Nigel Eccles: “We will see an emergence of new types of games that break with the typical five reel casino game format” | Yogonet International

As 2024 draws to a close, the gambling industry is taking stock of a year marked by rapid innovation and shifting dynamics. Few individuals are as well-positioned to comment on these trends as Nigel Eccles, Co-Founder of FanDuel and now CEO of BetHog, a cryptocurrency casino and sportsbook that has quickly made waves since going live this year. 

Launched in November 2024, BetHog entered the market with a $6 million seed round led by 6MV, with participation from Will Ventures, Bullpen Capital, Karatage, Advancit Capital, and more. BetHog’s goal is to carve its own niche in the online gambling space by focusing on developing original, interactive social casino games that appeal to the players’ growing appetite for communal gaming experiences.

“BetHog is a new crypto casino and sportsbook with a focus on building original social casino titles,” Eccles tells Yogonet. “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.”

This focus on interactivity seeks to strike a chord with players while noticing the growing influence of streamers in the gambling space. In a bid to give players more reasons to return and keep them engaged, BetHog has committed to a steady pace of new game releases. “We are currently releasing about one new title every two months and we expect to continue this pace in 2025,” Eccles confirms.

The BetHog casino is built on Solana with SOL being the supporting token for their PvP titles. In addition, BetHog also accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT in their other games. It is now available globally with a number of jurisdictional restrictions, including the USA and the UK.

Crypto casinos take center stage

Eccles points to 2024 as a pivotal year for the growth of crypto casinos, which he believes have begun to reshape the gambling landscape. “In 2024, we saw continued growth in crypto casinos that both brought in new players and took share from Web2 platforms,” he explains.

Unlike many traditional platforms, crypto casinos have been quick to adapt, exploring new ways in which to engage their audiences, leading to their sustained expansion. “That [growth] 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,” he notes.

The ease and transparency of cryptocurrency transactions have made these platforms particularly appealing to a younger, tech-savvy audience. Moreover, the integration of streaming has created a more engaging, community-driven experience. “We are starting to see strong buy-in from streamers who see real value in having new ways to interact with their fans,” Eccles says.

Breaking away from tradition

Beyond the dominance of crypto casinos, Eccles predicts the launch of titles outside the usual themes and mechanics. “I think we will see an emergence of new types of games that break with the typical five-reel casino game format,” he says.

This move away from traditional models is a key mission of BetHog’s portfolio. The casino offers a variety of games, mixing content from renowned studios such as Pragmatic and Evolution with exclusive BetHog Originals. The latter category includes variants of crash and mines, along with new takes on player-versus-player games.

As the industry looks to 2025, one of its biggest challenges will be drawing more players to gambling. Eccles sees this as a key area of focus for BetHog and the sector at large. “A major trend for the industry will be to continue to onboard more users into cryptocurrency,” he emphasizes. Education, user-friendly interfaces, and seamless integration will play critical roles in achieving this goal.