Betting Startups News for the week of September 2, 2024

After last week’s triumphant return of the newsletter, we’re back in your inbox!

We’re down to a double-digit numbers of hours until the 2024 NFL regular season kicks off, which means a slew of new product & marketing launches.

Here’s what hit our radar last week from the real money gaming industry’s early-stage ecosystem ⤵️

📰 Headline news

• SBC announced the 5 startups chosen to compete for a €100k+ prize package at First Pitch during the SBC Summit in Lisbon on September 24. (Link)

• Betr launched a new P2P fantasy game while also soft launching the Betr Sportsbook. (Link)

• Speaking of the Betr sportsbook, the company also announced that it licensed Huddle’s odds and pricing technology. (Link)

• PrizePicks launched a new free-to-play game in 13 states, offering a potential grand prize of $1m. (Link)

• Loserball launched a new fantasy football game in partnership with FantasyAlarm & Bettor Sports Productions. (Link)

• Blask, the AI-driven market analytics startup, announced “a significant strategic alliance” with NEXT.io. (Link)

• The Game Safety Institute received investment from GuardDog, the responsible gaming fund operated by Underdog. (Link)
  

Are you an industry startup with news to share? Send us your PR for inclusion here.

💬 Ink & airwaves

The best of what we’ve read, watched, and listened to lately:

• 🎙️ Ep. 129 of The Betting Startups Podcast was the official First Pitch preview episode. Meet the 5 startups competing for the €100k+ prize package at the SBC Summit in Lisbon on September 24. Featuring an event preview with Sue Schneider! Watch or listen now (37:03): YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

• 🎙️ Ep. 231 of the Knup Sports Show featured Sam Factor from WalterPicks (who also appeared on e76 of The Betting Startups Podcast in July 2023). Sam tells the story of going from being a high school math teacher to tech entrepreneur building AI-driven tools for fantasy sports players. Watch or listen now (27:42): YouTube | Spotify

• 📺 Nasdaq TradeTalks aired an episode called “Trends in the Digital Gaming Space”, with a roundtable discussion featuring Joel Simkins (XST Capital), Peter Heneghan (Bettor Capital), Pranav Tadikonda (Pikkit), and Joey Levy (Betr). Watch now (19:18): YouTube 

• 📚 Not specific to the real-money gaming industry, but Paul Graham (YCombinator co-founder) published a new essay called Founder Mode that has the broader tech community buzzing. Read it here.

💼 Great gigs

Big opportunities with awesome growth-stage companies:

• 🆕 Betr is searching for a Marketing Coordinator to work within its Miami offices. (Link)

• Pikkit is on the hunt for a Head of Growth Marketing to work within its NYC office. (Link)

• OddsJam is looking for a Data Analyst to help shape key decisions on the future of the product. (Link)

• Splash Sports just opened up the key role of VIP Account Executive. (Link)

🗓️ Industry event calendar

Upcoming events relevant to early-stage companies in the space:

• 🆕 ZeroLabs is running the 3rd cohort of its Innovation Launchpad in Las Vegas on the weekend before G2E, and is now accepting applications from founders and startups. Program Info

• SBC Summit hits Lisbon in a few weeks, attracting 25,000+ attendees from Sep. 24-26. “The great show in gaming” once again features the First Pitch competition - hosted by Jesse - which will see one industry startup receive a prize package valued at over €100k! If you still need a ticket, use discount code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP for €300 off yours. Event Info | Buy Ticket

• The Challenger Series, hosted by GeoComply and Citi, returns to Las Vegas on October 7 to kickoff G2E week. It’s a can’t-miss event for every industry founder, but space is limited so RSVP now!
  

• G2E returns to The Venetian in Las Vegas from October 7-10. 2024. Event Info | Buy Ticket

• NEXT Summit New York returns to Manhattans financial district March 12-13, 2025. Pre-registration is now open, with a $500 discount being offered to those that pre-register. Event Info | Pre-register for tickets

🤝 Deal corner

Deals! We’ve got deals!

The Deal Corner is presented by XST Capital Group, the industry’s leading financial strategists.