Saratoga signal pulled from TwinSpires over contract dispute

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A contractual impasse between the New York Racing Association and TwinSpires, the advance deposit wagering platform owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc., has resulted in the elimination of all NYRA content from TwinSpires as well as all CDI content from NYRABets, the ADW operated by the NYRA.

Simulcasting from Saratoga will not be available at any CDI-owned track or sportsbooks and none of the content from current CDI-owned tracks running - Ellis Park, Colonial Downs, Presque Isle, Louisiana Downs, and Ocean Downs - will be available for watching or wagering at Saratoga.

NYRA, in a statement, said it is seeking a 1 percent source market fee for its signal. In 2023, TwinSpires handled approximately $150 million on racing from NYRA tracks.

“The COVID-19 pandemic supercharged the shift from brick and mortar wagering to the largest national ADWs, and fundamentally changed the economics of horse racing in New York State, “ said David O’Rourke, NYRA president and CEO, in a statement. “Accordingly, NYRA asked these ADWs to pay an additional source market fee of just 1 percent on wagers from New York, bringing that number inline or significantly lower than several other jurisdictions.

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“Unlike their counterparts, CDI has refused to add this source market fee to an agreement struck in 2018. As a not-for-profit responsible for growing the sport while supporting our horsemen and backstretch community, this is untenable for horse racing in New York.”

In an e-mailed statement, Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Inc., harshly criticized NYRA’s business practices when it comes to ADWs.

“Following NYRA’s disturbing recent pattern of demanding significant new economics from ADWs for no additional value in return, NYRA has elected to terminate Twinspires’ access to its Saratoga signal today,” Carstanjen said. “While we hope to resolve this dispute quickly and amicably, make no mistake that we will continue to advocate for and invest in our customers and this industry. NYRA’s reckless pattern reflects an increasingly misguided understanding of how to best serve the racing industry in New York. Their actions are bad for horse racing and negatively impact our fans.”

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