SmackTok Is the First Daily Fantasy App Built to Give Back to Its Own Community

The most expensive moment in daily fantasy comes after the final whistle. A promotion can buy a download. A hot slate can earn a deposit. But once the contest settles, the app has to convince that same fan to come back without paying for their attention all over again.

That fight is getting more expensive across sports gaming. On July 27, BetMGM lowered its annual outlook for the second time in 2026 and pushed its $500 million profit target beyond 2027, citing prediction-market competition, rising customer-acquisition costs and regulatory complexity. For SmackTok CEO Jordan Rothstein, the warning points to the problem newer platforms have to solve first: retention.

"By our estimate, roughly 70% of new daily fantasy users are gone within 90 days, and it isn't because they stopped liking sports," Rothstein said. "Acquisition gets someone through the door, but the business is built on whether they still want to be there when there isn't a pick to place."

SmackTok's answer is to treat the app less like a transaction and more like a place fans belong. Alongside skill-based pick'em contests for cash prizes where eligible, the platform runs team-specific huddles, a social feed, free-to-play games and a rewards program. Users can compare lineups, tail or fade other players, and keep the conversation going long after an entry locks.

A lot of that comes down to programming the calendar rather than the slate. SmackTok hosts trivia nights, runs fan competitions, and gives away sports cards, collectibles and live experiences to its most active members. The point is to put something on the schedule for the nights when there is no reason to open a fantasy app at all.

"We think of it as giving back to the people who show up," Rothstein said. "If someone has been in a huddle every week talking trash and helping other people build lineups, we want them walking away with a card they actually wanted or tickets to a game, not a promo credit."

Creators are central to keeping that attention inside the product. Rather than using them only to drive a burst of sign-ups, SmackTok gives them subscriptions, exclusive content and communities they can build over time. "A lot of companies call a creator when they need traffic, then move on when the campaign ends," Rothstein said. "We want them to be able to build something that lasts inside the product."

That focus on what happens after the sign-up reflects Rothstein's background in product design. Before SmackTok, he founded King Tide, a Los Angeles venture and product-development studio whose work touched companies including Price.com, Eco, Findigs, Jump.com and TB12. He brought the same thinking to sports gaming, looking past odds, payouts and promotions to the experience surrounding them.

Early signs suggest the approach is landing. The platform has reached 30,000 downloads, with monthly active users growing 40% month over month, according to figures provided by SmackTok. Behind that growth is $3.2 million in pre-seed funding and backing from UTA co-founder Jeremy Zimmer, PrizePicks alumni Eric Josovitz, Sethen Maleno and John Hillebrandt, Elevator Studio founder Dan Fleyshman and Creators Inc. founder Andy Bachman. The company has also hired former Google, Snap and Caesars Sportsbook employees.

Prediction markets come next. In August, the platform expects to add them through one of Polymarket's first independent software vendor partnerships. "We're focused on both sides of growth," Rothstein said. "Prediction markets give people more to do once they're inside SmackTok, while partnerships help introduce the product to new audiences."

Outside the app, SmackTok is looking for the places sports fans already gather. Rothstein says a Hooters marketing campaign will launch around NFL kickoff, and the company is expected to sponsor a celebrity-athlete golf tour scheduled to stream on Prime Video in 2027.