This week: Gambly and Unabated merge to strengthen betting tool tech stack

Gambly and Unabated merge to strengthen betting tool tech stack

The news: Gambly and Unabated are merging to form Gambly Ventures, Inc., combining Gambly’s AI-powered betslip technology with Unabated’s professional betting analytics platform. The deal brings together two prominent tools in the sports betting ecosystem—one focused on simplifying bet placement for casual bettors, and the other known for its data-driven tools used by more advanced players. Under the new structure, Gambly co-founder Cal Spears will serve as CEO of the combined entity, while Unabated CEO Matt Snyder will step into the role of CTO. Both companies will continue to operate under separate brands while sharing core infrastructure around data ingestion, odds mapping, and product development.

Zoom in: “This is a very natural match,” Spears said on the BettingStartups Podcast. “Unabated’s actually been on the Gambly cap table since day one. For Gambly, one of the biggest motivations behind the deal was gaining deeper control over the data infrastructure that powers its product, with Spears adding that there will be “immediate investment” in data ingestion,” which he says is especially important as prediction markets continue to grow.

Why it matters: The deal reflects a broader shift in the sports betting ecosystem toward tools that sit between sportsbooks and bettors—helping users research, analyze, and execute wagers more efficiently. Long before this merger, Spears was already framing Gambly less as a traditional affiliate play and more as infrastructure built around bet execution itself, saying on Gambly’s launch-day podcast appearance in 2024 that “if this is tracked well and attributed well, that there's a potential to start getting paid on bet slips.” That thinking now looks more consequential as Gambly’s rapid growth—driven in part by users replicating bets they see online from influencers with “voracious” followings.

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23 Broadway snipes $3M in seed funding for user acquisition platform

The news: 23 Broadway, founded by Betty co-founder Jordan Tuch, has raised $3M in seed funding to launch a “fully integrated AI-powered user acquisition financing platform.” The round was co-led by Betty and Will Ventures, with participation from 359 Capital, CEAS Investments, and Dave Bartman.

Zoom in: The company is spinning out Betty’s internal growth engine into a B2B product—combining non-dilutive capital, performance marketing execution, and its proprietary AI system Atlas. Atlas determines optimal customer acquisition cost and predicts long-term value, a model that previously helped Betty reach around 18% market share in Ontario, the company says.

Why it matters: User acquisition financing has traditionally functioned as a lending model—but 23 Broadway is positioning itself as a true operating partner by combining capital with execution and proprietary tech. CEO Jordan Tuch told NEXT.io that other user acquisition funds in the market “are offloading all the risks to the borrower,” while 23 Broadway acts “as more of a partner" since it also brings performance marketing and technology.

Sponsored by SBC

The news: First Pitch returns at SBC Summit Americas June 11, giving early-stage betting and gaming startups a chance to pitch live on stage for a prize package valued at over $100,000. Five companies will be selected to present in front of top investors and industry leaders. Applications are now open.

Why it matters: First Pitch has become a direct pathway for startups to get in front of capital and decision-makers in the space. Hosted by BettingStartups and a panel of experienced operators and investors, it’s a rare opportunity to validate your product, refine your story, and sometimes get the difficult feedback you needed—all at once.

ShotQuality strikes up data deal with Kalshi 

The news: AI intelligence platform ShotQuality has struck a strategic partnership with Kalshi to support real-time event intelligence and structured data generation. The collaboration will focus on powering live markets and broadcasts as prediction markets continue to gain traction. 

Zoom in: ShotQuality’s multi-agent AI platform ingests live event data and converts it into structured signals designed for trading and operational workflows. That infrastructure, already used by sportsbooks and quant trading groups, will now extend into prediction markets, where speed, reliability, and accuracy are critical to pricing outcomes.

Why it matters: As prediction markets move closer to the mainstream, the underlying data is becoming just as important as the exchange itself. Partnerships like this signal a broader shift toward innovating the infrastructure behind prediction markets. ShotQuality founder Simon Gerszberg added that “real-time information is becoming increasingly important across trading environments, sports data, and prediction markets."

News, money, and alpha

• Betsson has agreed to acquire the Canadian B2C business of Rhino Entertainment Group, as well as various technology assets.

• Betr CEO Joey Levy openly spoke about the company and its strategy during the Hot Six session during NEXT Summit NYC.

• Polymarket expands its DeFi capabilities through Brahma acquisition.

From the studio

Catch up on the latest episodes of The BettingStartups Podcast.

• Gambly and Unabated merge to create a new powerhouse w/ Cal Spears

• Bootstrapping a niche content empire on quality alone w/ Taylor Caby from Establish the Run

• Announcing the launch of BettingStartups Capital w/ Paris Smith

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