Bet MGM has announced the launch of the Bet MGM Horse Racing mobile app in Florida. The app gives bettors access to live races at more than 200 tracks worldwide.
The app is also available in Lousiana and Ohio.
Access for bettors abounds
The Bet MGM horse racing app is far more interactive than the typical sportsbook app because of its excellent access. Whereas the Hard Rock Sportsbook app only offered live odds, the Bet MGM app lets bettors watch live thoroughbred, harness, and quarter horse races.
Bettors can watch top-tier domestic races like:
- the Preakness
- Belmont Stakes
As well as international competitions like:
- The Grand National
- Royal Ascot
- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
In addition to live-stream races, users can access daily horse racing content and race replays.
New users can deposit between $10 and $50,000 into their account using various methods, such as:
- debit or credit cards from Visa and Mastercard
- a PayPal account
- or instant bank transfers
Android download is a little clunky
At publishing, Android users could not download the BetMGM Horse Racing app from the Google Play store. Users must go to BetMGM’s horse racing app website and download the app there. After users download the app, they can install it on their phone and register.
Unlike sports betting, horse-race betting is legal in Florida
The launch of the new MGM betting app stands in stark contrast to the end of sports betting in Florida.
A federal judge invalidated the compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida that allowed sports betting via a hub-and-spoke model. Simply put, federal law allows sports betting only on “Indian” land.
The Seminole tribe argued that a bet placed on a phone in Miami, for example, is valid as long as it is processed on Seminole land. They lost that argument in federal court.
The MGM app won’t face the same fate. Florida’s pari-mutuel laws allow betting on horse races. The law allows racing facilities and mobile apps to simulcast races, meaning that bettors can bet on races that take place in-state and out-of-state.
Will the app cut into retail pari-mutuel revenue?
The launch of a racing app in a state where there is a popular network of racetracks and pari-mutuel facilities may not be a welcomed addition.
Pari-mutuel gambling is big business in Florida. The industry generated a handle of more than $450 million during the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
MGM’s new app is likely a move to gain a slice of that $450 million pie. The app offers a distinct advantage: at-home betting, which does not expose bettors to the crowds that may gather at pari-mutuel facilities.
In a company statement, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said:
“Today’s launch in Florida and Louisiana sets the stage for BetMGM to engage with a new customer base in the South. The BetMGM Horse Racing app is a key part of our market expansion plans and will accelerate our continued growth into 2022.”
