Tag Archives: Horse racing

  1. Home
  2. Horse racing
CDI to develop DraftKings horse racing offering
November 30, 2022

CDI to develop DraftKings horse racing offering

Bookiecity

Race track and gaming business Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has entered into a multi-year agreement with DraftKings to develop DK Horse, a pari-mutuel wagering horse racing product for the sports betting operator.

CDI’s B2B horse racing subsidiary TwinSpires will develop the white-label solution. This will involve providing the company’s advanced deposit wagering technology to DraftKings.

While TwinSpires initially started life as CDI’s B2C online betting and casino platform, the business pivoted to being a B2B provider after facing intense market competition in 2021.

Under the terms of the deal, CDI will also provide the pari-mutuel wagering rights to content that the business owns or controls, such as the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. CDI will also provide additional horse racing content on the operator’s behalf.

“We are excited to collaborate with Churchill Downs Incorporated, not only to give our existing customers an opportunity to engage with pari-mutuel horse wa..

Continue Reading

Metric partners Racebook HQ for trading services
November 30, 2022

Metric partners Racebook HQ for trading services

Bookiecity

Sports betting supplier Metric Gaming has partnered with Racebook HQ to offer managed trading services to horse racing operators.

Through the partnership, Racebook HQ will use automated decision makers to offer pricing “on products that are notoriously difficult to trade” across horse racing, greyhound racing and trotting.

“We are extremely excited to announce this partnership and could not have found a better partner in Metric Gaming,” Racebook HQ chief executive Sam Ford said. “Technology is at the core of what we do at Racebook HQ, and Metric Gaming clearly hold the same aspirations to create premium products and services for the global betting and gaming industry.”

Metric Gaming and Racebook HQ: similar outlook

Metric Gaming CEO Keith Hayes said that Metric and Racebook – which is backed by professional racing bettor Zeljko Ranogajec – shared a similar outlook on the global betting landscape.

“RBHQ is the dominant racing provider globally and from our very first conversations,..

Continue Reading

ATG chief slams bonuses as “embarrassing”
October 6, 2022

ATG chief slams bonuses as “embarrassing”

Bookiecity

Hasse Lord Skarplöth, CEO of Swedish state-affiliated horse racing operator ATG, has said that bonuses are “embarrassing” and “drive gambling addiction” in a blistering critique of the common industry practice.

Bonuses are the practice of offering free or extra bets to consumers in order to attract or retain players to their platforms; with the method sometimes coming under criticism as an inducement that helps contribute to negative social responsibility outcomes.

Sweden has a stringent bonus regime, only allowing operators to offer one bonus per player at sign-up, worth no more than SEK100. This has been criticised by the Swedish Moderate Party – which have called for the rules to be reformed:

Hasse Lord Skarplöth

“This would make it easier for gaming companies to retain customers in the licensed market and have long-term relationships with the players, both of which increase consumer protection,” said the party.

Much of the industry has also opposed the bonus ban. However, as ..

Continue Reading

FDJ opens talks over ZEturf Group acquisition
September 20, 2022

FDJ opens talks over ZEturf Group acquisition

Bookiecity

French national lottery operator Française des Jeux (FDJ) has entered into exclusive negotiations over the acquisition of online horse racing and sports betting brand ZEturf Group.

Details of the talks or financial terms of the potential deal were not disclosed, but FDJ did state that the purchase would form part of wider plans to expand its presence in France’s online gambling market.

Founded in 2001, ZEturf employs approximately 100 staff and processed almost €800.0m (£701.6m/$802.5m) in wagers, including more than €100.0m in pool bets, in 2021.

According to FDJ, online horse racing betting accounts for more than 50% of ZEturf bets. This makes the business France’s second largest operator in this segment with a market share of around 20%.

In addition to its activities in France, ZEturf operates in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.

Should the acquisition proceed to the next stage, the deal would be subject to approval by competition and regulatory authorities

The talks come a..

Continue Reading

BetMakers CEO optimistic as revenue rockets after Sportech acquisition
August 26, 2022

BetMakers CEO optimistic as revenue rockets after Sportech acquisition

Bookiecity

BetMakers chief executive Todd Buckingham said the business is now “unquestionably robust and independent of any single contract or strategy”, following rapid revenue growth in 2021-22, aided by the acquisition of Sportech’s global tote arm.

The business brought in AU$91.7m in revenue during the year ended 30 June, though its losses also increased following the deal.

Global betting services – which previously made up the vast majority of BetMakers’ revenue – brought in AU$19.5m, up by 179.3%.

However, with acquisition-driven growth in other segments, it was no longer the leading revenue generator for the business.
Instead, the global tote arm – acquired from Sportech last year – was the new leader. Tote revenue was AU$46.9m, up from just AU$1.7m a year earlier as the acquisition closed in the final weeks of 2020-21.

The BetMakers global racing network brought in AU$4.1m, up by 28%.

Costs of goods sold also increased, but more slowly, from AU$9.3m to AU$25.4m, resulting in a gross..

Continue Reading

UK Tote Group names Spencer and Holt non-executive directors
July 27, 2022

UK Tote Group names Spencer and Holt non-executive directors

Bookiecity

Pool betting operator UK Tote Group has appointed Lord Spencer of Alresford and Mark Holt as non-executive directors to its board.

UK Tote said the double addition would support its ongoing growth plans, with the focus on product innovation, better value, improved customer experience and strong partnerships to create more liquidity and bigger pools.

Lord Spencer is an entrepreneur and founder of interdealer broker ICAP, which became a FTSE100 business in 2006, and its successor, electronic markets services provider NEX plc. He is also one of more than 150 investors in UK Tote.

In addition to acting as a board director of a small number of private businesses, Spencer became chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies in 2020.

Holt brings experience and knowledge from his time working in senior technology roles with a number of businesses. These included spells as chief technology officer at CPA Global and chief technology officer for Trainline.

He is currently chief product and engi..

Continue Reading

BHA appoints Alison Enticknap to new strategy role
June 10, 2022

BHA appoints Alison Enticknap to new strategy role

Bookiecity

The British Horseracing Association (BHA) has appointed Alison Enticknap to the newly created role of director of strategy and change.

In her new position Enticknap will lead the BHA’s coordination of industry strategy, and work with colleagues across the industry.

Enticknap’s new role will be placed within the BHA’s new strategy and change department, which is currently in development.

The department will oversee cross-industry projects and project delivery, as well as building capacity.

Enticknap has held the role of interim director of communications and corporate affairs at the BHA since 2021, having first joined the company in 2018.

“I see this role as a huge opportunity for racing to work together to address our biggest challenges and to seize important opportunities, ” said Enticknap. “The prize is enormous if we can collaborate as an industry and get this right.”

“I look forward to working across racing, with its wealth of knowledge and expertise, and helping to secure t..

Continue Reading

Caesars Racebook launches in Florida and Ohio
June 1, 2022

Caesars Racebook launches in Florida and Ohio

Bookiecity

The Caesars Racebook wagering app has launched in Florida and Ohio today (1 June).

Caesars Racebook is a collaboration between the a collaboration between Caesars Sportsbook and the online betting arm of the New York Racing Association (NYRA Bets), using the NYRA Bets platform to offer pari-mutuel wagering on over 250 race tracks globally.

This includes racing from Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course and a number of Caesars operated racecourses, such as Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis.

The app also uses the Caesars Rewards loyalty program to offer bettors the chance to win exclusive experiences every time they place a wager.

Caesars and NYRA first entered into a partnership in January.

“The launch of Caesars Racebook is an important milestone as we continue to add wagering opportunities for our customers and livestreaming content for the first time,” said Dan Shapiro, senior vice president and chief development officer of Caesars Digital.

“Caesars Racebook is tr..

Continue Reading

SIS appoints new heads for racing trading and esports
May 31, 2022

SIS appoints new heads for racing trading and esports

Bookiecity

Live betting services provider Sports Information Services (SIS) has appointed Adam Conway as head of competitive gaming and Aiden Tracey as head of racing trading.

Conway moves into his new role having previously served as head of racing trading at SIS and will oversee the full operation of the esports-focused SIS Competitive Gaming division.

SIS said the business unit has been built specifically for sportsbooks, allowing bettors to watch and bet on live broadcasts of head-to-head events between gamers on esports titles such as CS:GO, as well as Ebasketball and Esoccer.

Tracey, who previously served as racing trading manager for SIS, will replace Conway. His new remit will be to continue the development of SIS’ trading offering, while also overseeing risk management for operators of all sizes.

Tracey has been with SIS for five years, starting out as lead horse racing trader. Prior to this, he spent eight years with Sporting Index.

“These new appointments serve to further strengt..

Continue Reading