Betfair signs landmark New York Racing Association tote tie

BETFAIR HAS SIGNED a deal with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to allow common-pool pari-mutuel wagering on its races to Betfair customers outside the US, Betfair’s second major common pools tie since signing with the US Breeders’ Cup last week.

The British betting exchange will now have access to NYRA’s Aqueduct racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course pools, with customers now able to begin betting at the 39-day Aqueduct Fall race meeting, which offers live racing five days a week from now until the end of the year.

The deal with NYRA mark Betfair’s third major investment to raise its profile in US horseracing this year, beginning with its $50m purchase of TVG, the US horseracing TV channel that will broadcast live this year from Belmont Park and Saratoga.

Betfair head of horse racing development Steven Johnson said: “Following the acquisition of TVG, Betfair has been looking to enhance its US racing product offering. We have entered into agreements with a number of US racetracks, and introduced US Tote betting onto our site last month.”

Betfair, which was shortlisted both for the Operator of the Year and UK Sportsbetting Operator of the Year trophies at this year’s EGR Awards, was also part of a group that made a $5.5m investment in Watercooler, a business developing applications for ‘fan communities’ on social networking websites such as Facebook, in particular communities of US sports fans.

However it was not the only non-US operator to strike a tote deal in the US last week, with European Wagering Services (EWS), the pari-mutuel operation of AIM-listed Webis Holdings, also signing a deal with the Breeders’ Cup yesterday to offer bets directly into Breeders’ Cup tote pools.

Don’t miss out on egaming news: get our free Snapshot email.