NYRA reaches account-wagering deals

The New York Racing Association has reached agreements with the largest U.S. account-wagering providers and horse racing television networks that will give in-home bettors wide access to its races beginning Jan. 1.

The agreements were reached with Television Games Network, Twinspires.com, XpressBet, and Youbet.com, NYRA and the companies announced Friday. Under the agreements, all of the account-wagering platforms will be able to offer wagering on NYRA races throughout 2008. In addition, both TVG and HorseRacing TV the television network owned by Magna Entertainment Corp. and Churchill Downs Inc. will be able to broadcast the races live from Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga.

The agreements also allow all of the platforms to provide live streaming broadcasts of NYRAs races over their Internet sites.

Previously, only TVG was allowed to televise and take bets on NYRAs races. Though TVG had sublicensed those rights to Youbet.com and three companies that have since been bought by Churchill Downs, the agreement had prohibited customers of XpressBet from betting on NYRAs races and restricted live broadcasts of the associations races to TVG.

Twinspires.com was launched by Churchill Downs earlier this year. Churchill then bought three account-wagering platforms Brisbet.com, Tsnbet.com, and Winticket.com that were sublicensing partners of TVG and had access to NYRAs signals. But Churchill ended that arrangement when those platforms were folded under the Twinspires.com brand.