Sports Betting’s Love of Horse Racing Grows with Caesars NY Expansion

Sportsbook operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel have similar offerings as brands try to keep customers hanging around and wagering.

The love affair between operators of sports betting sites and the sport of kings continues, with the owner of Caesars Sportsbook adding another market to its repertoire.

Nevada-based Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced this week that its horse-racing app, Caesars Racebook (cousin to Caesars Sportsbook), is now live in New York for those aged 21 and older. 

“Horse racing fans in the Empire State can now enjoy pari-mutuel wagering on premier horse racing content from more than 300 tracks around the world, all tied to Caesars Rewards, the gaming industry’s leading loyalty program,” the company said in a press release.

Caesars already has ties to online wagering in New York via its mobile sportsbook. Its racebook is also built on technology provided by NYRA Bets, the advance deposit wagering platform of the New York Racing Association. 

Betting on the ponies

The New York launch follows similar debuts by Caesars in sixteen other jurisdictions, such as California, Colorado, and Kentucky, where legal sports betting will start in the horse racing-crazy state next month. Caesars says it plans to launch in additional states pending further regulatory approvals. 

It’s a strategy Caesars’ rivals in online sports betting have matched. Sportsbook operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel have similar offerings as brands try to keep customers hanging around and wagering. 

“Building on the popularity of our Caesars Sportsbook app, we are thrilled to launch Caesars Racebook in New York during the heart of the Saratoga race meet,” said Dan Shapiro, chief development officer at Caesars Digital, in the release. “Caesars has a deep-rooted commitment to horse racing, and we couldn't have a better partner to bring a premier horse racing mobile wagering experience to racing fans.”