Duelo Pitch Deck Teardown: Navigating the Post-PASPA Social

Executive Summary and Brand Identity

Slide 1: Title Slide

The deck opens with the Duelo logo set against a dark, atmospheric stadium background. The tagline "CHOOSE CONNECT COMPETE" is positioned below the logo. The footer notes "Duelo, Inc. Confidential/Copyright 2019," establishing the company's legal standing and the timeframe of the pitch.

Slide 2: The Problem

The problem slide identifies two main pain points in sports betting: trust and accessibility. It asks, "Who do you trust?" and "Where do you play?" The text states that bookies are unreliable and offshore options carry too much uncertainty. Furthermore, it claims that traditional sportsbooks make it "nearly impossible to be profitable," which removes the fun and turns betting into a business rather than a social activity.

Slide 3: The Solution

Duelo positions itself as the "first social sports gaming marketplace." The solution involves using content and discussion to facilitate bets. The platform connects users to take opposite sides of daily fantasy and traditional sports bets. The slide highlights four key benefits: Real Connections, No Bookies, Cash Prizes, and More Profits.

Slide 4: Company & Core Values

This slide outlines the mission and vision. The mission is to make sports betting "simple, social, and profitable." The vision is to bring fans closer to each other and the game. Core values are listed as Value, Community, Fun, and Innovation, presented alongside a mobile device graphic to emphasize the platform's mobile-first nature.

Team and Market Dynamics

Slide 5: The All-Stars (Team)

The team slide features three key figures. Ralph Demirtshian (Founder/CEO) is described as having 20 years of C-level experience in marketing, operations, and finance. Joshua Hirsch (COO) is noted as a former Director of Strategy at Neustar and Dow Jones with experience in data analytics and management consulting. Robin Pimentel (Advisor) brings technical weight, cited as a CIO at BodyMatter, Inc., and a former architect of Facebook’s peering backbone with engineering experience at Google and Yahoo.

Slide 6: Market Validation

Duelo anchors its market opportunity in the May 2018 Supreme Court ruling that struck down PASPA, which prohibited states from authorizing sports betting. The slide cites a potential $200-400 Billion industry. Other data points include FSTA reporting 59.3 million DFS players in 2017 and Statista estimating the online sports betting market at $56.7 Billion in 2018. It also notes that 64% of people do not recognize top offshore betting platforms, suggesting a gap for a trusted domestic brand.

Product and Strategy

Slide 7: Product Launches

The product strategy is divided into two phases. Phase 1: Daily Duelo is listed as "Live Now," offering free contests for cash prizes. Phase 2: Duelo Social Gaming Marketplace was scheduled for Summer 2019, introducing the social application where users can follow teams, challenge friends, and get matched with other users to take bets.

Slide 8: Marketing Strategy

The marketing slide uses a hub-and-spoke model. The strategy includes Omnichannel Programmatic (mobile-first), targeting Millennial and Gen Z demographics, Data-First personalization, Paid Media (Facebook, Outbrain, Radio), Strategic Partners (influencers, licensed operators), SEO (video and podcasts), Earned Media (UGC), and Retention tools. Branded events and trade shows are also mentioned.

Slide 9: Segmentation

Duelo segments its target audience into three tiers: The Novice (the largest base), The Casual , and The Sharp (the smallest, most experienced group). The slide indicates that content will be personalized for each of these user types.

Slide 10: Monetization

Commissions: Novice and recreational users pay a percentage of the total bet. · Subscriptions: VIP members pay a fee for lower-cost betting access. · In-App Purchases: Sales of consumable and non-consumable goods. · Advertising: Sponsored contests and ad space on web and mobile platforms.

Competition and Execution

Slide 11: Competition

The competitive landscape is categorized into four quadrants:

Daily Fantasy/Sportsbook: FanDuel, DraftKings, Bovada. · Betting Info Sites: Covers, OddsShark, Action Network. · Blockchain P2P: ZenSports, FansUnite, Wagerr. · Player Prop Bets: Monkey Knife Fight, WinView Games.

Slide 12: Competitive Advantage

Duelo claims its edge comes from being "First to Market" as a social sports gaming marketplace. Other advantages listed include Expert Picks (crowdsourced), Ease of Use (sleek platform), Free to Play options, Community focus, and the Freemium Model.

Slide 13: Roadmap

The timeline spans from April 2019 to June 2020. Key milestones include:

4/2019: iOS App launch and closing the Friends & Family round. · 7/2019: Launch of the social gaming marketplace. · 10/2019: Closing a $1 million Seed Round and securing a CTO/VP of Engineering. · 6/2020: Closing a Series A Preferred Round to begin scaling.

Slide 14: Traction

The traction timeline shows the company's progress from July 2017 (Market Research) to May 2019. Notable achievements include the web app launch in January 2019, surpassing 10,000 users in April 2019, and the development of the Duelo Friends Network in May 2019.

Slide 15: Exit Strategy

The exit strategy slide lists recent M&A activity in the sector to demonstrate liquidity potential. Examples include the Stars Group and Fox Sports partnership, the Caesars and DraftKings merger, and FanDuel's acquisition by Paddy Power Betfair. It suggests that the repeal of PASPA will drive further acquisition activity.

Slide 16: Contact

The final slide provides the contact information for Ralph Demirtshian, including his email address and phone number, set against the stadium backdrop used in the opening slide.

What Works / What is Missing

What Works: The deck effectively leverages a major regulatory shift (the repeal of PASPA) to create a sense of urgency and market timing. The team slide is strong, particularly the inclusion of an advisor with deep technical roots at major tech firms like Facebook and Google. The distinction between a traditional sportsbook and a social marketplace is clearly articulated, providing a unique value proposition in a crowded market.

What is Missing: The most significant omission is a detailed financial slide. While the roadmap mentions a $1 million seed round and a Series A, there are no projections for revenue, user growth rates beyond the initial 10,000, or a breakdown of how the $1 million will be spent. Furthermore, the deck lacks specific unit economics; for a marketplace model, investors typically want to see projected take rates, CAC, and LTV estimates. There is also no mention of the specific legal and licensing hurdles required to operate a betting marketplace in various U.S. states, which is a complex and costly barrier to entry in this sector.

Founder Takeaways

Capitalize on Regulatory Tailwinds: Duelo does an excellent job of showing why now is the right time to build this specific business. If your industry is undergoing a massive legal shift, make that the centerpiece of your market validation slide. Segment Your Users: The segmentation slide (Slide 9) shows that the founders understand their audience isn't a monolith. Different users have different needs and price sensitivities, which informs both product design and monetization. Show a Clear Path to Monetization: By listing four distinct revenue streams (Slide 10), Duelo demonstrates that they aren't just looking for users; they have a plan to convert social engagement into cash flow. However, founders should ensure they back these plans with at least one slide of high-level financial projections to prove the math works.