FanDuel Sportsbook is officially the first online sportsbook in the US to offer horse racing in the same app as sports betting. Customers can now bet on sporting events and horse racing with one wallet.
FanDuel offers one wallet for betting on sports and horse racing
Maryland online sports betting has grown increasingly robust since its launch back in November. And now, one sportsbook is making it easier than ever for bettors to wager on horse races and sports at the same time.
As of Dec. 21, Marylanders can bet on horse races in the same FanDuel app they use to wager on other sports.
Until now, bettors who used FanDuel or any other sportsbook to wager on sporting events had to create a separate account and fund another wallet to bet on Maryland horse racing. That was obviously frustrating for bettors. Now, under FanDuel, one account is sufficient to place a bet on pretty much any sport.
According to its press release, FanDuel is excited to be the first online sportsbook to offer the dual service.
“The measure is part of FanDuel’s ongoing investment in customer experience and its continuing commitment to introduce a new generation of audiences to horse racing.”
The merged wallet is now available to FanDuel Sportsbook customers in:
- Maryland
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- New York
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
There are plans to expand the feature to other states this year, but no definitive dates have been set.
Amy Howe, CEO of FanDuel, said the merger was inevitable.
“Horse racing is a big part of our DNA. This is a significant opportunity to expose a broader, engaged audience to the sport in a familiar environment.”
A big reason for the move is because Flutter Entertainment, FanDuel Group’s parent company, takes in a lot of wagers across its sportsbooks in the United Kingdom and Australia on horse racing events. Separate wallets proved to affect the number of bets coming in, so Flutter made the move to combine sports betting and horse racing under one account.
FanDuel TV and FanDuel+ will promote horse racing in the US
In order to help bring horse racing back to the forefront of sports wagering, FanDuel is using its new streaming service FanDuel TV to stream several racing events.
Under the TVG brand, the network showed horse racing almost exclusively. FanDuel TV plans to broadcast international and US horse racing, including racing at Churchill Downs, Santa Anita and Del Mar.
FanDuel TV will also move into other gambling spaces beyond horse racing. It plans to expand coverage into other sports through shows like NFL-focused “Up and Adams” with Kay Adams, “Run it Back” with Michele Beadle and Shams Charania, and “More Ways to Win” with Lisa Kerney.
Mike Raffensperger, CCO of FanDuel, explained the network’s agenda when it rebranded to FanDuel TV.
“TVG has been the undisputed leader in the horse racing space for the past 20 years, and the launch of FanDuel TV creates an exciting new platform for the next 20 years. FanDuel TV and FanDuel+ will accelerate the renaissance racing is enjoying and repackage the sport for a new generation of mobile enabled fans, while also bringing new leagues and sports to the US market. We plan to offer more live sports than any network in America.”
For people who have a FanDuel Sportsbook account, the FanDuel+ digital network is free to download.
Horse racing a big part of Maryland’s history
For the state of Maryland, having more access to viewing and wagering on horse racing events is a big deal. When it was still just a colony in 1743, Maryland was the first to organize horse racing as a sport. Two years after that, the colony hosted the first thoroughbred-only race, held in Annapolis.
Nowadays, Maryland is home to The Preakness Stakes, the world-renowned second race of the Triple Crown. The first Preakness race was held on May 23, 1873.
