Daily fantasy sports group Underdog is beefing up its responsible gambling efforts on several fronts, including the launch of a new $1 million investment fund, GuardDog.
The fund will serve as an “investment initiative” with a focus on fostering tech innovations in the responsible gambling space. In addition to providing financial investment, GuardDog will also offer mentorship and consultation from the following individuals:
- Adam Warrington, former vice president of Responsible Gaming at FanDuel
- Chris Grove, partner at Acies Investments
- Dan Hartman, former director of the Colorado Division of Gaming
- Sara Tait, former executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission
In addition to being involved with GuardDog, Warrington is also coming on board as a consultant for Underdog on responsible gambling. Companies receiving GuardDog funding will also be provided access to mentors including renowned responsible gaming advocate, Brianne Doura-Schawohl.
“I’m incredibly excited to partner with Underdog to identify and execute opportunities to drive innovation and measurable outcomes in responsible gaming,” said Warrington. “Daily fantasy and online sports gaming are a fast-moving and dynamic space. It’s critical the pace of innovation and advancement in responsible gaming keep up. I truly admire Underdog’s commitment to this important topic, and I’m pleased to be working with the team to further their mission.”
The focus of GuardDog will be on early-stage startups with new and innovative tools to help improve responsible gambling efforts across sports betting and fantasy games.
“At Underdog, we always look to adopt best in class and then innovate further. With GuardDog, we intend to spur innovation to help companies that help people play the games they love — including all our games on Underdog — responsibly,” said Jeremy Levine, founder and co-CEO of Underdog. “We know there are tons of dreamers, entrepreneurs, and builders out there that can help build a stronger, more responsible ecosystem for all. We want to help those innovating in responsibility by providing capital, mentorship, and valuable connections. We’re really excited to launch GuardDog and we can’t wait to help some amazing companies.”
