Horse betting customers will receive a VIP opportunity with DraftKings at Travers

On Saturday, the Travers Stakes is being held at the famous Saratoga Racetrack in New York. Sports betting industry leaders DraftKings plans to roll out a comprehensive sports betting marketing plan for the Travers. They want to engage everyone from the person viewing on a TV from home to the sports betting VIP at the racetrack. DraftKings is the title sponsor of the New York Racing Association’s (NYRA) marquee summer races. That includes the Travers at Saratoga this Saturday. With the deal in place, DraftKings plans to perks to their horse betting customers on the DK Horse app. DraftKings director of race and sportsbook operations Johnny Avello had this to say.

“We would have liked to sponsor the Travers last year, but we had no legs yet,” said Avello. “We wanted to wait to see how the first year went in 2023, and it went extremely well, so when we got into 2024, we knew the Travers was out there without a sponsor, which was a fit for us.”

What does DraftKings provide with its VIP horse-betting experience?

In 2023, DraftKings launched the DK Horse app. This was in response to the company losing customers without a horse betting product. DK Horse is a white label of TwinSpires from Churchill Downs Incorporated. The largest hurdle that DraftKings faces with DK Horse is trying to get customers to come to the physical racetrack. Online sports betting of all varieties has proven to be successful in the United States. That is true for customers who wager on horse betting online. However, DraftKings was to increase customer traffic at retail locations like the Travers Saratoga. DraftKings has a partnership in place with the NYRA to try and change the public’s perception.

Brand awareness is key for US sportsbooks

Several US sportsbooks provide horse betting to their customers. This has created another avenue for brand awareness. Johnny Avello believes the horse betting partnership with DraftKings is a unique opportunity. He mentioned races that DraftKings has sponsored in the past like Santa Anita and Acorn Stakes. Additionally, DraftKings is sponsoring the Travers Stakes this Saturday at Saratoga. Avello mentioned how DK Horse will have a presence at the racetrack via billboards and in the paddocks. DraftKings wants to make its horse betting product readily available to anyone who comes across it. Whether they are first-time users or someone familiar with the company already.