Zoot snares $6M to bring stablecoins to sweepstakes app

The news: Zoot, a sweepstakes gaming platform founded by ex-Facebook Games exec Sean Ryan, raised a $6M seed round led by CoinFund, with Griffin Gaming Partners joining in. The funding will be used to expand Zoot’s business the U.S. and into global markets, primarily through stablecoin integration.

Zoom in: Zoot blends video game-like engagement with real-money gaming, and plans to use stablecoins to cut payment friction and enable instant, borderless payouts. Ryan says the intersection of blockchain, digital currency, and real-money gaming is “one of the most compelling opportunities in digital entertainment,” particularly in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa where the company will focus its growth efforts. 

Why it matters: Stablecoin use is surging ($239B+ in circulation) as payment giants like Visa and PayPal build crypto rails. For real-money gaming—an industry often bogged down by slow, costly payments ecosystems—stablecoins promise instant, fee-free transactions and on-chain trust. ZOOT is betting that pairing proven game design with crypto payments will make real-money gaming more mainstream, frictionless, and global.

How Rolling Insights is democratizing sports data for builders

The news: Rolling Insights CEO Steven Kenway is on a mission to make sports data more accessible for early-stage founders—and wants startups to know they often don’t need pricey official feeds to build winning products.

Zoom in: Rolling Insights is straightforward: tap public sources, automate collection, and deliver unofficial stats at “medium latency”—fast enough for most products, and far cheaper than official league data. To help early-stage companies get off the ground, Rolling Insights offers a program where startups can access discounted data, industry expert connections, and a runway to test and grow before committing big dollars to official feeds.

Why it matters: Sports betting and fantasy startups often face a catch-22: they need good data to build trust and attract users, but official feeds are too expensive for them to stomach. Rolling Insights fills that gap, powering a new wave of scrappy builders who can experiment affordably and scale up later if they succeed. More underdogs means more innovation—and more future customers for Rolling Insights.

Listen to the full podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Startups, skill games & SEO: 3 big shifts you shouldn’t ignore

The news: On the latest Vested Interest Podcast, Pierre Lindh, Benjie Cherniak, and Lloyd Danzig unpack three big shifts reshaping startups, gaming, and affiliate businesses this summer—from surviving the seasonal slump to riding the skill gaming wave and bracing for AI’s impact on SEO.

• Stay productive in the summer: Use slower months for planning and alignment. Build trust with stakeholders now—and don’t waste time cold-calling during vacation season.

• Skill-based gaming is booming: New hits like Triumph are topping app charts without the licensing drag of traditional gambling. Expect faster go-to-market, more competition, and M&A as big players buy growth.

• Affiliates must evolve: Google’s algorithm changes and AI search are shaking up legacy SEO models. The future is diversified revenue, real communities, and better hedges than just ranking hacks.

Why it matters: Markets slow down—but businesses need to keep “pushing the ball forward 365 days a year.” Whether you’re raising capital, building a new game, or betting on affiliate traffic, the old playbook is cracking. This summer is a stress test for who can adapt and come back sharper in September.

News, money, and alpha

• Sparket, the prediction app that lets users “bet on anything,” has officially handled 1 million wagers.

• UK-based betting operator Midnite is ramping up its marketing efforts, sponsoring the FIFA Club World Cup and Southampton F.C. this month.

• Incentive Games is building off its free-to-play game development business with a real-money gaming arm. 

From the studio

Catch up on the latest episodes of The BettingStartups Podcast.

• The sports data platform for builders w/ Steven Kenway from Rolling Insights

• Launching a non-dilutive capital model w/ Davis Catlin from Discerning Capital

• Reduced juice for all w/ Gino Donati from BetOPENLY

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Are you a startup in real-money gaming looking to announce a new product launch, partnership, or funding round? Get it on our radar! Email: [email protected]