DRF Sells Betting Platform to 1/ST, Users Join 1/ST BET PRO
Daily Racing Form has offloaded its DRF Bets wagering platform to 1/ST Technology, with customers moving to the rebranded 1/ST BET PRO, freeing DRF to focus on data and partnerships.
A Major Deal in Horse Racing
Daily Racing Form (DRF) announced the sale of its account-wagering platform, DRF Bets, to 1/ST Technology, a subsidiary of 1/ST Racing and Gaming.
The deal transitions all DRF Bets customers to 1/ST’s XpressBet, now rebranded as 1/ST BET PRO, effective immediately. “This is a watershed, transformational moment for DRF,” said Scott Butera, CEO of DRF’s parent company, Affinity Interactive, highlighting a pivot toward data and e-commerce.
Launched in 2011, DRF Bets allowed users to wager on races online, competing with racetracks and other advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platforms like TwinSpires and TVG.
Butera explained that running DRF Bets created friction with potential partners who also operate ADWs. “We don’t want to be competing with other tracks and ADWs and sportsbooks, we want to be their partners,” he said, noting the sale removes a “big hurdle” to deal-making.
By exiting wagering, DRF can focus on its core business: distributing handicapping data, news, and past-performance stats through its flagship publication and digital products. The move unlocks opportunities to supply data to tracks, sportsbooks, and ADWs, boosting DRF’s $50 million annual revenue, per industry estimates.
A Seamless Transition for Customers
DRF Bets customers received emails on June 10 detailing the transition to 1/ST BET PRO, with assurances of no lost benefits. “The experience will be entirely the same,” Butera said, emphasizing that users will “get the same exact treatment” with identical rewards and account balances.
Log-in credentials remain unchanged, and 1/ST Technology, which has handled DRF Bets’ back-end services since 2011, ensures continuity.
Keith Johnson, president of 1/ST Technology, pledged to maintain “consistent superior service and user experience” for the platform’s roughly 100,000 users.
1/ST Technology, part of The Stronach Group, operates 1/ST BET PRO (formerly XpressBet), one of the largest ADWs in the U.S.
The acquisition of DRF Bets strengthens its market share, adding a loyal user base to its platform, which supports betting on over 300 racetracks worldwide.
Johnson said the company is “committed to expanding our product offerings to horseplayers across the country and around the globe.”
Recommended