BetHog Secures $10M War Chest to Scale AI-Powered Live Dealers Across Global Online Casinos

• BetHog was co-founded by FanDuel founder Nigel Eccles
• Six investors participated in the financing round
• Company has now raised $16 million

BetHog, the crypto-casino co-founded by FanDuel founder Nigel Eccles, has raised $10 million in Series A funding to launch an AI-powered live dealer platform.

The company, co-founded in 2024 by Eccles and Rob Jones, unveiled Sentient Studios,  a business-to-business (B2B) offering leveraging software to give internet casino clients an alternative to using human live dealers.

We’ve tested our basic AI dealer over the past 6 months and have discovered that it is 10X more popular than its live dealer equivalent. In addition, we’ve seen better retention and player satisfaction,” said Eccles in a statement. “With Sentient Labs, we’re excited to bring this product to other online casinos where operators can launch and scale their own dealer experiences instantly, operate continuously, and create more personalized interactions for players.”

Last October, BetHog rolled out a live AI-powered blackjack dealer known as Sunny. With the debut of Sentient Labs, BetHog is aiming to add AI-driven baccarat and roulette to its stable later this year.

iGaming Ripe for AI

Already a higher margin industry than online sports betting, iGaming could be an ideal segment for broader AI adoption as operators explore ways to realize increased cost efficiencies.

Currently, iGaming operators are dependent on outside third parties for management of table games. That’s a confining model that limits operators’ ability to set themselves apart from competitors. BetHog’s Sentient Studios is aiming to improve that scenario.

“The platform also enables a new level of customization, allowing operators to create unique dealer personas, branded environments, and premium experiences that are fully owned within their product, rather than shared across a broader supplier ecosystem,” according to the statement.

BetHog Financing Round Draws a Crowd

The Series A financing round, which lifts BetHog’s total capital raised to $16 million, was co-led by Will Ventures and RockawayX. Will Ventures is supported by other venture investors, professional sports leagues and athletes.

RockawayX “is a leading multi-strategy digital asset investment firm with over $2 billion in assets under management, operating across venture, credit, liquidity, and infrastructure,” according to the press release.

“The firm invests in early-stage infrastructure and consumer applications building the on-chain economy, combining venture investing with deep operational expertise.”

The other participants in the capital raise were 6MV, Advancit Capital, Bullpen Capital and PCV.