THNDR aims to change the terms of iGaming from luck to player skill

Olivia Richman Published 29/07/2025

A new online casino is making waves in the iGaming industry with its focus on skill-based gambling, as THNDR is adamant that the future of the industry is more about skill than chance.

THNDR CEO Desiree Dickerson recently announced that she and her team are building the “world’s first” PvP skill-based iGaming platform that features real money and instant financial settlements. THNDR hosts a collection of casino games that are meant to match player versus player in high-stakes situations, rather than simply asking players and bettors to test their luck against the house. The seeming aim is to create a more competitive structure that better relies on player skill, talent, and insight rather than an experience largely rooted in chance as is typically the case when players face the house in casino games.

How does THNDR work?

Dickerson and Jack Everett are the founders of THNDR, a betting platform that separates itself in iGaming by hosting competitive games and promises instant payouts to its winners. These games can be found website as well as via mobile app. After selecting a game they’d like to play, players are matched up with a similarly skilled and experienced player. Each bettor then makes a wager on the outcome of the game and competes against one other for a shot at the prize, typically delivered in the form of Bitcoin.

“THNDR came into existence when I decided to see if I could make games better with Bitcoin,” Everett said.

All one has to do in order to take part is download a game, begin playing, and then earn prizes that can be cashed out immediately, according to the two THNDR co-founders. What is intended to separate the THNDR experience from that of most online casinos, where players spin the reels in a set slot machine or play a game of blackjack against the house dealer, THNDR’s games are meant to be tests of skill between players in a way that could make a bettor feel better in control of one’s wagering results. After all, if a bettor loses a game to a fellow player in a competitive environment, they would only have themselves to blame. And likewise, winning wagers may feel that much better given that they’re a result of a player’s hard work and abilities.

“THNDR is the intersection of Bitcoin, gaming, rewards, and wagering. If your company deals with payments, THNDR is for you,” Dickerson said.

Dickerson has been working on THNDR and its iGaming disruption since 2021. Before that, she worked at software developer Lightning Labs as a VP of Business Operations.

What games does THNDR have?

THUNDR has games for online casinos and for mobile players alike. Some of its games for casinos include the traditional blackjack experience, a Tetro Tiles game that blends sudoku with tetris, a puzzle-solving twist on solitaire, and a faster version of blackjack called 21 Or Bust.

When it comes to mobile games, THUNDR features Tetro Tiles, Clinch, Bitcoin Bounce, Turbo 84, and other quick games that pit player against player for Bitcoin winnings.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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