MonkeyTilt, the crypto casino and sportsbook backed by Pantera Capital and Polychain, has stopped taking bets and will close on 9 November 2026. Its closure notice says all casino and sportsbook play ended on 13 October, deposits and new sign-ups are switched off, and the gambling licence is being surrendered. Player accounts stay open for withdrawals, also after the closure date. Founder Sam Kiki confirmed on X on 17 October that the company is moving fully into collectibles through its card-pack site Tilt Rips.
What the closure means for players
According to the notice, last updated on 15 October, players can still log in, see their balance and withdraw at any time. Bonus balances are converted into cash that can be withdrawn. Withdrawals now run through Tilt Rips, using the same MonkeyTilt login, and are “typically processed within 24–48 hours”. MonkeyTilt says it has “not added any restrictions, holds or conditions because of the closure”, but accounts that are not fully verified must send identity documents before funds are released.
Players who do not withdraw before 9 November keep their money, the notice says, and MonkeyTilt will try to return remaining balances to the registered payment method. Rounds already under way on 13 October were settled as normal. Asked why play stopped without warning, the company wrote that it was “fairer to stop immediately rather than run a period where people might feel they should use up their balances”. The site’s footer names the operator as Kong Quest Ltd, registered in Costa Rica and licensed by the Tobique Gaming Commission, the same regulator that our BetFury page lists for betfury.ca.
Why MonkeyTilt is closing
The notice gives no reason beyond “We have decided to close MonkeyTilt.” Kiki’s post on X goes further. After “6-8 months of planning”, he wrote, the executive team decided to “focus FULLY on collectibles and wind down/spin-off/sell all non-core products”, naming the casino, the sportsbook and “a couple smaller divisions”. “The world does not need another crypto casino,” he added, and said early employees and investors keep the same equity in the collectibles business.
Asked by a user what had happened, Kiki replied: “Its profitable but so are many businesses.” MonkeyTilt has published no accounts that would show this. The notice speaks of surrendering the licence, while Kiki’s post also mentions a possible spin-off or sale; neither says whether the brand will be sold.
The funding question
MonkeyTilt launched in March 2024. In November 2024 it announced a $30 million Series A led by Pantera Capital, saying the round had closed that summer and brought its total raised to over $50 million. Funding trackers list an earlier $21 million seed round led by Polychain in February 2024.
In May 2026, when MonkeyTilt signed a risk-sharing deal with iBankroll, Kiki said the company had raised “over $80 million”. Under that deal iBankroll took on the risk of paying big winners, which the partners said would free MonkeyTilt’s capital for product and marketing. As FairGambling noted, there is no public breakdown of the gap between the announced rounds and Kiki’s figure, and the closure notice does not say how much capital remains.
Key facts
Play ended: 13 Oct 2026 (casino and sportsbook; deposits, sign-ups and promotions also stopped).
Site closes: 9 Nov 2026; withdrawals remain possible afterwards, per the closure notice.
Operator and licence: Kong Quest Ltd (Costa Rica, reg. 3-102-901020); Tobique Gaming Commission licence, being surrendered.
Withdrawals: via Tilt Rips with the MonkeyTilt login; typically 24–48 hours; ID verification required first for unverified accounts.
Funding as stated: $30M Series A led by Pantera (announced 20 Nov 2024; total over $50M); founder’s figure over $80M (5 May 2026).
Why it matters for GambleFi
A crypto casino that closes holds player money until the last withdrawal clears, and players have only the operator’s word on how much is there. MonkeyTilt’s exit looks orderly on paper, with no new conditions and an open-ended withdrawal window, but it also shows how quickly a well-funded brand can stop: play ended without warning on Tuesday 13 October, and the founder’s explanation followed four days later on X. Among the projects in our Graveyard, announced exits like this are the exception: DestinyX gave players a withdrawal deadline before closing in June 2025, and World Bet’s team shut its prediction market mid-tournament in July 2026, but many others simply went offline without a notice. Our report on the Gamdom and Duelbits hot-wallet hacks looks at the same question of operator funds from another side. For the basics, start with what GambleFi means in practice or our GambleFi FAQ. This is a news report, not advice on where to play.