Players' Lounge

What Players' Lounge does

Players' Lounge is a Delaware-incorporated, Brooklyn-based skill-based real-money gaming platform founded in 2015 by Austin Woolridge (CEO), Zach Dixon, and Dan Delaney. The company enables users to wager on their own performance in popular video games — including Madden, NBA 2K, EAFC, MLB The Show, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Marvel Rivals — through head-to-head matches, tournaments, and challenge-based gameplay. Its proprietary Players' Lounge Rating System pairs users of similar skill levels to ensure balanced competition, and a Staking feature allows users to back other players attempting challenges while watching live gameplay. The platform is accessed via a web product and two dedicated iOS applications (PL Sports for sports titles, and the Players' Lounge app for shooters/battle royales), with services restricted to US residents aged 18+ outside of 11 prohibited states.

The business model combines a 10% match fee on stakes, service fees on deposits/withdrawals/staking transactions, a $4.99/month inactivity fee on dormant accounts, and a PL+ subscription tier at $8.33/month (billed annually) that bundles free tournament entries, 1.5% cashback on wagers, reduced service fees, and access to exclusive tournaments. Customers are long-tail individual casual and competitive gamers seeking to monetize skill outside of professional streaming, with the user base reported at over 1 million players and cumulative player payouts exceeding $200M. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led, driven by self-serve onboarding, Twitch/Discord community channels, and a network of named professional gamer partners (Henry, Tydebo, KMac, Problem, Dubby, RagUsa, NBA2KW) who host tournaments and stream gameplay.

The company is private and venture-backed, with total disclosed funding of roughly $14–15M across multiple rounds. Investors include Drake ($3M seed in 2019), Griffin Gaming Partners (lead, $10.5M Series A in 2022), Comcast Ventures, Samsung Next, Y Combinator, and several smaller gaming-vertical funds. Investors Griffin, Comcast, and Samsung Next participated in the July 2022 Series A, with stated use of proceeds to expand game portfolio beyond sports titles and to launch the mobile application. Headcount is reported at 11–50, and the company continues to raise opportunistic rounds (including a $750K round in October 2023).

Name

Players' Lounge

Legal name

Players' Lounge Inc.

Website

https://playerslounge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Players' Lounge is a US-based real-money skill-based gaming platform where casual and competitive gamers wager on their own performance in popular video games (Madden, NBA 2K, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends) through head-to-head matches, tournaments, and challenge-based play, generating revenue via match fees, service fees, and a PL+ subscription tier.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Skill-Based Gaming Platform

NAICS

Gambling Industries (7132)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Fantasy Player Props & Pick’em (Skill-Based Fantasy) (MPAEAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Game Subscription & Membership Services (BPAMAKAD), Fantasy Integrity, Compliance & Responsible Play Services (MPAEAHAJ), Gaming & Virtual World Social Platforms (MPACAJAG)

Keywords

• Skill-based gaming
• Esports wagering
• Video game tournaments
• Peer-to-peer betting
• Competitive gaming platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Match Entry Fees: Players pay entry fees to enter tournaments and head-to-head matches. Platform retains 10% of prize amounts as match fee, plus additional service fees deducted from stakes and winnings.
2. PL+ Subscription: Monthly subscription ($8.33/month billed annually) offering free tournament entries, 1.5% cashback on wagers, reduced service fees, and access to exclusive tournaments worth $100k+ in monthly prizes
3. Staking Service Fees: Service fees deducted when users place stakes on other players, shared between Players' Lounge and the player being staked
4. Inactivity Fees: $4.99 monthly fee deducted from inactive accounts (no gameplay for 180+ days) until balance is depleted

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Players' Lounge is a real-money, skill-based gaming platform that lets individual gamers wager on their own performance in head-to-head matches, tournaments, and challenges across popular video games such as Madden, NBA 2K, EAFC, MLB The Show, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Apex Legends. The platform also enables a 'staking' model in which users back or sponsor other players attempting challenges, watch live gameplay, and share in winnings if the player succeeds. The offering is delivered through a web platform (playerslounge.com), two iOS apps (PL Sports and Players' Lounge), and a PL+ subscription service.

Product overview

Players' Lounge is a prize-based gaming platform that operates as a unified product with multiple access points: a web-based platform and two dedicated iOS applications. The PL Sports iOS App serves sports video game enthusiasts (Madden NFL, NBA 2K, EAFC, MLB The Show) for head-to-head and tournament play, while the Players' Lounge iOS App targets shooter and battle royale gamers (Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends) through self-wagering challenges. The platform is enhanced by a PL+ subscription service offering premium features, and includes a staking feature that enables users to back other players' gameplay. Core functionality includes head-to-head wager matches, daily tournaments with guaranteed prize pools, and skill-based challenges, all supported by a proprietary skill-rating matchmaking system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PL Plus (PL+): Subscription service offering free tournament entries, 1.5% cashback on wagers, reduced service fees, 24/7 customer support, and access to tournaments with $50k in monthly prizes plus exclusive tournaments worth $100k+ in monthly prizes.
• PL Sports

Products and services

• Players' Lounge Platform (Web) Web-based wagering platform enabling users to compete in head-to-head matches, daily tournaments, and skill-based challenges for real money across popular video game titles including Madden, NBA 2K, EAFC, MLB The Show, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Apex Legends.
• PL Sports iOS App iOS application for playing head-to-head matches and tournaments in sports video games (Madden NFL, NBA 2K, EAFC, MLB The Show, College Football) on iPhone and iPad for real cash.
• Players' Lounge iOS App iOS application for playing shooter and battle royale games (Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Clash Royale, Rocket League, Marvel Rivals) where users wager on themselves against the house to complete skill-based challenges for cash prizes.
• Players' Lounge Plus (PL+) Subscription service priced at $8.33/month billed annually that provides free entries to tournaments, 1.5% cashback on all wagers, reduced service fees on head-to-head matches, one free instant withdrawal per month ($25 value), and access to exclusive tournaments with $100k+ in monthly prizes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Players have won over $200,000,000 playing on Players' Lounge
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Henry (Professional Madden Player)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional Madden player and content creator who became first Madden millionaire ($1.17M career earnings). Hosts tournaments and creates content for Players' Lounge. Won 7th Ultimate Madden Bowl ($250,000).
• Tydebo (Professional NBA2K Player)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-time NBA2K My Team champion with hundreds of thousands in competitive earnings. Hosts tournaments on Players' Lounge multiple times per week in both My Team and Regular Team modes.
• KMac (Professional Madden Player)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional Madden player who partners with Players' Lounge to host tournaments (e.g., $1000 Madden 24 tournament).
• Problem (Professional Madden Player)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional Madden player partner who hosts tournaments on Players' Lounge.
• Dubby (Professional Madden Player)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional Madden player partner who hosts tournaments on Players' Lounge.
• RagUsa (Professional Madden Player)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional Madden player partner who streams on Twitch and participates in Players' Lounge tournaments.
• NBA2KWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for NBA2K tournament collaborations. Players' Lounge and NBA2KW partnered for massive NBA2K tournaments.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DraftKings: Dominant US real-money gaming operator offering DFS and sports betting. Comparable as a regulated real-money gaming incumbent, but operates at vastly larger scale and across sports betting—not specifically video game skill wagering.
• FanDuel: Major US real-money gaming operator offering DFS and sports betting. Comparable as a broad incumbent in skill-based/regulated real-money gaming, though focused on traditional sports rather than video game skill.

Direct peers

• PrizePicks: Largest US skill-based fantasy operator, allowing users to make prop-style picks across sports. Directly comparable as a real-money skill-based platform with similar regulatory exposure and US-only market focus.
• Underdog Fantasy: Skill-based fantasy platform offering pick'em and best-ball contests. Comparable in product mechanics (skill-based real-money play), target demographic (sports/gamers), and regulatory positioning.
• Betr: Real-money gaming platform founded by Jake Paul that pioneered micro-betting and pick'em-style products. Closely comparable as a venture-backed, mobile-first, real-money gaming platform targeting Gen Z sports/gaming users.

Emerging players

• Novig: Skill-based fantasy sports platform with a sweepstakes-model approach to regulatory compliance. Comparable as a venture-backed skill-based fantasy operator navigating similar US regulatory complexity.
• Sleeper: Fantasy sports and gaming community platform expanding into real-money pick'em products. Comparable as an emerging player in skill-based fantasy with strong community/UGC component that overlaps with Players' Lounge's Discord-led approach.
• HotStreak: Skill-based DFS operator with pick'em and marketplace formats. Comparable as a venture-backed peer in the pick'em / skill-based fantasy space serving similar end users with similar regulatory profile.
• Vivid Picks: Real-money pick'em style platform with a peer-to-peer marketplace. Comparable as a smaller, venture-backed skill-based real-money operator targeting similar casual gamer demographics.
• ParlayPlay: Skill-based fantasy platform offering player prop pick'em style contests. Comparable as a directly competitive peer-to-peer skill-based real-money product, though focused on traditional sports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_playerslounge
• Facebookfacebook.com/playersloungegaming
• Instagraminstagram.com/playerslounge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds13 records

Investors25 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Players' Lounge