Webis secures wagering and streaming rights to New York racetracks
10th June 2014 11:40 am GMT
Online gaming operator Webis Holdings has signed a deal with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to allow wagering from WatchandWager.com customers on all three racetracks operated by the association.
Webis said that the one-year deal, which covers the rights to video streaming of the races as well as pari-mutuel wagering rights, represented the “final milestone” in WatchandWagers' content acquisition drive which was a cornerstone of its migration of its head-office to the US as well as its focus on compliance and domestic licensing in the country.
The NYRA holds the exclusive rights to conduct racing at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga until 2033. Last year, average daily handle wagered on races at NYRA’s three racetracks increased by 2 per cent to $9.2m.
The association hosted 239 racing days in 2013, six fewer than in the previous year, and fewer than any of the preceding four years.
The agreement was signed last week and formally approved to go live by the New York State Gaming Commission last Friday, in accordance with New York regulations. It allowed live wagering to commence in time for last Saturday's Belmont Stakes, which featured the Triple Crown seeking California Chrome.
WatchandWager.com president Ed Comins said that the company’s new relationship with NYRA got off to an “excellent start” with Saturday's Belmont Stakes.
“Coverage of the Belmont was huge within the US and internationally with all sources handle 32 per cent up on previous years, and NBC reporting the highest sporting viewership figures since the Sochi Olympics,” he said. “It was a welcome shot in the arm for US racing, and we look forward to working with NYRA to continue this positive momentum.”
WatchandWager offers customers a wide range of content, including all the main US thoroughbred races, as well as content from Australia, UK and Ireland, France, Sweden, Dubai and Hong Kong, and several other jurisdictions.
Shares in Webis Holdings plc (Co. Data) (AIM:WEB) were up 15.83 per cent at 3.48 pence per share in London Tuesday, having lost 7.69 per cent in trading Monday.
