In this episode of the Knup Sports Show, we’re thrilled to welcome Nigel Eccles, a true pioneer in the world of daily fantasy sports and sports betting. As one of the key figures behind FanDuel’s historic rise, Nigel has been at the forefront of innovation in the gaming industry for years.
Now, he’s venturing into the world of crypto with his latest project, BetHog. Designed to change how we view online gaming and betting, BetHog gives us a renewed focus on fun and engagement. From interactive slot games to a fresh take on payments, Nigel is once again changing the game.
Join us as we dive into Nigel’s entrepreneurial journey, from his early days with Flutter.com to his revolutionary work at FanDuel and now BetHog. Discover how BetHog is reimagining slots for a new generation of players, why crypto offers unique advantages in the betting world, and what sets this platform apart from the competition. Whether you’re a fan of innovation, sports betting, or simply curious about where the industry is headed, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Ryan Knuppel
Hey, what’s going on, everybody? Ryan Knuppel here. Episode two hundred and thirty-seven of the Knup Sports Show. Super excited to be back for another one. I cannot believe we’re at two hundred and thirty-seven. They just keep ticking off. We keep bringing amazing people doing amazing things in sports.
And I think today, you’re going to really enjoy the guest we have. I consider him one of the pioneers of what we know today as daily fantasy sports and sports betting, especially here in the United States. He’s one of the people responsible for bringing what we live and breathe every single day to life. I’m excited to dive in and focus on his new project and what he has going on.
So I’m not going to waste any time. Let’s bring on our guest who you’re all itching to meet here today. Let’s bring him on: Nigel Eccles with BetHog. How are you, my friend?
Nigel Eccles
I’m great. Thank you. Thanks for having me on the show.
Ryan Knuppel
Absolutely. Excited to chat with you, Nigel. I know we go way back, like fifteen years ago. I remember meeting you through the old OneSeason days. Remember OneSeason back in the day?
Nigel Eccles
Oh, my God. Yeah. No, you’re going way back. That was a fun product.
It was nearly like pre-crypto NFTs, right? You bought a player, almost like a stock exchange for players. It didn’t quite work, but it was an interesting concept. It didn’t work. But what I like to consider is like this chain of events—one thing leading to another, to another, and so on.
Ryan Knuppel
Absolutely. What I vividly remember, especially looking back at your success, is how FanDuel came right after that. It was like, OneSeason ended, and then FanDuel started right after. I’d love for you to share your story from those days to where you are today before we dive into BetHog.
Nigel Eccles
Yeah, very sweet. Your journey. Kind of backstory on me. So I’ve been an entrepreneur in online sports betting and gaming since 2000. I was an early employee at Flutter.com, which became Flutter Entertainment. I relaunched it as a betting exchange and also relaunched BetDAC, a betting exchange based in Dublin. Then, in 2009, I launched FanDuel.
Prior to FanDuel, we launched a prediction market called Hubdub. There’s been a lot of news about Polymarket this year, but we launched Hubdub during the 2008 election cycle, and it did very well. However, after the election, we discovered that prediction markets are great for elections but not so much for other things. That led us to pivot to fantasy sports, and from there, FanDuel was born. It grew very rapidly.
I ultimately left FanDuel just as PASPA was being repealed and the sports betting industry was opening up. After that, I explored other startups in areas like social media, sports cards, and crypto. Over the last four years, I launched a betting exchange called BetDEX, which is still operational. This year, I started working on BetHog, which we just launched last week.
Ryan Knuppel
That’s amazing. I’m sure all of that experience has given you so much knowledge and confidence to launch BetHog at this point.
Nigel Eccles
I don’t know if you ever feel entirely confident. I’ve always been interested in doing something new, and that usually means taking a risk. When you launch something that no one else is doing, there’s always uncertainty. It’s a gamble.
I feel comfortable in this space because I know the right people, the right strategies, and where mistakes can happen. But there are no guarantees. One of the biggest mistakes people make in business is thinking that doing what’s already been done will work again. For example, after FanDuel launched, we saw a hundred derivative competitors. Almost none of them exist today. What I’ve always wanted to do is innovate, but that means there’s always the chance we get something wrong.
Ryan Knuppel
Sure, sure. So tell us a little bit about BetHog and what the new product is. I think I saw you post recently about crypto, sports, and betting—three of our favorite words!
Nigel Eccles
Yeah, exactly. There are really two aspects to BetHog. The first is the simple part: payments. If you’re an operator, one of the biggest challenges is payments. If you’re operating internationally, getting users to deposit money can be a nightmare. You need relationships with Visa, acquiring banks, and so on. Even when you have those, you can lose them unexpectedly. Plus, fraud and chargebacks are huge issues, and even with everything in place, the costs are still incredibly high.
That’s where crypto shines. Crypto isn’t great for everything, but it’s brilliant for payments. I can give someone a wallet address, they send me money, and I get it almost instantly with nearly zero fees. That simplicity is a big deal, and companies like Stake have shown how powerful it can be. But what excites us is what we can do beyond that.
Ryan Knuppel
What’s the next level? What makes BetHog different?
Nigel Eccles
Streaming is one of the main acquisition channels for casino games today, whether for video gaming or gambling. You can go on platforms like Kik and watch tens of thousands of people streaming themselves playing slots. But here’s the thing: while the acquisition channel has transformed, the games themselves haven’t. I can watch someone play a slot game that hasn’t changed in a decade.
We started asking, “Why haven’t slots evolved?” The games people played on their phones ten years ago are completely different from what they play today. But in the slot world, it’s still the same. Why hasn’t the gameplay changed, especially since streaming has made this a social experience? One of our titles allows the audience to interact with the streamer while they’re playing. That’s a step toward making slots more engaging and dynamic.
Ryan Knuppel
Interesting. So you’re bridging the gap between streaming and gameplay. What else are you focusing on?
Nigel Eccles
We’ve noticed that the people who are into crypto and the people who play slots are two entirely different audiences. Slots tend to attract an older, female demographic looking for entertainment. It’s not about making money; it’s just a fun pastime. Crypto, on the other hand, skews younger and overwhelmingly male. These users are willing to spend thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on games they believe they can win, but they’re not interested in slots.
We’re developing titles that bridge this gap—games that are skill-based like DFS, sports betting, or poker. They need to be simple enough for anyone to understand but offer an edge so players can compete. This is where we think we can make a significant impact.
Ryan Knuppel
Yeah, that’s really cool. Thank you for sharing that. I’m pulling up the BetHog.com site now. Looking at some of the titles and games, they’re very creative, right? New and innovative looking. You talked a little bit about the casino side. Can you talk about the sports side? I know there’s a sports element as well. What does that look like?
Nigel Eccles
Sports is definitely a focus, but it’s not as developed as the casino side yet. We’ve been working on simplifying the interface. For example, we’ve introduced different modes, like single bets, multis, parlays, or single-game parlays. A lot of sportsbooks today have a shopping cart approach where you just keep adding bets, and it becomes very confusing. We’re trying to simplify that.
Long-term, we also want to make the experience more fun. Right now, online sportsbooks treat betting like a banking app. You log in, place your bet, and that’s it. There’s no engagement or fun involved. We believe the experience can be so much more. For instance, when you win your bet, why should it just appear in a “history” section? It should feel like an event, something bigger. These are the areas where we think we can innovate and really improve the industry.
Ryan Knuppel
Cool. Let’s talk about the launch. You had a launch recently. What’s the product lifecycle like? Where are you at now? Where are you live?
Nigel Eccles
We’ve been in development for about 10 or 11 months, and we launched last week. Right now, we’re operating internationally. We don’t operate in the US or UK yet, as we’re not licensed there. One day we’d love to expand into those markets, but for now, we’re focusing on proving the concept in the international market. The platform is crypto-only at the moment, so users need to have crypto to play.
While crypto payments are a great feature, what excites us most are the new types of games we’ve developed. These games differentiate us from anything else out there, whether onshore or offshore. That’s where we see our biggest opportunity to stand out.
Ryan Knuppel
Very cool. I have to ask about the logo—it’s amazing. Where did the inspiration for the brand come from?
Nigel Eccles
My co-founder came up with the name, but initially, it didn’t hit us at all. Then we worked with an incredible designer who just said, “Let me do something.” When we saw the logo, we realized it was perfect. It addressed one of our biggest criticisms of brands today: they’re often boring and lack personality.
Even with FanDuel, we had to play it safe because it was such a controversial product at the time. We didn’t want to push boundaries too much, so we kept the branding straightforward. While I love what we built with FanDuel, it lacked the kind of personality we wanted for BetHog.
With BetHog, we wanted to put the fun back into betting. Betting is an entertainment product. It’s supposed to be fun. Over the years, I’ve met so many people who loved FanDuel because it brought them joy. That’s what we’re aiming for here—something fun and full of personality. The hog character itself embodies that. He’s like that fun guy in college who might be a question mark for success in life but guarantees a good time. That’s the personality we’re going for, and it’s resonating with people.
Ryan Knuppel
How do you keep your energy and passion for this industry, Nigel? I mean, I can only imagine… I don’t want to call it burnout. But let’s face it, you went through a huge journey with FanDuel. And now, you’re still in the industry. How do you keep that energy and passion?
Nigel Eccles
Yeah. Actually, after FanDuel, this is the second time I’ve left the industry. I thought, “Okay, I’m done. I’ve done everything I can do here.” I also felt the U.S. market was clear about who the winners were going to be. By 2018, it was obvious. FanDuel and DraftKings had invested billions. I remember telling people, “You could give me half a billion dollars, and I’d give it back.” I wasn’t going to burn someone else’s money to be an afterthought in that market.
The best time to enter a market is when it’s early and people think it’s risky—not when it’s obvious. Sports betting was obvious by 2018, so I stepped away. But I missed it. I missed the fun, the excitement. I was working on social products and music products, which were cool, but they didn’t have the same energy. This industry generates interest, excitement, and entertainment, and I love that. Plus, I kept seeing new ideas I wanted to try, and it pulled me back. Why not?
Ryan Knuppel
What do you need, Nigel? Most people listening probably think, “He’s got it all figured out.” But what are you looking for as you head into the future with BetHog? What are the things you need?
Nigel Eccles
We’re making a lot of bets, and we could be wrong. Maybe people just want to watch basic, boring slot games like they’ve played for 20 years. Maybe interactivity isn’t what they want, even though it’s been talked about for decades. Streaming is a huge innovation, especially with slot streaming, and we’re asking, “How can we make it better?”
We play our games internally and think they’re hilarious, but we need more people to try them and tell us if they agree. One example is a game called Hogger. It’s simple—you start with a hog trying to cross a road. Somewhere along the way, randomly, the hog gets squashed. You can decide to cash out at any point, kind of like “Deal or No Deal.” The twist is that if you’re streaming, you can share a link, and your fans can bet on your hog too. Their little piglets follow your hog, and it’s so funny to watch them make decisions. It’s way more entertaining than watching traditional slots.
Ryan Knuppel
Thank you for painting that picture. That really clarifies the kinds of games you’re working on—fun, creative, and engaging. Can I play here in the U.S.? Probably not, right?
Nigel Eccles
Not yet, but hopefully soon. We’re not licensed in the U.S. yet, but we’d love to be there one day. For now, we’re focusing on the international market.
Ryan Knuppel
Well, Nigel, this has been amazing. I could talk to you all day about this stuff. One last question—what advice would you give to new startups entering this space? With all your experience, what’s the one piece of advice you’d share?
Nigel Eccles
Startups are hard. Most things don’t work, even great ideas with great teams. The first thing to realize is that failure is likely, and it’s not a reflection on you. Handling failure is key.
Another trap is trying to innovate everywhere. Look at successful companies—they often focus on one area and do it really well. Take Stake, for example. They didn’t try to be a completely new casino or sportsbook. They just focused on accepting crypto, and now they’re worth billions. At FanDuel, our big idea was simple: make fantasy sports games that last a day instead of a whole season. It’s often the simple innovations that win. Don’t overcomplicate things. That’s something I’ve learned and relearned over the years.
Ryan Knuppel
Great advice. Thanks for sharing that, Nigel. Any last words? Anything we missed? How can people find BetHog?
Nigel Eccles
You can check out BetHog at BetHog.com. If you want to follow me, I’m on Twitter (or X) as Nigel Eccles. I post about the product and our journey there.
Ryan Knuppel
Well, I wish you all the best with BetHog. And while I have you here, I just want to personally thank you for everything you’ve done for this industry. People like you have paved the way for so many of us to have careers in this space. You’ve also brought a lot of fun and memorable experiences to people worldwide. So thank you for that.
Nigel Eccles
Thank you, Ryan. That means a lot.
Ryan Knuppel
All right, Nigel Eccles of BetHog. Super innovative product. I encourage everyone to check it out. Reach out to Nigel—he’s a super cool guy. Visit BetHog.com. That’s it for today. Episode 237 in the books. I’m Ryan Knuppel. Until next time, stay safe and take care!
Relevant Guest Links
- Learn more about BetHog on their website.
- You can connect with Nigel Eccles on LinkedIn or @nigeleccles on X.
More Knup Sports Links
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- This episode was sponsored by Coded Content — data driven AI sports content unique to your brand!
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