Drive by DraftKings: Expanding Investement in Real-Money Gaming
July 25, 2025
Drive by DraftKings Enhances Focus on Real-Money Gaming
The venture capital firm Drive by DraftKings is increasing its dedication to the real-money gaming (RMG) sector by launching its second fund. This move underscores the fast-paced growth and transformative influence of RMG on how users engage with entertainment.
Strengthening Presence in a Rapidly Evolving Market
Drive by DraftKings is confident amid a period of considerable change in the industry, as real-money gaming increasingly integrates with popular sports, gaming, and digital content platforms. The RMG field is extending its reach well beyond conventional sportsbooks and online casinos.
Since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, technological advancements have propelled the sector forward. Users can now complete deposits, place bets, and withdraw winnings in mere minutes, all facilitated by seamless geolocation, stringent identity verification (KYC), and real-time compliance checks.
Drive projects that the global real-money gaming market already generates over $100 billion in gross gaming revenue and anticipates this figure will surpass $150 billion by 2030, reflecting an average annual growth rate of about 10%. Artificial intelligence tools are further accelerating innovation, enabling smaller developers to efficiently create and deploy polished new gaming products.
Real-Money Gaming Enters the Mainstream
With online sports betting legalized in 30 US states plus Washington, DC, and certain states permitting online casino gaming, Drive highlights that the exact definition of “legal” is still shifting. They observe that although daily fantasy sports contests and sweepstakes face ongoing regulatory attention, their fast adoption reveals strong user interest in easy-to-access real-money gaming options.
The firm advises entrepreneurs to incorporate regulatory compliance into product design early, especially as prediction markets gain momentum. Real-money gaming has shed much of its former stigma, evolving into a normalized part of media, sports, and social platforms due to advancements in infrastructure and regulation.
The line between gaming and gambling is blurring — for instance, players might bet small amounts on video game successes or earn money through casual game rounds, illustrating how traditional boundaries fade.
Furthermore, real-money gaming is now integral to the sports experience, with betting odds and sponsored content embedded throughout pregame, live, and postgame broadcasts, reshaping fan engagement.
This widespread acceptance is broadening RMG’s audience. Even those accustomed to free-to-play games are increasingly interacting with real-money formats, as developers explore new ways to evolve competitive entertainment through these mechanics.
