Fantasy Sports
Underdog Announces Pioneering Responsible Gaming Innovation Fund
Underdog Fantasy, the fast-growing sports gaming platform, announced the launch of GuardDog, a pioneering investment initiative dedicated to fostering innovation in responsible gaming. Underdog is launching GuardDog with $1 million in initial funding to be used to support and accelerate early-stage startups focused on building new and creative solutions to address problem gaming and further responsible gaming.
GuardDog’s mission is to identify, invest, and help grow innovative startups that help real-money operators operate responsibly and players play responsibly. In keeping with Underdog’s overarching commitment to industry-leading innovation in responsible gaming, GuardDog will make investments in companies building technology and solutions to make fantasy, betting and all real-money games safer and more enjoyable for those who play.
Companies receiving GuardDog funding will, in addition to monetary investment, get access to advisors, mentors, and investors from a community of former regulators, responsible gaming experts, experienced funders, and more who can help accelerate their business. Mentors include Brianne Doura-Schawohl, renowned responsible gaming advocate; Adam Warrington, former vice president of Responsible Gaming at FanDuel; Chris Grove, partner at Acies Investments; Dan Hartman, former director of the Colorado Division of Gaming; and Sara Tait, former executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission.
“At Underdog, we always look to adopt best in class and then innovate further. With GuardDog, we intend to spur innovation to help companies that help people play the games they love — including all our games on Underdog — responsibly. We know there are tons of dreamers, entrepreneurs and builders out there that can help build a stronger, more responsible ecosystem for all. We want to help those innovating in responsibility by providing capital, mentorship and valuable connections. We’re really excited to launch GuardDog and we can’t wait to help some amazing companies,” Jeremy Levine, founder and co-CEO of Underdog, said.
Fantasy Sports
RotoUnderworld Closes $1.5 Million in Pre-Seed Round to Transform Fantasy Sports & iGaming with FastDraft Mobile Platform
RotoUnderworld, a technology company that analyzes statistical data for fantasy sports, announced that it has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed funding round to build the next-generation fantasy gaming platform. The round was led by iGaming mavens and technology investors recognizing the company’s hyperactive user base and mobile development capabilities.
RotoUnderworld’s new FastDraft app is revolutionizing the iGaming sector with high-engagement fantasy contests that appeal to both low and high-volume customers. By reducing draft times, simplifying the user experience, and providing more actionable in-game data, FastDraft is accessible to a wider audience of sports fans and fantasy enthusiasts.
“RotoUnderworld is on a mission to bring knowledge and joy to sports. Soon after our sports data business ramped up, we were inundated by fantasy sports consumers eager for more mobile fantasy gaming options, especially in the rapidly growing best ball vertical. We listened and delivered,” said Matthew Kelley, founder of RotoUnderworld and gameplay architect of FastDraft.
“Our drafts finish in under 5 minutes, which is 10 times faster than traditional best ball formats. By simplifying the scoring and reducing the time to draft, FastDraft appeals to over 50 million fantasy gamers worldwide who love drafting but often feel overwhelmed by the complexity, competition and time commitment. FastDraft’s streamlined format makes it easy to engage with the app and significantly increases user spend per session,” said Kelley.
After acquiring more than 1000 new FastDraft users in the first month, the company is preparing a seed funding round to scale the platform, introduce new contest formats and promote the brand to the millions of fantasy gamers worldwide eager to start drafting faster.
Fantasy Sports
EFL and Genius Sports Launch First-ever 72-club Fantasy Football Game
The EFL, in partnership with Genius Sports, has officially launched “Fantasy EFL,” the League’s first-ever 72-club fantasy football game to involve all Member Clubs across the three Sky Bet EFL divisions.
First teased at the 2023/24 Sky Bet EFL Play-Off Finals, Fantasy EFL will be an innovative platform to unify fans of EFL Clubs, fantasy football players, plus the wider football community to play and engage with almost 2000 EFL first-team players, more than 1600 Sky Bet EFL fixtures and all 72 Clubs during the twists and turns of a season.
Available on web, and as a brand-new app for iOS and Android users, Fantasy EFL is free to play and allows participants to become Managers every gameweek of the Sky Bet EFL.
EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch said: “We’re very excited to bring the EFL’s first fantasy football game to life as a central product that engages not only with supporters of all 72 EFL Clubs, but also the wider football audience. We’ve interrogated research into what fans would want out of an EFL fantasy football game and been strategic on providing a product that isn’t just a copy of what is already in the market.
“Fantasy EFL is a premium product that enhances the EFL brand and opens further opportunities with our broadcasters and commercial partners. Alongside Genius Sports, Fantasy EFL appeals to both the avid and casual fan and will expand the rising interest in the Sky Bet EFL, our Clubs and their players beyond fans who attend matches and those who watch along at home.”
Genius Sports Chief Partnerships Officer, Steven Burton, said: “Fantasy EFL is unique, interactive, and fun and Genius Sports is delighted to deliver this exciting new game for the EFL and its Member Clubs.
“This new game will test fans’ knowledge of both teams and individual players while providing them with a platform to compete with their friends and family every week.”
The post EFL and Genius Sports Launch First-ever 72-club Fantasy Football Game appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Braiden Payne
WagerWire Launches Buying and Selling of Fantasy Entries in App
WagerWire, a sports gaming marketplace technology company serving sportsbooks and fantasy operators, announced that buying and selling is now live in their app, available in the iOS and Google Play stores. This marks the first time that fantasy players can legally buy and sell daily fantasy Pick’em entries with the tap of a button.
WagerWire users are now able to buy and sell RealTime Fantasy Sports entries on the app, with more fantasy operators to be added for trading soon. WagerWire announced their integration with RealTime Fantasy in January 2024, allowing users to sell their Pick’em lineups while in progress, including during the actual game, directly on the RTFS platform. During the NFL playoffs, the marketplace saw 12% of all DFS Pick’em lineups sell on the secondary market.
“This is a paradigm shifting moment for fantasy. This launch represents a way to bring more ownership and control over their entries. For the first time, there is a way to cash in on your lineups even if they go on to lose – by selling it to a friend or on the open market. The excitement is palpable,” said WagerWire Co-Founder and CEO Zach Doctor.
The newly launched fantasy marketplace is the latest addition to the growing technology portfolio of WagerWire’s parent company Wire Industries Inc. Their app already hosts an array of marketplace tools for both sports betting and fantasy including stat tracking, account syncing, bet value graph builders and calculator, and social features that allow users to follow how their friends, influencers, or sharps are playing.
“I’ve been playing fantasy for years, but being able to sell my DFS lineups is game-changing. I’m also loving being able to buy and sell in-game and see the progress of my picks with live price suggestions. The RT marketplace in the WagerWire app takes an already great and easy-to-use experience to the next level,” said Braiden Payne, RealTime Fantasy Sports veteran user.
WagerWire was recently shortlisted for two awards at SBC North America – Rising Star of the Year and Affiliate of the Year, in addition to EGR’s Rising Star of the Year and Hashtag Sport’s Best X Presence award.
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