Sports Bet Goes Live in Arkansas via SBTech and Churchill Downs

A leading supplier of sports betting technology and solutions, SBTech has gone live with Oaklawn Racetrack and Casino, powering the property’s retail sportsbook with the first bets having already been placed earlier this month.

The Oaklawn Racetrack and Casino has recently been renovated and it is the first operator in Arkansas to launch sports betting via its in-house venue powered by SBTech.

The first bet was placed last week at the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort by its general manager, Wayne Smith, wagering $5 on the Dallas Cowboys to beat New York Giants in the NFL’s opening game on 8th September.

Players in Arkansas will now be able to place their bets by accessing the 10 available kiosks. Sports available for betting include American football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, UFC, golf and tennis. The operator has plans to release a mobile betting app powered by SBTech later this year, which will allow players easy access to betting and results.

Making History

In August last year, SBTech made iGaming industry history by becoming the first supplier to announce sportsbook technology partnerships in the newly regulated US betting market with Churchill Downs and Golden Nugget and Resorts Casino, shortly after the repeal of Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

Ever since August, the company rapidly grew and eventually became the leading sportsbook platform supplier across supplier of choice for the Oregon Lottery. The renowned supplier is praised for its highly-innovative, revenue-generating platform and sportsbook tech as well as for its unparalleled speed to market, localization and flexibility.

Richard Carter, CEO, SBTech, said: “We are rapidly becoming the supplier of choice for omni-channel sportsbook platform software in regulated and newly regulating US states, as well as major global regulated markets for tier one operators and lotteries.

“We’re delighted that Oakland selected SBTech to power their sportsbook in partnership with Churchill Downs and launch the state’s first sports wager, and we look forward to extending that to other products and channels in the near future.”

Ian Williams, President of Online Gaming, Churchill Downs, said: “We are delighted to facilitate sports betting at Oaklawn through our partners SBTech. As a long-standing partner in horse racing, it was a natural fit for us to bring legal sports betting first to the state of Arkansas.”

About Churchill Downs Incorporated

Churchhill Downs’ namesake racetrack opened in 1875 and it hosts the famous Kentucky Derby race. CDI now employs over 5,000 people and maintains physical operation in eleven states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Maine, New York, Ohio and Washington. The continuous diversification of CDI allowed it to add slot-machines and video poker operations to its racetracks, acquiring two casino resorts, building and acquiring online gaming platforms and using increased cash flow to invest in new businesses.

CDI now owns five racetracks, eight casinos, TwinSpires.com, the leading online wagering business, a video poker business, a multi-state network of off-track betting and a collection of racing-related data and telecommunications companies ing its sports and gaming operations.

Source:

“SBTech powers first legal sports bet in Arkansas in partnership with Churchill Downs”, George Miller, europeangaming.eu, July 10, 2019.