The company revealed its plans in a press release Monday. Underdog founder and co-CEO, Jeremy Levine, said that the aim is to push the boundaries without compromising responsible gambling practices.
“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 Levine.
Responsible gambling has been a concern of lawmakers across the country. It is also a prominent feature on top online sportsbooks, the majority of which offer pop-ups with session timers, deposit and wager limits, and other safeguards against problem gambling.
FanDuel, for example, allows users to put themselves in “timeout” and will lock their account until the prescribed period ends. It also has the number to a problem gambling hotline at the top of its web page.
Underdog will focus primarily on young startups with cutting-edge technology that could benefit from GuardDog’s resources.
“We know there are tons of dreamers, entrepreneurs, and builders out there that can help build a stronger, more responsible ecosystem for all,” said Levine. “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.”
