Friday, October 23, 2026

A Sports Betting Startup for Casuals

  • NBA legend Kevin Garnett and The Players Tribune co-founder Jaymee Messler teamed up on a sports betting startup aimed at casual fans.
  • The two see the industry as catering to niche fans.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett and The Players’ Tribune founder Jaymee Messler are launching a sports betting and gaming startup for casual fans called The Gaming Society. 

“We are creating something that doesn’t exist in the current landscape,” Messler, the company’s CEO, told FOS. “No platform is catering to sports fans that don’t know or understand how to bet.”

The Gaming Society has launched a newsletter, a sports betting course, and a podcast. It does not operate a sportsbook, but its website currently offers a betting promotion with FanDuel.

“Education is 100% needed in the betting space,” Garnett told FOS. “Sports betting is almost set up so that you will fail. But our education will hopefully set more people up for success and give them confidence to make bets.”

  • Sports betting is active in 21 U.S. states and legal, but not yet established, in nine more. 
  • The sector brought in gross revenue of $283.9 million in April, bringing the 2021 total up to $1.24 billion, according to the American Gaming Association. 

With $334 million in NBA salary earnings and a 2008 NBA Championship, Garnett is the second highest-paid NBA player of all time. Asked if he sees team ownership in his future, Garnett replied: “Hell yeah! I am really interested in emerging sports and women’s sports, in addition to the obvious.”

Garnett was interested in purchasing the Minnesota Timberwolves before the team, along with the Minnesota Lynx, was bought by a group led by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore for a total believed to be around $1.5 billion.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Novig, ProphetX Told to Pause Scorigami, Micro Contract Plans

“It’s kind of a warning shot” to prediction markets, one source says.
Polymarket logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 2026.

Polymarket Removes Cornell 7 Market After Blowback

The market was only available on Polymarket’s international platform.

NBA Draws New Lines on What Fans Can Bet On

The league is restricting risky player props.
Kalshi logo appears in this illustration taken April 22, 2026.

Who’s in Charge of the Oklahoma Tribe Doing Business With Kalshi?

Two men separately claim to lead a tribe doing business with Kalshi.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/23/26 – JJ Watt Takes CBS Chair, FIFA Rights Shake-Up, Small-Market World Series

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?

Brewers’ Underpaid Ace Takes World Series Spotlight

The hard-throwing pitcher becomes a World Series focal point.
First at FOS
October 20, 2026

Topgolf, John Daly Strike Deal in Wake of Masters Hooters Closure

Daly, 60, last played in the Masters in 2006.
October 20, 2026

NFL, Eagles Defend Handling of Jalen Hurts’s Blood Clots

The QB was examined at Cleveland Clinic in London.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
Jul 2, 2026; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Blades Brown smiles with his caddie, Brett Swedberg, on the 9th green during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament.
October 15, 2026

Teenage Phenom’s Pro ‘Gamble’ Paid Off With PGA Tour Record

The golfer turned professional in December 2024 when he was 17.
October 15, 2026

Blake Griffin: Clippers Salary Cap Punishment ‘Probably Fits’

Griffin played eight seasons with the Clippers and made five All-Star Games.
October 14, 2026

Rafael Jodar Embroiled in Yet Another Ball Kid Controversy

Jodar told a ball boy to “give me the fucking towel.”
October 13, 2026

MLS Commissioner Don Garber Deflects on Messi Confrontation

Garber called Messi “the GOAT of all GOATs.”