What Chalkboard does

Chalkboard (legal entity Taild Sports, Inc., Delaware-incorporated) is a mobile-first daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator founded in 2019 and headquartered in New York with 51–100 employees. The platform enables consumers to make higher/lower statistical projections on 2–8 players per entry, with dynamic multipliers up to 5000x, entries starting at $1, and maximum payouts of $40,000. Its product portfolio spans three core surfaces: Chalkboard Daily Fantasy (real-money house-banked entries), Chalkboard Showdowns (peer-to-peer pools tiered by experience level), and Chalkboard Social Sports Picks (freemium sweepstakes using Coins and CB Cash redeemable 1:1 for USD after play-through). The platform is available in 30+ US states and 10 Canadian provinces, with Canadian deposits and withdrawals processed via Interac.

The underlying technology stack is a mobile (iOS/Android) plus web application backed by third-party sports data providers for live statistics and third-party payment processors (Aeorpay, Interac) for funding and redemption. Proprietary gameplay mechanics — Cash Out for early settlement, Shield Play allowing missed legs to still pay out, Same Game Picks (SGP) for correlated same-team entries, and a promo card ecosystem (Free Squares, Anchors, Stat Turbos, Player Boosts, Respawns) — constitute the company's main product differentiation. An XP loyalty program and a referral program (20 CB Cash per referred friend, capped at 25) support retention and viral acquisition. Cumulative winnings across the platform total $250M distributed to a community of 500k+ players.

The business model is a take-rate on real-money entry fees plus freemium and sweepstakes monetization. New users receive a 100% deposit match up to $100 plus a Free Square. Customer acquisition is product-led and self-serve via app stores and a web signup funnel, supplemented by social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X), a Discord community, and media promo codes (e.g., NYPOST). Marketing testimonials and the customer support function are emphasized as differentiators. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding beyond a single $575,000 round in January 2020, no parent company, and no M&A activity reported; founder Ted Mauze serves as Co-founder & CEO.

Name

Chalkboard

Legal name

Taild Sports, Inc.

Website

https://chalkboard.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Chalkboard is a mobile-first daily fantasy sports operator (legal entity Taild Sports, Inc.) serving 500k+ players across 30+ US states and 10 Canadian provinces with real-money DFS, peer-to-peer Showdowns, and a freemium Social Sports Picks sweepstakes product, monetized via take rates on entry fees and dual-currency coin pack purchases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Daily Fantasy Sports

NAICS

Other Gambling Industries (713290)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Operators (MPAEAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fantasy Contests, Leagues & Tournament Organizers (MPAEAHAF)

Keywords

• Daily fantasy sports
• Sports prediction app
• Real money DFS
• Peer-to-peer contests
• Sports sweepstakes

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Entry Fees: Users pay entry fees to participate in daily fantasy sports contests. Minimum entry fee is $1. Revenue generated from the spread between entry fees collected and payouts distributed.
2. Promotional Products: Sale of promo cards including Player Boosts, Payout Boosts, and Stat Turbo cards that enhance winning payouts for a fee
3. CB Coins (Social Sports Picks): Virtual currency for entertainment games. Users purchase coins for risk-free gameplay. CB Cash sweepstakes currency can be earned through purchases or promotions for real-money redemption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chalkboard operates a daily fantasy sports platform where users pick 2-8 players and predict HIGHER or LOWER on individual statistical projections, with dynamic multipliers up to 5000x and maximum payouts of $40,000 per entry. Offerings span real-money DFS entries (against the house), peer-to-peer Showdowns contests, and a freemium Social Sports Picks sweepstakes product using CB Coins and CB Cash, all accessible via iOS, Android, and web.

Product overview

Chalkboard operates as a unified daily fantasy sports and social sports picks platform offering both real-money and freemium experiences. The core portfolio consists of three interconnected products: Chalkboard Daily Fantasy (real-money single-player DFS where users draft 2–8 player projections, pick HIGHER/LOWER on each, with dynamic multipliers up to 5000x and max payouts of $40,000), Chalkboard Showdowns (peer-to-peer competition pools with leaderboard payouts across experience levels), and Chalkboard Social Sports Picks (freemium sweepstakes model using Coins for risk-free play and CB Cash for real-money redemptions). These are supported by a suite of promotional tools (Free Squares, Anchors, Boosts, Cut The Line, Promo Packs), gameplay features (Cash Out, Shield Play, Same Game Picks, Entry Sharing), and a loyalty program (XP/Level Up Packs, Referral Program). All products share the Chalkboard brand identity and wallet infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chalkboard Daily Fantasy
• Chalkboard Showdowns
• Chalkboard Social Sports Picks

Quantifiable outcome

• $250 million in winnings distributed across 500k+ players
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• InteraccoreTechnology or IntegrationInterac is used for deposit and withdrawal processing for Canadian users. Supports instant deposits and withdrawals typically within 24 hours for Canadian players in eligible provinces.
• Third-Party Sports Data ProviderscoreTechnology or IntegrationChalkboard uses trusted third-party data providers for sports statistics. All live statistics are unofficial. Data corrections within 30 minutes of game completion result in contest regrading.
• Third-Party Payment ProcessorscoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing for deposits and withdrawals through third-party payment service providers. Redemptions support U.S. bank accounts, Visa, and MasterCard.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Dabble: Dabble is a peer-to-peer pick'em DFS operator in Australia that is expanding into the US. Comparable P2P contest mechanics and higher/lower pick structure, with overlapping product roadmap.

Direct peers

• Underdog Fantasy: Underdog Fantasy offers pick'em and best-ball DFS products with a comparable higher/lower mechanic and similar peer-to-peer contest modes. Closest direct competitor in product shape, regulatory footprint, and target user.
• PrizePicks: PrizePicks is the leading North American pick-higher/lower DFS operator with a similar projection-based entry mechanic, peer-to-peer arena format, and same mobile-first PLG distribution. Directly competes with Chalkboard for the same player profile and customer wallet share.
• SuperDraft: SuperDraft is a pick'em and multiplier-style DFS platform with a similar projection-based higher/lower mechanic. Direct competitor with overlapping player profile.
• Betr: Betr is a pick'em and micro-betting operator that overlaps Chalkboard on simplified higher/lower DFS and is expanding into adjacent sports betting formats. Comparable target customer and product mechanic.

Emerging players

• Thrive Fantasy: Thrive Fantasy is a smaller US pick'em DFS operator using a similar higher/lower mechanic. Smaller scale than Chalkboard but directly comparable in product format and target user.
• Sleeper: Sleeper started as a season-long fantasy platform and has expanded into pick'em DFS. Comparable mobile-first, community-driven GTM and a partially overlapping DFS feature set, though still smaller than Chalkboard's pick-em footprint.
• Fliff: Fliff operates a sweepstakes-style social sportsbook with a coin-and-cash dual currency that mirrors Chalkboard's Social Sports Picks / CB Cash model. Closest comparable in product structure on the freemium side.

Broad incumbents

• DraftKings: DraftKings is the dominant publicly-traded US operator offering DFS plus full sportsbook and iGaming. While its DFS lineups are lineup-based rather than pick-higher/lower, it competes for the same sports-prediction wallet and dwarfs Chalkboard in marketing spend and state coverage.
• FanDuel: FanDuel is the other US DFS-and-sportsbook incumbent with deep state coverage and brand recognition. It overlaps Chalkboard on DFS and increasingly on pick'em-style products, representing the largest competitive threat from a broader incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ChalkboardHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/chalkboardhq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chalkboardhq
• Instagraminstagram.com/chalkboardhq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Chalkboard