When it comes to horse racing, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky is one of the most iconic racetracks in the world. It also hosts one of the most heavily bet sporting events of the year with the running of the Kentucky Derby in early May.
What some sports bettors and horse racing enthusiasts might not know, is that Churchill Downs Inc is one of the most successful gaming companies in the US market. It operates a TwinSpires offer code as the ultimate online horse betting site.
This betting site is also supported by a TV network offering live broadcasts of the daily race card at Churchill Downs along with select affiliate tracks such as Fair Grounds in Louisiana and Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.
Another Churchill Downs Inc. property was BetAmerica as its primary sports betting site. To better capitalize on the widespread recognition of TwinSpires, the company has decided to rebrand BetAmerica under that brand name.
The company is moving all of its iGaming operations under the TwinSpires corporate umbrella to provide a more unified approach to marketing all the online gambling services it offers. The actual transition will start taking place later this month.
As long as the regulatory process moves forward at a swift pace, the official launch of the TwinSpires online sports betting site will take place in Michigan with other markets to follow.
Churchill Downs Inc. has an agreement in place with Michigan’s Hannahville Tribe to operate a sports betting and iGaming site.
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The entire shift from BetAmerica to TwinSpires should be completed by the end of June. This covers any other US market where Churchill Downs Inc offers both sports betting and online casino gambling.
Ian Williams is the company’s president of its online gaming division. He released the following comments in an official company statement:
“Pursuing a single brand strategy allows us to maintain focus on integrating our horse racing wagering platform alongside our sports betting and iGaming business, which will provide our players with the ultimate online and mobile betting experience.”
Upon the completion of the changeover, players can use TwinSpires.com to places bets on the daily card at their favorite track while also betting on that night’s big game. They can also test their skill playing a few hands of Blackjack through the online casino app.
Legalities by individual states would impact the availability of all three betting verticals. For example, TwinSpires’ customers in Kentucky can only bet on the horse races since sports betting and online casino games remain illegal in that state.
The move makes good business sense on a number of levels. The popularity of the TwinSpires brand has continued to increase year after year. BetAmerica has struggled to make an impact in existing markets where available.
BetAmerica achieved a miniscule .9 percent market share in Pennsylvania as one of the biggest sports betting markets in the nation according to that state’s gaming commission. The results in Indiana were even more negligible.
Churchill Downs Inc. will now look for expansion opportunities for Twin Spires as its flagship brand. Its recent partnership with GAN Limited and Kambi Group PLC should facilitate these efforts.
