DraftKings Launches Standalone Horse Racing App DK Horse

DraftKings is officially in the horse game.

On Wednesday, DraftKings Inc. officially launched DK Horse in 12 states, with plans on launching the app in more states ahead of the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

In November 2022, DraftKings and Churchill Downs Incorporated reached a multi-year agreement which allowed DraftKings to use TwinSpires (a Churchill Downs subsidiary), a horse racing wagering technology for DK Horse.

“Together with Churchill Downs Incorporated, an industry leader with a deep-rooted history in horse racing, we will deliver an innovative, mobile customer experience,” said Jason Robins, CEO and chairman of the board of DraftKings. “Our goal is to provide our customers with best-in-class-sports and gaming products, and we expect DK Horse to provide a fun and new way to engage with renowned races like the upcoming Run for the Roses.”

Users on the DK Horse app will be able to wager on some of the most renowned horse races, as well as handicap and stream video of races all within their account.

DK Horse will initially require customers to register and deposit funds into new accounts separate from their other DraftKings accounts, according to the release. Eventually, DraftKings would like to offer sportsbook, casino and daily fantasy sports all under one account and wallet.

This comes just a few months after FanDuel poured significant resources into horse racing. FanDuel acquired the renowned horse race broadcast and wagering service, TVG, and turned it into FanDuel TV in September 2022. FanDuel has also offered horse racing and sports wagering on the same account.