Webis subsidiary agrees Churchill Downs betting deal
AIM-listed operator to also provide live streaming with agreement in place for Saturday's Kentucky Derby
Webis Holdings subsidiary WatchandWager has signed a deal to offer pari-mutuel betting and video streaming on all Churchill Downs races with immediate effect.
The AIM-listed operator’s contract includes this weekend’s Kentucky Derby and follows Webis’ securing a licence for its tote business European Wagering Services (EWS) in California last year.
WatchandWager was acquired in 2010 for US$100,000, and is now based in San Francisco in a move to increase Webis’ US presence. The operator subsequently announced trading within EWS had improved in the second half of last year as it made its payment processing operations more stable.
The agreement with Churchill Downs builds on last year’s deal with the California Exposition & State Fair (Cal Expo) to operate standard-bred harness race meetings for five years.
Ed Comins, Webis’ pari-mutuel operations director commented that signing a deal with “the acknowledged market leaders in the US” was a “great honour” for the business.
“Allowing our players to watch and wager on events such as this Saturday’s “Run for the Roses” will only help our platform. It is also a reflection of the benefits of our recent strategic investments in the US,” he added.
Last month, IMG subsidiary Enetpulse signed a deal to provide Webis’ betinternet.com with real-time tennis score feeds.