Former FanDuel duo link up to form crypto firm BetHog
By Charlie Dear
The founders of bookmaker Fanduel DFS, Nigel Eccles and Rob Jones have teamed up once again to launch the crypto gambling sports betting and casino site, BetHog.
The Edinburgh-based tech entrepreneurs have returned with their latest venture underpinned by the fast-moving world of crypto gambling, to offer bettors a new way to engage with casino games and an alternative and a fresh take to traditional bookmaker markets.
Built for fair play, by blockchain provider Solana (SOL), the venture is backed by $6m in funding led by Web3 VC fund, 6th Man Ventures (6MV), featuring the participation of iGaming figureheads Chris Grove of Eilers & Krejcik and Josh Hannah, the founder of the Flutter betting exchange.
This is Eccles’ second foray into the crypto betting space, after he launched the Web3 betting exchange BetDEX. He now seeks to disrupt the iGaming world again with this latest enterprise alongside his former sparring partner at FanDuel, Jones.
Eccles, co-founder & CEO of BetHog, explained: "The crypto casino market has seen dramatic growth over the past few years, driven by innovations like provably fair games, robust VIP programmes and streaming.
“With BetHog, my goal is to innovate even further by bringing unique and highly visual games to market. I want to offer users unique play-along and skill-based titles, combined with a robust VIP offering. But most of all, this is about maximising fun for our users!”
As well as SOL, being the supporting token for their PvP titles, BetHog also accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT on their other titles to give a wider choice to its customers.
There will be a strong emphasis on ‘BetHog originals’, with those mentioned on site including Hogger, an odds-based game reminiscent of the 1981 arcade game Frogger, HODL!, a crash-style game and a bluffing game called Liar’s Dice.
From this first round of funding, BetHog will prioritise investment in product development while scaling the business via strategic partnerships.
Serge Kassardjian, General Partner at 6MV said: “We are thrilled to be backing Nigel and the entire team at BetHog on this investment. We think they are perfectly positioned to unlock this massive opportunity to build the most innovative online casino and betting platform of this era of crypto. We believe this will bring in a diverse audience of crypto and non-crypto gamers to enjoy this differentiated and fun gambling experience.”