Tit for tat

A contract dispute between the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and TwinSpires has led to both parties removing content from their respective betting platforms.

The Churchill Downs Incorporated-owned TwinSpires advanced deposit wagering (ADW) platform no longer features any NYRA content, while NYRABets has taken out all content relating to Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) racetracks.

sportsbooks or tracks that CDI owns can no longer simulcast racing at Saratoga

This means that any sportsbooks or tracks that CDI owns can no longer simulcast racing at Saratoga and nobody can watch or bet on the action from Ellis Park, Presque Isle, Ocean Downs, Louisiana Downs, and Colonial Downs if they’re at Saratoga.

An extra charge

The dispute centers around the fee that the NYRA wants for providing its signal. It is seeking a 1% source market fee for horse bets on races taking place in New York. NYRA CEO and President David O’Rourke said that the charge is the same or lower than numerous other jurisdictions in the country and the reason for the price hike is that the pandemic “fundamentally changed the economics of horse racing in New York State.”

other ADW platforms agreed to add the source market fee to their existing agreements

While other ADW platforms agreed to add the source market fee to their existing agreements, CDI refused to do so, and O’Rourke said that this decision is “untenable for horse racing” in the state.

The NYRA did have a similar issue with FanDuel earlier this month before an agreement meant that the operator could accept bets in time for the first day of the most recent Saratoga meeting.

Criticizing the NYRA’s approach

CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen responded to the criticisms by questioning the NYRA’s approach to ADWs, saying that the recent fee hike is “disturbing” and doesn’t come with “any additional value in return.”

Carstanjen still hopes to get a quick and amicable solution to the disagreement while still ensuring that it continues serving the horse racing sector as best as possible. He concluded his statement to Daily Racing Form by saying that the approach the NYRA is taking is “bad for horse racing and negatively impacts our fans.”