BetHog, a new cryptocurrency casino and sportsbook, made waves in November with its public launch and announcement of $6 million in seed funding. The company aims to redefine the social casino experience by creating interactive, streamer-friendly games. One of its flagship offerings, Hogger, allows fans to play along with their favorite streamers, blending the lines between gaming, live streaming, and community engagement.
The rise of crypto casinos has been a major trend in the industry, driven by streaming integration, innovative game formats like crash games, and the ease of cryptocurrency transactions. BetHog, founded by Nigel Eccles and Rob Jones, serial tech entrepreneurs and co-founders of sportsbook FanDuel, aims to stay ahead of these trends by releasing a new game every two months in 2025, while also fostering partnerships with streamers seeking deeper engagement with their audiences.
In an interview with Yogonet, Eccles, Co-founder and CEO of BetHog, reflects on the rise of crypto gaming, the industry’s evolution, and how BetHog’s unique approach to social gaming will position it as a leading platform in the fast-growing sector.
November saw the public launch announcement of BetHog, a new cryptocurrency casino and sportsbook, with $6 million in seed funding. What can you tell us about this new project? What led you to explore this opportunity?
BetHog is a new crypto casino and sportsbook with a focus on building original social casino titles. We see an opportunity to build new casino games that are much more interactive and social. A great example of that is Hogger, which lets fans play the game along with their favorite streamer.
Which issues and trends would you say dominated the conversation this year, both in the gaming industry at large and online gaming in specific? And are there any specific trends, markets, or technologies that you believe will drive change in 2025?
In 2024, we saw continued growth in crypto casinos that both brought in new players and took share from Web2 platforms. That was driven by their embrace of streaming, continued innovation like crash games and the ease of playing with cryptocurrencies. I think we will see those three trends continue into 2025. I also think we will see an emergence of new types of games that break with the typical five-reel casino game format.
What can we expect from BetHog in 2025? What are the main challenges and opportunities you see in the gaming industry for the new platform in the upcoming 12-month period?
We are currently releasing about one new title every two months and we expect to continue this pace in 2025. We are also starting to see strong buy-in from streamers who see real value in having new ways to interact with their fans. The other major trend for the industry will be to continue to onboard more users into cryptocurrency.