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Progressive betting company Network Gaming attracts core investment from industry angels to power the next phase of its international growth and product development

Network Gaming, a betting technology company innovating the next generation of sports prediction games, has raised £1.25m in strategic funding. Investors include industry icon and Betfair co-founder, Andrew Black, who commented: “I’ve felt for a while now that the betting landscape is ripe for change, and I’m delighted to be working with Network Gaming on a few fresh ideas.”

Black has been joined in this investment round by a host of other industry luminaries. Consequently, Network Gaming now boasts an influential consortium of investors including Robert Markwick (angel investor), David O’Reilly (CEO at Colossus Bets), Einar Knobel (CEO at TX Odds), Gary Otto (LA-based angel investor and owner of Sutton United FC) and Sandford Loudon (Partner at Oakvale Capital).

The company made its name with the success of its first pay-to-play game, the Fantasy Masters golf. The game pitted friends and colleagues against one another and culminated in a dynamic live leaderboard for large cash prizes. Accordingly, this next breed of Network Gaming products takes what was learned from this formative success – namely, putting the customer experience at the centre of both game design and build.

Be it free-to-play or pay-to-play sports prediction games, Network Gaming takes a highly collaborative approach with its partners – designing bespoke, socially responsible games that target their specific needs and audiences. Every game creates an enhanced in-play social experience, complementing the sport that players are watching live.

Network Gaming’s ongoing partnerships comprise operator Fitzdares, The Sun’s fantasy football offering of Dream Team, and talkSPORT whose popular sports news and analysis shows drive audience engagement across a number of live-broadcast platforms. While its product suite showcases games for football, horse racing and golf, this investment round will drive global growth and deliver more proprietary games across NFL, NBA, MLB, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

If you want to see what it’s all about, entries are now open for the Fantasy Masters game which returns for this year’s Augusta showpiece from 7-10 April, with record levels of engagement anticipated via partners Fitzdares and talkSPORT. The player who finishes at the top of the leaderboard has walked away with more than £50,000 in recent years.

Harry Collins, CEO at Network Gaming, said: “We give customers the experience of a game, not just a bet. Moving up or down a leaderboard right until the final seconds of an event offers a different type of excitement to betting, one where enjoyment comes from competing against friends or other sports fans in a rollercoaster ride.

“We’re delighted to have an industry trailblazer like Andrew advising us on fresh ideas and to have the support of other experienced innovators for this step-change in Network Gaming’s evolution.”

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