Betting Site Betfred Sponsors Four Epsom Downs Races

A new sponsorship deal has been announced between one of the most popular UK betting sites, Betfred, and Epsom Downs racecourse. The new deal will see Betfred sponsor two races at Epsom Downs for a period of two years, the races being the Oaks and the Derby. Further to this, Betfred will be sponsoring two more races at the race course, however these are yet to be announced.

The new sponsorship was reported in the first of what is expected to be a series of announcements about the deal. The announcements come at an interesting time, two months before the Derby at Epsom Downs in June 2023. It is not clear if the reason for the out-of-season announcement is an attempt to neutralise any possible effects of the eagerly expected White Paper on UK gambling, which is to be published any time soon, and which may overhaul the rules and regulations surrounding sponsorship of sporting events by betting sites. It is unknown whether the sponsorship of horse racing events by betting sites will be affected, however one of the anticipated changes concerns the practice of betting sites buying the prime advertising spot on the front of Premier League football t-shirts, which is said to be coming to an end. Any such changes are said to have a 3-year grace period for UK betting sites and bookmakers, so even if advertising rules affect horse racing, Betfred and Epsom Downs will be safe for the duration of their new deal.

This is not the first time Betfred has sponsored races. Previously, the betting site was the sponsor of the Cheltenham Gold Cup between 2012 and 2015. The company also sponsored Haydock Park’s Group One Sprint Cup. Recently, Betfred seems to have decided to do more in relation to horse racing, having signed a new deal with leading UK provider of horse racing information and content services SIS only 3 weeks ago. As part of the deal, SIS will provide Betfred with top-quality, HD racing content live, 24/7, from all the important racing events worldwide. This will be available initially in the bookmaker’s physical shops, but is expected to soon arrive online on its betting platforms too.

Fred Drone, the founder of betting site Betfred, expressed that he is “immensely proud” with the new sponsorship deal. He stated:

“For me, the Derby remains the greatest flat race in the world. When you look at some of the horses and characters that have won this great race, Sea-Bird, Mill Reef, Nijinsky, Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott and Frankie Dettori, it has an amazing history, and I am delighted to become a part of it for at least the next three years.”

It is interesting to note that the owner of the betting site Betfred Mr Drone used the words “at least the next three years”, suggesting that if the sponsorship deal proves successful and mutually favourable, there is the strong possibility for it to be extended after the initial period comes to an end. It is not surprising that Betfred has chosen the Derby, as the company is known to value tradition, which transpires through its own history and the way it is run. The Derby started all the way back in 1779 and is one of the best-known horse racing events in the UK and across the world. It is ran on turf over 2420m and is open to three-year-old colts and fillies. In 2022, the purse was the staggering amount of £1,604,000, with the winner pocketing a first prize of £909,628.

Commenting on the sponsorship deal, the Chief Executive of the Jockey Club Nevin Truesdale said:

“Betfred’s support of British racing over many years has been superb and we’re proud to be working with Fred Done and his team on its next chapter to promote these two iconic races on the first weekend in June,” added chief executive of the Jockey Club, Nevin Truesdale.”

The Managing Director of the Jockey Club Amy Starkey added:

“As a bookmaker with a long and established history in horseracing and numerous other sports, I’ve worked with Fred and the team at Betfred for more than 20 years and know how deeply committed they are to British racing.”

It is clear that Betfred is one of the UK betting sites enjoying a great start to 2023. In addition to this sponsorship deal and the new partnership with SIS, the company also formed a partnership with eSports betting data provider PandaScore at the beginning of March. The new sponsorship of the races at Epsom Downs is expected to be a great success for all parties involved, and this is likely to be only the beginning of a series of new deals signed by the bookmaker in 2023. Meanwhile, bettors will be excited to see the exclusive deals, promotions, and bonuses the company may offer to mark its sponsorship of the prestigious horse racing event in June.