openly telling Casinos.com that he is a “former drug addict”, having used heroin and other recreational drugs. He also described himself as a “former alcoholic”.

As well as those personal struggles, Tomic experienced profound personal loss: his mother died of cancer when he was young, and his father passed away from COVID-19. These events, he said, led him to reevaluate his life and ultimately inspired him to focus on doing good for others.

His realisation gave rise to a responsible and health-focused workplace culture at Alea. “We see more of our work colleagues than we do of our romantic partners,” Tomic said.

He emphasises employee happiness and well-being as the foundation of a successful business. By prioritising satisfaction through initiatives like free communal meals, workplace saunas, and even hyperbaric chambers, Tomic shows that investing in a healthy and positive work environment enhances staff alignment with company goals, increases engagement, and improves retention. 

His philosophy: happy employees deliver better results.

_{Tomic applauding fellow speakers at NEXT.io. (Image: Alan Evans/Casinos.com)}

Following an inspiring keynote speech at the NEXT.io conference in Malta, Casinos.com caught up with Alexandre backstage.

Alex: “My name is Alex Tomic. I'm the co-founder of Alea, a game aggregator focused mostly on the Latin American market. We do social and sweepstakes—we do all kinds of markets. We’re one of the biggest aggregators right now.”

Alan: “That was a very inspirational speech. You spoke about creating a responsible and health-centered framework for the well-being of your employees. You mentioned initiatives like communal meals, saunas, and hyperbaric chambers.

"What inspired you? You could easily walk away—you’ve got the money. You could just take it and run.”

Alex: “I lost my mother to cancer when I was 27. I lost my father to COVID in 2020, when I was 48. That year, I saw many people die.

It wasn’t inspiration—it was fear. I thought, ‘We need to buy something that could help save employees if they get sick.’ That’s why we got a hyperbaric chamber.

“But I didn’t want to stop there. I didn’t just want to help them survive, I wanted them to thrive. We started promoting daily exercise and offering good food. I forgot to mention we provide vegetarian meals every day. We want the best for them. We work together eight hours a day, every day. We probably see each other more than we see our romantic partners.”

Alan: “Some people may see this as preaching—‘Don’t drink, don’t smoke’ and resist it. But if they really soul-search, they’ll see it’s about their well-being. They have a choice. Is that the message?”

Alex: “Exactly. You don’t have to do everything. I can say this—I’m an ex-alcoholic. I’m an ex-drug addict. I even took heroin in my 20s. I did the full range of drugs and alcohol for most of my life.

“So, I’m not preaching from a pedestal. I just try to show them the data, that maybe drinking is not good for them. You don’t have to stop completely. Just reduce it. I’m 53; some of them are in their 20s. Maybe one day, they’ll stop drinking, before it’s too late. That’s the point: before it’s too late.”