This article helps affiliates better understand and prepare for horse racing events and their related marketing initiatives. To read our guide on racing for operators, click here.
Horse racing is one of the oldest forms of sports betting and remains immensely popular today with a market share of over $3.7 billion in the US alone. Although the US and UK are the largest markets for horse racing, other regions like Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Japan and the Middle East also have strong racing markets.
As a horse racing affiliate, it is crucial to understand the sport and determine what players are looking for when placing bets, as more players are choosing to bet online or in new ways. By learning about the history and current trends within racing, you can tailor your content to better connect with your audience today.
Did you know? The 2022 Kentucky Derby, the first race of the American Triple Crown, set a new betting record with over $179 million placed in wagers for the event.
What is the American Triple Crown?
The American Triple Crown is a set of three races starting with the Kentucky Derby and followed by the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. To win the American Triple Crown, a horse must finish first in all three races for that year. In its entire history, only thirteen horses can claim that they have won this prestigious award.
Within the American Triple Crown, only 3-year-old horses are allowed to compete for all three races. Each race has a slightly different track length as well, so Triple Crown winners are considered the cream of the crop (the Kentucky Derby is 1.25 miles long; the Preakness is the shortest at around 1.2 miles; and the Belmont Stakes is the longest at 1.5 miles).Secretariat (statue from Kentucky Horse Park) is one of the most recognized horses in the sport and one of the most famous winners of the American Triple Crown.
Preparing for the 2022 Belmont Stakes
With the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes completed, tomorrow, June 11th, marks the final race as the Belmont Stakes start. However, there will not be a Triple Crown winner this year as there have been two different winning horses so far.
For the Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike was an unexpected winner beating out favorites in historically unlikely odds. However, Rich Strike pulled out for the Preakness Stakes as the owners were worried about his health. As a result, another long-shot horse named Early Voting won with a sizeable lead over his competitors. Now as we head into the climax of the Triple Crown, both surprise winners will be up against each other and other potential favorites.
As an affiliate going into race day, you will want to make sure your content and offers are well-prepared and tailored to your audience. Research which horses have entered the race (it may change suddenly), what their current odds are, who their trainers are and their race history. If you can share footage of the races, commentary or expertise, players will trust your site and offers.
Horse Racing for Affiliate Marketers
As a horse racing affiliate, there are some key tips and trends to understand to keep your audience engaged and informed. By learning about new technology and new ways of watching and betting on races, affiliates can bring in even more traffic.
When it comes watching and betting on horse racing, there are many new player experiences affiliates can incorporate in offers and content to stay up to date, like:
- In-Game Wagering: more operators are allowing players to bet on race results after they have started, so they have a better view of how the race will play out.
- VR Betting: virtual reality allows fans and bettors to see the race from the jockey’s eyes giving them an unmatched experience. Although not common yet, this trend is growing.
- Live-Streamed Races: watching a race live is important to bettors who are invested in racing but cannot watch them in-person. The live experience is extremely popular and affiliates should work to provide this content.
- Mobile App Options: like with live-streamed races, mobile app betting allows players to experience and bet on the races while on the go, and the service is already a hit.
Another way to provide value to players is by providing trends on racetracks and horses. Now that recent and historical data on all aspects of the sport are available online, players like to know key statistics to determine their bets. Trends like the average age or weight of winning horses on a certain track can be very helpful to keen bettors.
Other data like weather conditions can also be informative as this can affect the reliability of other trends. For example, rain might mean that a heavier horse may win over a lighter horse that was favoured when the track was dry.
Takeaways
Horse racing may be one of the oldest forms of sports betting, but it is also unlike any other. Tradition and culture are huge influences on the sport and race day is always a celebration. Affiliates should embrace this and work to find the best ways for their audience to experience the sport. From providing little details like track length and type to the more analytical stats and trends for events, affiliates have many opportunities to find great offers for their players!
