Gaming Intelligence Introduces Free-to-Play Sportsbook Contests for NCAA Tournament and Announces Strategic Partnership with PLLAY Labs

Gaming Intelligence announced the launch of a new category of fan competition: free-to-play sportsbook contests that combine the realism of sports betting with the engagement and social competition of fantasy sports. The contests will debut in beta during the upcoming NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Gaming Intelligence also announced a strategic partnership with PLLAY Labs to jointly develop new interactive sports engagement experiences built around the platform.

Gaming Intelligence contests allow fans to make picks using real sportsbook lines, including spreads, totals, and Moneyline selections. Participants begin each contest with a virtual bankroll and place selections using a bet slip similar to a sportsbook wager. As games are played, wins and losses adjust the bankroll, creating a competition that mirrors real sports betting.

At the start of each new tournament round, participants receive additional virtual funds, allowing them to continue competing as the event progresses. By the end of the contest, the player with the largest bankroll rises to the top of the leaderboard and wins cash prizes.

The format is designed to keep fans engaged throughout an entire event. Traditional bracket pools eliminate most participants early, while the Gaming Intelligence contest structure keeps players active as games unfold across multiple rounds.

The platform also includes a social component. Fans can create leagues, invite friends, and track performances on live leaderboards.

“Contests for sports fans have stayed mostly the same for years, even though the way fans follow and interact with games has changed dramatically. We built a format that combines real sportsbook odds with the social competition of fantasy sports. It’s simple, intuitive, and once you see it, you wonder why it didn’t exist before,” said Edward Kahl, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gaming Intelligence.

“This partnership represents a major step toward the future of interactive sports. For years, the industry has accepted massive fan drop-off during major tournaments as inevitable. We believe that’s a solvable problem. By combining PLLAY’s expertise in skill-based competition and fan engagement with the advanced predictive intelligence developed by Game Intelligence, we’re creating a new interactive layer on top of live sports — one that keeps fans actively participating from the opening round through the championship game. Our goal is simple: transform passive viewers into active competitors throughout the entire tournament,” said Shawn Gunn, Chief Executive Officer of PLLAY Labs.

The joint initiative between Gaming Intelligence and PLLAY Labs is designed to transform major sporting events from one-and-done bracket experiences into multi-rounds that encourage participation throughout the tournament. While the core contest format centers on Gaming Intelligence’s free-to-play sportsbook model, the companies are collaborating on broader engagement concepts designed to reward continued participation across multiple rounds rather than eliminating fans after early outcomes.

Following the NCAA tournament launch, Gaming Intelligence and PLLAY Labs plan to expand the contest format across additional sports and major events throughout the year.