Crypto-focused casino and sportsbook BetHog has closed a $10 million Series A funding round to expand Sentient Studios, an AI-powered live dealer platform. The round was led by Will Ventures and RockawayX, with participation from PCV, 6MV, Bullpen Capital, and Advancit Capital. Total funding raised by BetHog to date is $16 million.

BetHog was founded in 2024. The company’s flagship product, Sentient Studios, was developed to replace traditional human-staffed live dealer setups with virtual AI dealers.

AI Dealers Could be the Future

Sentient Studios provides AI-driven live dealers that operators can integrate without maintaining proprietary live-dealer studios, contracting external studios, or recruiting human host rosters. The first AI dealer, named Sunny, launched in late 2025 as a Blackjack host. Sunny operates in 12 languages.

According to BetHog, the platform’s AI dealers attracted higher engagement and improved player retention compared to conventional live-dealer formats during testing. The company plans to expand the dealer roster to Baccarat and Roulette later in 2026.

Sentient Does the Hard Work, Offers Revenue Share

Sentient Studios operates on a revenue-sharing structure. Operators pay BetHog a percentage of revenue generated at AI-dealer tables rather than upfront licensing fees or long-term contracts. The model removes the capital barrier that has historically prevented smaller crypto-native operators from offering live-dealer content alongside their slots catalogues.

According to the company, the structure is designed to lower the cost of entry for operators interested in AI-driven gaming experiences without the operational overhead of traditional studio agreements with Evolution, Pragmatic Play Live, or Playtech.

Investor Profile

Will Ventures and RockawayX, the round’s lead investors, both maintain crypto and consumer investment portfolios. Industry observers cited in coverage have framed the Series A as a thesis bet on AI-driven live dealer becoming a meaningful category in the live-casino vertical over the next three to five years. Traditional live-dealer market share is dominated by Evolution, with Pragmatic Play Live, Playtech, and Ezugi as the main alternatives, and it’s a market ripe for disruption.

Blackjack First, Baccarat and Roulette Second

Blackjack is a structurally simpler AI target because dealer actions are rules-based. Baccarat and Roulette involve additional theatrical and physics-based elements, but BetHog has committed to launching both during 2026.

For crypto-native operators, the immediate impact is access to live-dealer content that is hard to implement. Across the broader crypto gambling sector, the BetHog round represents the most substantial venture investment in AI live-dealer technology to date. We’ll be watching this with interest.