Sky Bet, TPD and 1/ST CONTENT officially launch in-running betting on North American racing at the Belmont Stakes

  • Post published:June 13, 2023
  • Post category:News / iGaming

13th June 2023 – 1/ST CONTENT, the leading provider of premium content for North American racing, has launched a U.S. racing-first, in-running betting product in partnership with Total Performance Data (TPD), the definitive source of live data for horse racing. This rollout has already seen the partnership successfully deliver a new in-play service for Tier-1 operator Sky Bet, part of Flutter Entertainment.

The UK-based operator initially soft-launched this standout innovation across a range of races last Fall. That trial run produced immediate spikes in player engagement and turnover for Sky Bet, who have now released In-running Racing across an array of 1/ST CONTENT and TPD-participating racecourses stateside.

Last weekend’s Belmont Stakes in New York, the final jewel in this year’s Triple Crown for champion three-year-old Thoroughbreds, provided a marquee venue at which to officially showcase the boosts in new revenue from this watershed innovation. And the feature race did not disappoint with markedly improved turnover for Sky Bet, defined by a daring in-running move up the inside on the home-turn from Arcangelo, whose trainer Jena Antonucci became the first woman to train a U.S. Triple Crown winner.

This revolutionary feed couples 1/ST CONTENT’s starting price with the best of automated trading via TPD’s astonishing array of consequential in-running analytics, including stride length, stride frequency, overall race-pace and sectional timings enabled by saddle-cloth GPS tracking. These variables are accordingly harvested in-play by TPD’s machine-learning trading tools whose algorithms train themselves on race pace for precise pricing that delivers a distinct step-change in live fixed-odds wagering.

The complex variables of horse racing have meant this sport, for so long the retention backbone of many operators, hadn’t previously been able to seize the opportunities that other sports have secured through in-play. After all, nowadays, betting products must smoothly transition from pre-play to in-play, which is why operators must employ the latest trading tools and reactive in-play odds to attract modern-day audiences.

To this end, 1/ST CONTENT’s operator partners can now benefit from the following advantages to put North American racing’s rapid-cycling, quick-fire betting opportunities back near the top of the totem pole for improved commercial turnover and engagement: 

  • In-running prices available
  • Win-only in-play betting from 1/ST CONTENT racecourses
  • Over 1,500 race days per year and rising
  • Improved in-running engagement, featuring:

o   Extended betting windows

o   Cashout functionality in-play (fair-margin, lowest latency)

o   Visual-tracking animations to enhance the user experience

o   Live tradeable prices up until the final furlong, even the wire

o   Fail-safes: manual trader correction (trader wrap) + in-play oversight of every race

 It’s just the latest innovation from 1/ST CONTENT whose wider modus operandi is to ensure the most comprehensive and responsive pricing service for North American horse racing, featuring odds that track every stage of the betting life-cycle – from early quotes to starting prices and now, of course, the most sophisticated in-running pricing feed. These fully-automated pricing solutions offer true differentiation to drive betting revenues and help attract new audiences.

The announcement adds yet more muscle to 1/ST CONTENT’s leading end-to-end solution which grants its clients access to many of the planet’s most prestigious races, including highlights from January’s Pegasus World Cup, through every race of the storied Triple Crown, and on to the season finale at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Santa Anita (3-4 November).

Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President International at 1/ST CONTENT, said: “The jury has long been in, when it comes to the significance of in-play turnover for sports betting. So, it was high time racing narrowed the gap with a legitimate and robust product of its own. Working with a respected brand of Sky Bet’s scale, alongside TPD’s team of analytical experts, has allowed top-notch traders from our respective teams to finally position the missing piece in a new product for North American racing.

“Thanks to Sky Bet’s responsive flexibility and determination to get this innovation over the line, we’ve now delivered an “in-running” industry-first for North American horse racing across the Triple Crown. This product solves for the riddles of live betting on racing by supplying reliable pricing on a popular sport which has traditionally struggled to maintain pace with a broader sportsbook marketplace, where over 70% of turnover is generated in-play. Now, however, Sky Bet, TPD and 1/ST CONTENT have combined to produce a dependable in-play offering that crystalizes accurate odds for the most solid in-play, fixed-odds pricing available.

“This isn’t about incremental gains. It’s an automated product revolution which gives the operators and customers the live service that they’ve been demanding. TPD has seamlessly incorporated its API with our own, ensuring total peace of mind and speed of integration for any operator looking to add this breakthrough feed.”

Will Duff Gordon, CEO of Total Performance Data, said: “This is our first North American in–play racing deal with an operator. We are thrilled to partner with 1/ST CONTENT to bring this innovative product to market and excited about the prospect of teaming up with Sky Bet.

“At TPD, we have always been committed to pushing the boundaries of horse racing data. Our live-odds model revolutionises the industry by leveraging GPS-tracking devices integrated into the horses’ saddle cloths. In a matter of milliseconds, we can generate real-time in-play odds. Additionally, our tracking data enables captivating live-race visualisations and comprehensive statistics, thereby enhancing the overall live content experience for racing, allowing it to compete on equal footing with other sports.

“With TPD’s tracking system now installed at top racecourses in the UK, U.S., Canada, Chile, Saudi Arabia and India, we’re confident that the racing’s data revolution is only just getting started.”

A Sky Bet spokesperson added: “We’re thrilled to partner with 1/ST CONTENT and TPD in the States to provide the only fully automated in-play solution on the market. As with any live sport, you must have a service that keeps up in-play, harnessing the most accurate and lowest-latency data feeds to secure genuine market innovation. Our prices process the key variables in real-time, and leverage neural networks to create the best possible in-play price.

“1/ST CONTENT’s unparalleled racetrack coverage in North America – coupled to their strong heritage in managing content rights, data and odds – meant that they were the logical partners in a shared vision that challenges an outmoded mindset around horse racing trading. Deeper audience engagement is our collective goal.

“We’re confident this in-play solution will bring a welcome new dimension to any of our growing cohort of customers following the top-class racing stateside. As we’ve seen with the dazzling displays from the likes of Flightline and a host of European talent at the Breeders’ Cup, North American racing is returning to its zenith in terms of record turnover and setting the tone for global horse racing.”