EXCLUSIVE: Verse Gaming pivots from DFS, launches first parlay prediction platform in the U.S.

The news: Verse Gaming has shut down its DFS product Verse Fantasy and relaunched with what it calls the first U.S. parlay prediction platform, Verse Picks. The new app allows users to bundle predictions across sports, politics, entertainment, breaking news, and more, offering what CEO Daniel Zimmermann describes as “a platform so compelling we’re confident enough to close down our DFS operation on the eve of the NFL season.”

Zoom in: Launched in 2023, Verse Fantasy was the first product to let fans stake real money behind their season-long fantasy teams’ moneylines and spreads. The product was live in 25+ states before being sunset this week. While Zimmermann said Verse was proud to have delivered that product, he added that “the industry is shifting, new styles of play are emerging, and Verse is stepping forward with something entirely our own.”

That next chapter is Verse’s new parlay prediction app, where users can combine 2–8 picks into a single entry across categories ranging from fantasy football to politics and pop culture. Unlike traditional sportsbooks or prediction markets, Verse runs nationwide through a sweepstakes model where contests are free to enter with real cash prizes available to eligible winners—allowing the product to operate in 39 states as well as D.C.

Why it matters: Verse Gaming’s pivot comes amid a busy few weeks in the prediction market space. First, FanDuel confirmed its entry into prediction gaming through a deal with derivatives exchange CME Group, while Underdog announced a partnership with Crypto.com on Tuesday to offer sports prediction markets in 16 states. Kalshi also self-certified a new type of contract that may let users build parlays. The prediction arms race is accelerating, but Verse is staking its ground firmly around parlays—the single most profitable and sticky feature in traditional sportsbooks.

“Parlays are the path to a risk-a-little, win-a-lot experience most gamblers chase,” Zimmermann wrote in an August blog post. The Verse chief executive also cited data that parlays made up 71% of New Jersey’s regulated sportsbook revenue at the start of last football season—highlighting its position as the most popular bet on the board. 

Zimmermann thinks the “prediction wars” won’t be won on single-game contracts or political markets alone. Parlays remain the crown jewel of betting economics, and Verse is betting that a social, sweepstakes-style product is the wedge to mainstream adoption.

What’s next: Verse is rolling out nationally in time for the NFL season, aiming to turn its viral reach—which recorded 250M+ views across social media content last year—into sustained engagement. With the DFS chapter closed, the company’s focus now rests entirely on delivering and scaling parlay predictions into a new consumer category.