Latest News
Sharp Alpha Closes Fund II With Over $25 Million To Back Sports, Gaming, Entertainment Startups
Sharp Alpha Advisors announced the closing of Sharp Alpha Fund II, an oversubscribed $25 million venture capital fund investing in early-stage sports, gaming, and entertainment businesses.
Existing investments in Fund II include C15 Studio, which recently emerged from stealth mode as the operator and distributor of Formula 1’s new streaming channel. Previous investments include Almost Friday Media, Jackpot.com, and Betcha (acquired by Vivid Seats).
The fund targets seed investments ranging from $1 – 2 million. Sharp Alpha also operates a co-investment vehicle that provides limited partners the ability to invest additional capital in select deals alongside the fund.
Managing Partner Lloyd Danzig was recently named to Business Insider’s Top Venture Capitalists in Sports and ELG’s 40 Under 40. He is frequently featured by CNBC, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
The fund is backed by public companies, US fnancial institutions, pro sports team owners, family offces, top venture capitalists, and funds of funds, among others.
According to Danzig, there is a signifcant opportunity at the intersection of sports, gaming, media, and technology. “The competitive entertainment category is experiencing exponential growth but at the same time is desperate for innovation that early-stage companies are best positioned to supply.”
The fund has exceeded its $25 million capital raise target and expanded the size of its deal team.
Commenting on current market conditions, Danzig explained, “we are entering the most favorable period in the last 15 years to bet on great founders.”
Sharp Alpha’s advisory board includes Keith Horn, founder of Loring Capital Advisors and former COO of Elliott Management and Global Head of Leveraged Finance at Merrill Lynch; Emanuel Pearlman, the former Chairman of Empire Resorts and board member at several public companies; Daniel Bernard, Founder and Chairman of Redwood International Sports; Roy Behren, the President and Chief Investment Offcer of a $5.2 billion asset manager; and Don Kornstein, the Vice Chairman of Caesars Entertainment and former executive at numerous successful gaming companies.
In addition to investment capital, the frm provides portfolio companies with a suite of resources and opportunities spanning fundraising, revenue generation, brand awareness, commercial strategy, fnancial planning, and product development.
America 250
IWG launches America 250 eInstant across eight US lottery markets
The digital instant-win game rolls out in Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Instant Win Gaming (IWG) has launched America 250, a new eInstant game created to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
IWG said the title is launching across multiple US lotteries: Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Set in Washington, D.C., the game uses Americana-themed artwork and symbols including the Statue of Liberty, bald eagle, Liberty Bell, patriotic balloons, Uncle Sam’s hat, and commemorative America 250 coins. IWG said fireworks animations run throughout gameplay.
America 250 includes several bonus features: Declaration Dollars, which has players collect pieces of the Declaration of Independence via re-spins; Scenes of America, which builds win multipliers through historical moments; and Innovation Pick-and-Click, where players uncover American inventions and collect prizes until a collect symbol appears. The game also includes a randomly triggered “All or Nothing” coin-flip feature.
Jason Lisiecki, Executive Vice President at IWG, said: “The 250th anniversary of the United States is a once-in-a-generation celebration, and America 250 gives lotteries a unique opportunity to connect with players through a theme that is instantly recognizable and deeply meaningful. The game combines iconic American imagery, engaging bonus experiences, and a visually spectacular presentation to create an entertaining experience that captures the spirit and excitement of this historic milestone.”
The post IWG launches America 250 eInstant across eight US lottery markets appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
brand campaigns
Stake releases hot air balloon football match stunt at 10,000ft
Stake published a new campaign video on June 23 showing a small-sided football match played on a pitch suspended from a hot air balloon at 10,000ft.
The video features six extreme sports content creators—Nathan Roque, Alessio Papia, Nicolo Contrada, Yasmin Xavier, Sara Vidal, and Carol Chafauzer—playing on a 12m x 20m synthetic grass platform. Stake said the 3,000kg pitch was carried by balloon during a 60-minute flight, with participants later jumping from the platform using parachutes.
The activation sits within Stake’s “It’s All At Stake” brand platform, which the company launched ahead of this summer’s global football tournament. According to Stake, the campaign is being promoted across YouTube, Instagram and X.
Jarrod Febbraio, Director at Stake, said: “This summer sees one of the biggest cultural moments on the planet and simply showing up is no longer enough. Our ambition is to create campaigns that genuinely capture people’s attention, spark conversation and give fans something they haven’t seen before.
“At Stake, we are always looking for ways to push creative boundaries and challenge expectations around sports marketing. Whether it’s our It’s All At Stake campaign or staging a football match thousands of feet in the air, the objective is the same – creating entertainment that resonates with audiences and delivers memorable experiences around the moments they care most about.”
Stake also said the “It’s All At Stake” campaign has generated more than 200 million views across earned and social channels in the first week of the tournament.
The post Stake releases hot air balloon football match stunt at 10,000ft appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Game Aggregation
Infingame says tournaments and missions drive retention on sweepstakes platforms
Infingame has published operational observations on what it says is driving player engagement on sweepstakes platforms, arguing that traditional online casino retention tactics don’t consistently translate to the sweepstakes model.
According to the aggregator, the strongest-performing sweepstakes products are built around progression-driven engagement, social-style competition, lightweight onboarding, and highly dynamic promotional systems. “Sweepstakes players behave very differently from traditional casino audiences,” said Jana Filagina, Head of Commercial at Infingame. “The expectation is much closer to entertainment platforms and gaming ecosystems than classic gambling products. Retention is driven by interaction quality, progression, and continuous engagement rather than purely transactional behavior.”
Infingame identified tournament ecosystems as a leading mechanic for repeat participation and session continuity, saying competitive formats outperform static reward campaigns by adding progression loops and achievement motivation. The company said operators using segmented tournament mechanics recorded higher repeat participation rates than those relying mainly on bonus-driven campaigns, and flagged “multiplier races, win races, and progression-based leaderboard systems” as particularly effective for mobile-first audiences due to short-session play patterns.
“Players want activity, not passive rewards,” Filagina said. “The strongest-performing sweepstakes platforms are creating environments where players continuously interact with missions, rankings, tournaments, and achievement systems rather than simply claiming bonuses.”
Infingame also highlighted mission-based challenge systems as a fast-growing retention lever, saying they encourage broader content exploration and higher daily return activity than standard promotional structures. Separately, the company pointed to infrastructure scalability as an operational priority, arguing that mobile-heavy, interaction-focused audiences make responsiveness and gameplay continuity central to engagement performance as operators scale across North America.
The post Infingame says tournaments and missions drive retention on sweepstakes platforms appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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