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The Problem
Gambling has become an increasingly serious social and public-health issue, particularly as gambling becomes more accessible and integrated into everyday sports and digital experiences (Macey & Hamari, 2022; Macey et al., 2024).
Research shows that gamification isn't just about making something more fun. It can be used to motivate and support behaviour change (Sardi et al., 2022). Called It! applies that same principle to sports gambling by creating a competitive alternative where users can still experience prediction, strategy, and social competition without risking money.
Called It! is also designed to be preventative. Rather than waiting until someone develops a gambling problem, it provides a healthier alternative before financial risk becomes part of the experience. We are taking the motivational mechanics people already respond to and redirecting them toward a behaviour with no financial risk.
Sports themselves are becoming increasingly “gamblified.” Macey and Hamari (2022) describe gamblification as the growing presence of gambling within sports and sporting culture. Called It! takes a different approach: instead of adding another layer of gambling to the sports experience, we remove the financial stake while keeping the prediction, competition, and social elements that fans enjoy.
If digital platforms can shape behaviour, then we have an opportunity to design those experiences differently. Macey, Hamari, and Adam (2024) argue that gamblification is increasingly appearing across digital media and services, using gambling-related mechanisms to influence behaviour. Called It! takes that idea in the opposite direction. Instead of using gambling mechanics to encourage financial risk, we use similar motivational mechanics to create a pro-social, educational alternative where users can compete, predict, and learn without risking money.
The problem isn't that sports fans want to predict games. The problem is that they've been taught that prediction has to involve money. Called It! is designed to change that.
The Solution:
Sports IQ and How It Is Calculated
Sports IQ and How It Is Calculated
Every user builds a Sports IQ through an Elo-style rating system that measures prediction performance over time. The goal is to create a meaningful measure of who truly knows sports—not just who gets lucky on a single prediction. Here is the formula that calculates the users Sports IQ:
Expected win probability from the moneyline:
Favourite (negative moneyline, e.g. -200): abs(moneyline) / (abs(moneyline) + 100)
Underdog (positive moneyline, e.g. +150): 100 / (moneyline + 100)
If no moneyline: 0.5
Point change when a pick is graded:
Correct: (1 − expected) × 6
Incorrect: −(expected × 6)
New Sports IQ:
current Sports IQ + change
Rounded to 1 decimal place
peak_sports_iq is updated if this is the highest value ever
So correctly calling a heavy underdog gives a big IQ boost, while missing a heavy favorite costs more. The multiplier is currently set to 6.
*Sports IQ formula was created by OpenAI, ChatGPT (2026).
Called It! Points System
Called It! Points System
Called It! connects every prediction directly to real-world odds, creating a fair and authentic sports prediction experience. The platform pulls live odds from leading wagering markets to ensure point values are accurate, current, and constantly updated as conditions change. Each prediction’s point value reflects the true difficulty of the call — safer picks earn fewer points, while riskier predictions offer the opportunity for bigger rewards. This creates a true test of sports knowledge, where users are not simply guessing outcomes, but strategically deciding which calls are worth making. Called It! transforms real-time sports data into a competitive game of confidence, strategy, and prediction skill.
Communities/Groups
Communities/Groups
Called It! is built around social competition. Users can create private groups with friends and family, compete on group leaderboards, and chat about games and predictions. Platform-wide conversations allow the entire Called It! community to debate picks, while the global leaderboard answers the ultimate question: Who is truly the best at predicting sports?
Global Leaderboard
Global Leaderboard
The Global Leaderboard lets users see how their Sports IQ and prediction performance compare with sports fans around the world. Unlike traditional wagering platforms, which focus on individual bets and financial outcomes, Called It! creates a global competition based on prediction skill. To our knowledge, no other sports prediction or wagering platform offers a global leaderboard built around an ongoing measure of prediction ability. The question becomes simple: Who really knows sports?
Visit https://icalledit.lovable.app/ (you will have to sign up for free to view all of Called It!'s features, it takes seconds to sign up!) We are live, feel free to see what your Sports IQ is.
Real life problem:
The seriousness of gambling-related harm can be seen in recent real-world examples. A 2026 Forbes report described a FanDuel customer who says he developed a gambling addiction after wagering $18.5 million on the platform (Chawaga, 2026). While most people obviously do not have millions of dollars available to gamble, the amount is relative to the individual. Gambling harm is not simply about how much money is lost—it is about what someone can afford to lose and how quickly gambling can become compulsive. The $18.5 million case is an extreme example, but it illustrates how serious gambling can become once someone is hooked. For many people, the numbers may be much smaller, but the financial and personal consequences can still be significant. This is why preventative alternatives like Called It! are important: we shouldn't have to wait until someone has a serious gambling problem before providing a healthier way to enjoy sports prediction.
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