Churchill Downs To Announce Additional Sportsbook Partnerships Aug. 17

Written By Matthew Bain on July 31, 2023
Churchill Downs sports betting partners announcement Aug. 17, from playkentucky.com

We will know a lot more about the Kentucky sports betting landscape on Aug. 17.

That’s because Churchill Downs Inc. is “working toward” making an announcement regarding all its retail sports betting properties and its online sports betting partnerships that day. Tonya Abeln, CDI’s vice president of communications, informed PlayKentucky of the company’s plans via email Monday morning.

Currently, we know that Caesars Sportsbook (via Keeneland and Red Mile) and FanDuel (via Churchill Downs) have locked in their places in the Kentucky online sports betting landscape. We also know there will be a BetMGM Kentucky, as the company confirmed its intentions for a Kentucky launch in its quarter two earnings call last week.

CDI news will be a big splash

Beyond those three, however, it’s been crickets in terms of sports betting partnerships.

Obviously, we expect major players to launch Bluegrass State products, like Bet365 Kentucky and DraftKings Kentucky. Circa Sportsbook, WynnBET and Fanatics Sportsbook are also thought to be likely candidates.

But nothing regarding those sportsbooks has been confirmed. Not publicly, at least.

That could change Aug. 17.

Based on current relationships with CDI, Bet365 and DraftKings could very well be among the partners CDI announces on Aug. 17. CDI is partnered with Bet365 for sports betting in Pennsylvania, and DraftKings uses CDI’s technology for its horse betting app, DK Horse. Extending that partnership to sports betting makes sense.

Operators working with CDI will be online only

Whichever additional operators CDI chooses to work with will only be online partners.

Abeln told PlayKentucky last week that all retail sportsbooks at CDI properties will be unbranded. That means you won’t see names like FanDuel or DraftKings attached to the in-person sports betting venues at Churchill Downs, Derby City Gaming, Derby City Gaming Downtown, Turfway Park, Ellis Park, Newport Racing & Gaming, Oak Grove or the future Ellis Park extension site.

Photo by AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
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Matthew Bain

Matthew Bain started as a Content Manager for PlayKentucky and other Catena Media sites in 2022. He covered the launch of Massachusetts sports betting and the Prop 26 vs. Prop 27 battle in California. Before that, he spent six years as a sports reporter and then deputy sports editor for the Des Moines Register, during which time he won nine statewide journalism awards, including the Genevieve Mauck Stoufer Outstanding Young Iowa Journalists Award. As deputy sports editor, Matthew oversaw the Register's recruiting coverage while also innovating the outlet's high school sports coverage. Matthew graduated from San Diego State and grew up in California, but he's somehow a Boston Celtics fan. Long story.

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