The Fire Joker has returned, his blazing grin wider than ever. He’s back in control of the reels, where classic fruits and symbols light up under his fiery touch. But this time, there’s more than just mischief in the air. The heat has intensified, the stakes are higher, and this scorching slot is cranked up to a full 100.
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The Fire Joker has returned, his blazing grin wider than ever. He’s back in control of the reels, where classic fruits and symbols light up under his fiery touch. But this time, there’s more than just mischief in the air. The heat has intensified, the stakes are higher, and this scorching slot is cranked up to a full 100.

Gambling in the USA

Pioneering VC Fund Targeting Legal U.S. Sports Betting Opportunity

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Gambling industry veterans bring funding, expertise to wave of new sports betting startups through newly formed Sports Gaming Investment Fund (SGIF)

The market for sports betting in the U.S. is expanding at an unprecedented pace following a 2018 Supreme Court decision that allowed all states to legalize sportsbooks. A wave of innovative startups is emerging with products, services, and solutions designed to tap the estimated $17 billion dollar opportunity that legal U.S. sports betting represents.

Discovering, funding, and guiding the development of the best of those startups is the goal of the Sports Gaming Investment Fund (SGIF), a pioneering VC fund focused primarily on the U.S. legal sports betting industry.

Management for this industry-first fund features a host of gambling industry, investment, and venture expertise:

  • Chris Grove, Managing Partner: Grove is a partner at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, heading the firm’s sports betting practice.
  • David Sargeant, Managing Partner: Sargeant is the founder and CEO of iGaming Ideas, a leading international incubator for gambling startups, and sports betting consultant.
  • Blaine Graboyes, Advisory Partner: Graboyes is the co-founder and CEO of the groundbreaking gambling machine developer GameCo.
  • Seth Schorr, Advisory Partner: Schorr is the Chairman of Fifth Street Gaming and co-founder of the streaming media startup Konek TV.
  • SeventySix Capital, Advisory Partner: SeventySix brings decades of fund management to the SGIF team and will assist with deal structure, vetting, and back office.

“There’s no doubt that the keys to fully unlocking the potential of the U.S. sports betting market are in the hands of startups,” said Grove, a nationally recognized expert on the legal sportsbook industry. “We’re just now starting to see the ideas that will ultimately define sports betting in the United States.”

“The pace of development in the U.S. market only increases the opportunity for startups,” added Sargeant, who has evaluated hundreds of early-stage companies during his career. “Large casinos and software providers won’t have the bandwidth or resources to truly innovate. They’re too busy simply getting up and running.”

Investors in SGIF have been attracted to the combination of timing, team, and opportunity.

“My decision to invest in SGIF was driven by my belief in the team’s superior deal flow, their proven ability to evaluate that flow, and the resources they can deploy to support portfolio companies,” said Jeremy Levine, an investor in SGIF. Levine is the founder of multiple companies, including DRAFT, which was acquired by PaddyPower Betfair in 2017.

For startups, SGIF will play an invaluable role in guiding them through the regulated gambling  landscape.

“Gambling is one of the toughest industries for startups from a compliance perspective,” noted Graboyes, who has steered GameCo from concept to a heavily licensed gambling supplier. “Having the right plan as early as possible in the process can easily be the difference between success and failure for a startup targeting the sports betting industry.”

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SGIF will add additional value to portfolio companies by helping to ensure optimal product fit and market access.

“Startups don’t always appreciate what problems larger gambling companies are actually attempting to solve and what opportunities do and don’t resonate with those companies,” said Schorr, who has held management roles at several Las Vegas casinos and currently operates the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas.  “We will help our startups hone their product, model, and approach to fit with the real demand within the gambling industry, and then match a startup’s product to that demand.”

For more information, visit www.SGIF.vc.

About SGIF
Sports Gaming Investment Fund (SGIF) is a VC fund focused on startups that support the emerging U.S. market for legal sports betting.

 

Source: SGIF

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Gambling in the USA

ETPL APPOINTS LONDON-BASED OAKVALE CAPITAL AS EXCLUSIVE INVESTMENT BANKER TO LEAD CAPITAL RAISE AND GROWTH STRATEGY

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The European T20 Premier League (ETPL), an ICC-approved T20 league co-owned by Abhishek Bachchan and backed by Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association, has appointed Oakvale Capital as its exclusive investment banker.

“Oakvale’s deep expertise in sports finance will be a game-changer for ETPL’s long-term vision. We look forward to working closely with their expert team to help bring our event to fruition,” said Warren Deutrom, CEO, Cricket Ireland.

“Oakvale is one of the leading London-based investment banks in the sports and gaming ecosystem. Their sector depth, global network, and track record advising rights-holders, clubs, and technology platforms make them the right partner for ETPL as we scale,” said Saurav Banerjee, Co-owner and Director, ETPL.

“We’re excited to support ETPL’s bold and innovative approach to cricket. The vision to elevate the sport in Europe with a premium, differentiated offering aligns well with Oakvale’s strategic focus in global sports properties,” said Sandford Loudon, Partner, Oakvale Capital.

Blending world-class cricket with a distinctively European experience, ETPL aims to redefine the sport through elite talent, immersive fan experiences, and data-driven innovation. In addition, KPMG in India has been appointed as ETPL’s strategic advisor.

 

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Gambling in the USA

Georgia Lottery Takes Retail Experience to Next Level with Scientific Games’ SCiQ Technology

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SCiQ Ecosystem Modernizes Lottery Scratch Game Sales, Simplifies Retail Operations

The Georgia Lottery Corporation is taking a major step forward in transforming the way players experience instant scratch games at retail with the launch of Scientific Games’ award-winning SCiQ retail ecosystem at 1,500 locations statewide. The breakthrough retail technology modernizes how scratch games are sold and managed, bringing greater operational efficiency to retailers and a convenient, streamlined purchasing experience for players.

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The innovative retail technology rollout is the latest milestone in a long-standing partnership between the Georgia Lottery and metro Atlanta-based Scientific Games, a collaboration that began at the Lottery’s inception in 1993. Through the long-standing partnership, Scientific Games has worked with the Lottery to launch its first scratch game, first second-chance promotion and is soon to launch its first loyalty program.

“Retail environments are evolving, and the Georgia Lottery is proud to lead with smart technology solutions that align with how today’s consumers want to shop,” said Gretchen Corbin, President and CEO of the Georgia Lottery Corporation. “SCiQ brings a modern retail presence to our instant games, helps our retailers operate more efficiently and ultimately supports our mission to maximize revenues for the HOPE Scholarship and Georgia Pre-K program.”

A Gold Winner in the 2025 American Business Awards for Operations Management Solution and Bronze Winner in the 2025 International Business Awards for Achievement in Product Innovation, SCiQ is being deployed across the diverse mix of Georgia Lottery retailers, including both major chain and independent stores. Each will benefit from:

  • Real-time inventory tracking proven to reduce out-of-stocks and drive increased product sales
  • Advanced sales analytics to help optimize sales performance and strategic planning
  • Easy-to-use reporting tools that reduce operational time and provide management insights
  • Dynamic digital menu boards that elevate the product’s in-store presence and promotion while providing players with real-time updated information
  • Game dispensing bins that secure products, reduce theft and provide ticket-by-ticket operational tracking

“We are especially proud to bring the benefits of SCiQ to our home state,” said John Schulz, President of the Americas for Scientific Games. “The Georgia Lottery has always been a forward-thinking partner, and this retail modernization initiative is another move to ensure future growth for its instant game business to sustain future funding for Georgia’s students.”

A leading innovator in the industry, the Georgia Lottery ranked No. 2 in the world for scratch game per capita sales (La Fleur’s 2025 World Almanac). It has been a participant in the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership program since the Lottery’s inception, benefiting from instant game design and production, portfolio management and game planning services, data analytics, advanced logistics, licensed brand services and retail sales and marketing support. Used by more than 20 lotteries, including five of the top six performing instant game lotteries worldwide, the SGEP program drove 31% better performance for U.S. partners in fiscal year 2023-24.

As the world’s largest lottery games company and the fastest-growing lottery systems provider in North America, Scientific Games currently serves more than 150 lotteries in 50 countries around the world.

SCiQ® is a registered trademark of Scientific Games. ©2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

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Gambling in the USA

$50 MILLION GUARANTEED IN ACR POKER’S BIGGEST-EVER TOURNAMENT SERIES: THE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL, LAUNCHING THIS WEEKEND

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  • $4.25 million guaranteed in Monster Main Events across three tourneys, plus
  • $2.8 million guaranteed in Multi-Flight Events

Fresh off the massive Dual Venom tournaments with over $10 million in prize pools, ACR Poker announces the return of its flagship Online Super Series (OSS) XL. From this Sunday through Tuesday, September 30th, players of all bankrolls can jump into supersized poker action and compete for a staggering $50 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Headlining the OSS XL schedule are three monster Main Events. Starting Sunday, September 21st, players can take their shot at the $2 million guaranteed ($2,650 buy-in), the $1.5 million guaranteed ($1,050 buy-in), and the $750,000 guaranteed ($215 buy-in) Main Events.

Adding to the excitement is the high-energy Survivor Flips tourney ($130 buy-in), offering a $150,000 guarantee. Phase 1 and Steps Flips run from Wednesday, September 17th to Sunday, September 21st at 3pm ET. Phase 2 is a regular tournament on September 21st at 3:05pm ET where all players start in the money.

“After heated back-to-back Venom tourneys, the OSS XL feels like the perfect follow-up,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “This series offers every type of player a mix of incredible value with a lot of variety. From Main Events to Survivor Flips and Mystery Bounties, plus big guarantees on top, it’s the kind of schedule that gets the whole community fired up, and I can’t wait to dive in.”

In addition, the jam-packed schedule features plenty of multi-flight action. The $630 buy-in Multi-Flight tournament boasts a $1.5 million guarantee, with Day 1’s starting on Sunday, September 7th and Day 2 on Monday, September 29th.

There are also four Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight events, including two $500,000 guaranteed $109 buy-in events, with Day 1’s starting on September 7th and September 21st. Players can jump into the $200,000 guaranteed ($33 buy-in) and $100,000 guaranteed ($5.50 buy-in) events, with the final flight and Day 2 on September 28th.

To add further sweat, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest returns with $65,000 in cash and tourney tickets across three tiers. The High Stakes ($104.50 buy-ins and above) will award a $15,000 top prize, while the Mid Stakes ($16.50 to $88 buy-ins) and Low Stakes (under $15 buy-ins) will award $7,500 and $4,000, respectively.

For further details on the OSS XL, read the ACR Poker blog or visit ACRPoker.eu.

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