Caesars Sportsbook Enters Kentucky
Author:
Megan Butler
Hold your horses: Caesars Sportsbook has partnered with Keeneland and Red Mile racetracks in advance of the launch of sports betting in Kentucky. The sports betting platform will receive market access to mobile sports betting in the state, with plans also in the works to open up brick-and-mortar retail sports betting sites in Central Kentucky.
Caesars Sportsbook has announced that it has partnered together with Keeneland and Red Mile racetracks ahead of the launch of legalized sports betting in the state of Kentucky.?Danehrr22/Pixabay
Kentucky Governor Signed Sports Betting into Law in April 2023
Giddy up: Caesars Sportsbook has announced that it has joined forces together with Keeneland and Red Mile racetracks ahead of the long-awaited launch of legalized sports betting in the midwestern state of Kentucky.
As part of the lucrative deals, the sports betting operator will be granted market access to mobile sports betting in the Bluegrass State. The agreements will also unleash plans to develop and run brick-and-mortar retail sports betting locations throughout Central Kentucky, though these developments are as of yet still subject to approvals from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
The prospect of legal sports betting in Kentucky is still a relatively novel one, seeing as Kentucky’s Governor Andy Beshear only signed sports betting into law recently, in April 2023.
Caesars Looking Forward to Working With Historic Kentucky Racetrack Institutions
Marking the occasion of Caesars’ highly symbolic partnership with Keeneland and Red Mile racetracks was Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital, who celebrated the institutions’ important legacy in the state, citing as a good opportunity not just for the operator, but for sports betting fans in the state as well:
“Keeneland and Red Mile are iconic horse racing venues with an important legacy in the state of Kentucky. Customers in the region have long enjoyed our world-class Caesars destinations and, most recently, our horse racing wagering app, Caesars Racebook. Working with these historic institutions provides an unmatched opportunity to reach sports and racing fans in the state, and we look forward to working with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission as we prepare to launch later this year.”– Eric Hession, President, Caesars Digital,Press Release
Meanwhile, Shannon Cobb, who is the chief operating officer at Red Mile, positioned the deal with Caesars and Keeneland as being extremely valuable, noting the racetrack had been working on this specific goal for many years now:
“At Red Mile Gaming and Racing we are excited to continue introducing this historic harness track to new audiences. Opportunities with sports wagering on site, added to live racing, simulcasting, and HHR Games accomplish goals we have worked toward for several years. Our relationships with Keeneland and Caesars in this venture could not be more valued.”– Shannon Cobb, Chief Operating Officer, Red Mile Racetrack,Press Release
And finally, Shannon Arvin, who is president and CEO of Keeneland, sees promise in the deal bringing new audiences into the world of horse racing, before driving home the global importance of the Caesars brand:
“Keeneland’s venture with Caesars Sportsbook holds exciting potential and furthers our mission to introduce new audiences to horse racing. Caesars is a globally respected brand, and we value their commitment to racing and their expertise in sports wagering.”– Shannon Arvin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Keeneland Racetrack,Press Release
CDI Building Custom-Made Horse Racing Product for DraftKings
In other horse racing news, prominent racetrack operator Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) announced in December 2022 that it had stepped into a comprehensive multi-year agreement with sportsbook provider DraftKings, in a deal which will see CDI build an exclusive parimutuel wagering horse racing product for the sports betting giant.
Churchill Downs’ B2B horse racing subsidiary TwinSpires will be the one building the exclusive white-label solution for DraftKings, in the process handing over the company’s advanced deposit wagering technology to DraftKings. TwinSpires decided to become solely a B2B provider after coming face to face with major market competition in 2021.
CDI is also handing over parimutuel wagering rights to content which it owns or controls, in particular the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby events. Jason Robins, CEO and chairman of the board of DraftKings, claimed that the operator is looking forward to collaborating with CDI; it also hopes to win over a slew of new horse racing fans as a result of the deal:
“We are excited to collaborate with Churchill Downs Incorporated, not only to give our existing customers an opportunity to engage with parimutuel horse wagering, but also to acquire new customers efficiently during marquee horse racing moments. Due to the structure of the agreement, we expect this new product offering to be immediately profitable.”– Jason Robins, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, DraftKings,Press Release
Caesars Expanded Retail Locations in Louisiana in September 2022
Traveling down further south now and returning to Caesars for a moment, the world famous casino and sportsbook operator announced back in September 2022 that it would be launching several new physical retail sportsbook locations in the Southern US state of Louisiana.
With its highly popular mobile sportsbook app already up and running in the Bayou State, Caesars said the Harrah’s New Orleans and Horseshoe Bossier City Hotel & Casino sites would be the ones receiving the retail locations.
Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital, boasted the operator’s tight relationship with the state of Louisiana and its residents, even going so far as to say that it feels particularly at home in the Gulf State, and that these efforts to expand retail locations are proof of said commitment:
“These incredible openings are a testament to Louisiana residents, our Team Members and the guests who visit these historic resorts. We truly feel like we’re part of the home team in Louisiana, and we take pride in serving the great customers and sports fans in the state. From our Caesars Sportsbook app to our retail sportsbooks and now our elevated World Series of Poker Room, we embrace the opportunity to provide guests with even more unforgettable experiences.”
