Operator News
US – FanDuel to rebrand Fairmount Park Racetrack in Illinois
By Phil - 16 November 2020
The 95-year-old Fairmount Park Racetrack in Collinsville is being rebranded as FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing following a multi-million investment from the FanDuel Group.
The deal, the FanDuel Group’s first investment in a race track, will also see it become a casino operator for the first time as the property recently confirmed it would soon be a racino after the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) approved the Collinsville horse track to operate under a Master Sports Wagering License.
“We will be able to offer entertainment from live horse racing, sports wagering, full casino gaming and new and exciting dining opportunities, all at one location,” the casino stated.
“Fairmount Park is excited to extend our partnership with FanDuel Group to now include their sports gaming platform,” said Melissa Helton, general manager of Fairmount Park. “This partnership will allow the park to remain an important economic driver for the surrounding communities.”
FanDuel is planning ‘a full revitalisation’ of the venue with the opening of a FanDuel Sportsbook retail location. FanDuel Group said it plans to work with William Stiritz and Associates to provide ‘significant’ upgrades to the Collinsville facility and create a FanDuel Sportsbook retail location, pending continued licensing and regulatory approvals from the Illinois Gaming Board.
“We are delighted to partner with Fairmount Park to continue bringing high quality horse racing and soon additional entertainment experiences via our sportsbook to the region,” said Matt King, Chief Executive Officer of FanDuel Group. “Fairmount is an iconic state landmark which we plan to modernize bringing innovative technology and entertainment offerings only FanDuel can deliver.”
The capital improvements, addition of a retail sportsbook and the new horse racing events are part of a modernization plan that will serve as a driver of economic growth for the region providing new jobs in the entertainment and hospitality sector. Fairmount has long been a prominent beacon of diversity hiring and FanDuel Group’s investment will fully align and accelerate the track’s proud history as a bedrock in the community.
Fairmount Park Racetrack is located in Collinsville, Illinois. It is one of three horse racing venues currently active in Illinois and the only one outside of the Chicago metro area. The track opened in 1925 and offers thoroughbred flat racing on a one-mile dirt oval. Fairmount Park has been approved to host 53 live racing days in 2021 along with daily simulcast wagering on tracks throughout the country.
FanDuel Group has a long history in the sport of horse racing through the TVG brand. Launched in 1999, TVG broadcasts 60,000 races from more than 150 tracks around the world on its two channels, TVG and TVG2. TVG has invested in a best-in-class OTT HD product and is available in HD via DirecTV and Spectrum Cable systems along with streaming services like YouTube TV, fuboTV and AT&T Now. TVG also simulcasts and shares production resources with NBC Sports, NBCSN and multiple NBC regional sports networks to provide coverage of major horse racing events during the year
FanDuel Group is no stranger to investing in the sport of horse racing. FanDuel Group is a major sponsor of marquee horse racing events including the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, the TVG Pacific Classic, the TVG.com Haskell Invitational and major races at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, KY. FanDuel Group has invested heavily in TVG.com and especially the TVG network’s broadcasts of live horse racing events. FanDuel Group is also a major supporter of charities that impact the horse racing community including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
The FanDuel brand has made a big impact on the sport of horse racing by introducing a younger audience to the sport with its FanDuel Racing product and daily fantasy contests for marquee events. Earlier this year in an effort to attract new fans to horse racing, FanDuel Group launched its FanDuel Racing product, an advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform designed for novice racing fans. To date, FanDuel has introduced more than 50,000 players to ADW from its sportsbook and daily fantasy platforms. FanDuel also offers daily fantasy contests for major racing events.
The FanDuel Sportsbook mobile and online sports betting experience is currently available in Illinois. In the near future, FanDuel Group’s sports betting license will be transferred from Par-A-Dice Casino to FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing, pending approval from the Illinois Gaming Board. The FanDuel Sportsbook is available in a total of eleven states via retail and online experiences.
Back in August FanDuel’s rival DraftKings launched a Casino Queen Sportsbook app and retail location at Casino Queen in East St. Louis.
