Horse racing returns to one of the country’s premier racetracks this week. However, one horse racing betting provider is being left out in the cold (at least for the moment).
FanDuel Racing (and its sister platform, TVG) stopped offering tracks on the New York Racing Association (or NYRA) circuit last week due to a contractual dispute. With Saratoga kicking off on Thursday, those with FanDuel Racing accounts may need to look elsewhere to bet on races from that venue.
Sports betting offers are not available this state.
More on the FanDuel Racing/NYRA dispute
The standoff between the two parties started when NYRA demanded an increased percentage of handle from New York bettors. To this point, FanDuel Racing has not agreed to those terms. The operator removed races from NYRA’s “Belmont at the Big A” meet prior to this past weekend’s cards.
A NYRA release issued on Thursday addressed the situation. NYRA chief revenue officer Tony Allevato said the following:
“NYRA provides the racing content that fuels the profits of out-of-state ADWs like TVG-FanDuel. NYRA must prioritize the overall health of the sport and broader industry here in New York and we will continue negotiations to seek an equitable resolution so that our racing is widely available nationally.”
The impact of that decision was significant. Year-over-year handle for this week was down more than 50% at NYRA’s downstate venue, which hosted, among other races, the Grade 1 Belmont Derby.
In an email to Horse Racing Nation, FanDuel Racing general manager Andrew Moore lamented the stalemate:
“In an era when people have more content than ever to bet on, it’s not optimal that the largest distributor of horse-racing content and sports betting isn’t able to offer NYRA’s content to its customer base. No one is winning here, and hopefully we can have this content back available to TVG and FanDuel Sportsbook customers very soon. But the business terms have to make sense, or else we put at risk our ability to continue our significant investment in marketing, promoting and televising racing.”
This decision does not affect FanDuel Sportsbook and its NY sports betting operation. Those looking for sports betting options can still use FanDuel’s product without any changes.
What options are available for New York horse bettors?
It’s possible this situation gets resolved fairly quickly. Saratoga is one of the most-bet tracks in the country during its annual 40-day meet, which concludes on Labor Day.
FanDuel Racing isn’t the only game in town, though. If you’re in New York and looking for a way to bet on Saratoga racing, other advance deposit wagering (or ADW) websites have you covered.
TwinSpires, for instance, offers a promo code and $400 in bonus bets. Sign up with our TwinSpires promo code TWIN400 to be eligible for the bonus, which can be triggered at any time in the next 30 days.
