DraftKings is making waves in online horse betting. Late last month, DraftKings announced DK Horse is arriving in 12 states. Pennsylvania was not included in the launch.
The new mobile platform is DraftKings’ first-ever standalone horse racing product.
Why didn’t it launch in Pennsylvania and when can we expect it to?
DK Horse app launches in 12 states
The PA sportsbook and online casino announced on March 29 the arrival of a new horse racing app. The app launched in the following states:
- Colorado
- Florida
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Oregon
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
DraftKings entered a multi-year partnership with Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), in which TwinSpires, CDI’s subsidiary, agreed to power pari-mutuel betting technology for DK Horse.
“Together with Churchill Downs Incorporated, an industry leader with a deep-rooted history in horse racing, we will deliver an innovative, mobile customer experience,” said Jason Robins, CEO and Chairman of the Board of DraftKings. “Our goal is to provide our customers with best-in-class-sports and gaming products, and we expect DK Horse to provide a fun and new way to engage with renowned races like the upcoming Run for the Roses.”
Why DK Horse didn’t debut in Pennsylvania yet
With the Kentucky Derby looming on May 6, DraftKings launched in the 12 states nearly six weeks in advance.
In DraftKings’ press release on March 29, the company said that it expects to launch the app in additional states before the Kentucky Derby. In addition to PA, DK Horse did not launch in New Jersey, New York and Nevada.
Launching in the initial 12 states gives DraftKings enough time to work through any kinks in locations where horse betting may not be as popular. According to Daily Racing Form, Americans wagered more than $12 billion on horse racing in 2022.
DK Horse is expected to be in gambling havens such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Nevada before the Kentucky Derby.
DraftKings is essentially testing the app in other states before one of the biggest horse races in the country.
How the DK Horse app works
DraftKings takes pride in bettors using a single wallet for all its products, including its DraftKings Sportsbook and online casino. However, the company has to deviate from that strategy for now.
With DK Horse, bettors are required to register and deposit funds into new accounts separate from the sportsbook and online casino.
Bettors will be able to handicap events and stream video of all the races within the app. The platform will also provide betting guides to inform players of upcoming races and the various ways to wager.
Horse betting apps available in PA
As of right now, PA has two horse betting apps.
PABets is the Pennsylvania arm of the established TVG, which is owned by FanDuel.
The site offers live streamed horse races from more than 300 tracks worldwide and provides pari-mutuel betting.
TwinSpires, owned and operated by CDI, is also live in Pennsylvania. Bettors have access to nearly every thoroughbred, standardbred and quarter horse contest around the world.
TwinSpires will have another presence in the state as it powers DK Horse’s pari-mutuel betting technology after it launches in Pennsylvania.
DK Horse certainly has some competition once it arrives in the Keystone State.
