Underdog Sports has announced an investment in the Game Safety Institute (GSI), a responsible gambling company based in the United States. This is the next investment phase of its GuardDog fund, which launched in 2023.
Underdog Sports will invest in the Game Safety Institute to help its GuardDog initiative create product intelligence platforms
“New RG solutions are complex to develop and deploy,” Simo Dragicevic, co-founder of GSI, said in a press release. “They require wide stakeholder engagement, R&D funding, and time.
“GuardDog is therefore a critical initiative as it supports the most innovative new RG ideas with not only capital, but access to a range of industry expertise. We are delighted to be partnering with Underdog.”
GuardDog will create product intelligence platforms that cover a broader scope and assess risk for game types more accurately. The funding will also provide better education for players and develop tools to help customers control play.
“The majority of investment and innovation in RG over the past 15 years has been centered on solutions focused on the player,” said GSI co-founder Sarah Ramanauskas. “As these initiatives start to mature, we anticipate increased regulatory and industry focus on product safety.
“A recent survey of major global operators showed that almost all understood the importance of product safety. However, only a third are satisfied with their current approach to understanding product risk.”
Company was the only online gambling operator to support the GRIT Act in January 2024
Underdog Sports remains committed to responsible gambling. The company was the only online gambling operator to support the GRIT Act, a federal act introduced in January 2024 to allocate 50% of federal taxes on sports betting to responsible gambling programs.
Although the act was referred to the Subcommittee on Health, there has been no movement since.
Of course, GuardDog was founded in 2023 with a $1 million investment. The announcement marks the second investment GuardDog has made since.
However, it also provides funded companies with consultation and mentorship from responsible gambling experts.
