SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
On Friday it was announced that Sky Bet has become the latest bookmaker to sign up as an authorised betting partner in association with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
This agreement, which was first reported by Racing Post, was speculated upon in recent weeks and comes just in time for Cheltenham Festival which begins on Tuesday of this week.
Now its ABP status has been confirmed Sky Bet will be able to sponsor races at Cheltenham, and will sponsor the opening race – the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The betting operator joins the likes of Betfair, bet365, BetVictor and 32Red as the latest member of the scheme.
Richard Flint, Chief Executive of Sky Betting & Gaming said of the news: “We are pleased to have reached this voluntary agreement with racing. It makes sense for both parties and demonstrates our continued support for a sport that we and our customers love. We look forward to developing the partnership over the next few years.”
Nick Rust, the Chief Executive of the BHA said: “We are delighted that Sky Betting & Gaming have agreed to become a partner of British racing by signing as an ABP.”
He added: “It shows that they understand the benefits of a partnership approach between racing and betting and we look forward to working with them to deliver all the benefits of being an ABP.”
Other agreed race sponsorships for this year’s festival include the BetVictor Gold Cup, Ryanair and the World Hurdle and Timico replacing Betfred as the sponsors of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
