BettorWatch to launch in first quarter of 2025, acquire iProtekt

Friday, January 17, 2025 11:36 AM
  • Rege Behe, CDC Gaming

Discerning Capital will launch BettorWatch, a company focused on providing technology solutions to responsible gaming.

As part of the launch, BettorWatch also has agreed to acquire iProtekt during the first quarter of 2025. iProtekt’s suite of tools is expected to enhance BettorWatch’s ability to address responsible gaming solutions.

BettorWatch is a technology provider dedicated to working collaboratively with leaders in the U.S. gaming industry to identify and develop solutions to assist with potentially problematic gaming behavior.

“We have been quietly evaluating responsible gaming in this industry for over five years and saw significant gaps in the market,” Discerning Capital Managing Partner Davis Catlin said in a statement. “We identified the need for an independent service provider focusing on creating long-term sustainability for the wagering industry. As investors in this industry, we maintain healthy relationships with all parts of the gaming ecosystem, and we benefit if the industry is sustainable long-term.  We believe BettorWatch’s partnership-driven strategy will help advance responsible gaming initiatives in the United States.”

Upon completion of the transaction, iProtekt Founder and CEO Bryan Price will join BettorWatch as its CEO. Catlin will serve as the Executive Chairman of the Board, and David Williams, a Discerning Capital partner, will be a board member and Chief Financial Officer.

“We are thrilled to be a part of BettorWatch and further our shared mission of creating a safer and more sustainable gaming industry,” Price said. “By combining iProtekt’s best-in-class responsible gaming tools with BettorWatch’s strategic vision and industry expertise, we are poised to make a significant impact on how the industry approaches problem gaming prevention and intervention.”

According to a release, BettorWatch will introduce features including self-exclusion, the sharing of exclusion lists across geographies, partner and regulator reporting, and real-time analysis of player behavior to detect evolving markers of harm.

Long-term, the company will seek to develop solutions that provide a holistic view, identifying riskier behavior in the hopes of preventing the development of problem gaming.

BettorWatch also has appointed its initial board of advisors comprised of multiple veterans of the gaming industry:

  • Jonathan Michaels, formerly of Sightline Payments and the American Gaming Association and current CEO at Michaels Strategies
  • Sheila Bangalore, a long-time gaming industry leader, board member and advisor to various gaming companies
  • Dr. Scott Hoover, professor at Washington & Lee University, who has a history of using data to identify social impacts and corrective actions

Rege Behe is lead contributor to CDC Gaming. He can be reached at rbehe@cdcgaming.com. Please follow @RegeBehe_exPTR on Twitter.