DraftKings has launched its integrated horse racing product, DraftKings Racing, in Delaware, New Mexico and Rhode Island, extending its pari-mutuel wagering footprint to 26 states nationwide.
The three new states mark the latest step in DraftKings’ transition away from DK Horse, a standalone app that operated as a white-label affiliate of Churchill Downs’ TwinSpires. DraftKings Racing replaces that arrangement with a product embedded directly inside the DraftKings Sportsbook app, bringing horse racing alongside sports betting under a single interface and wallet.
From Standalone App to Integrated Product
The shift from DK Horse to DraftKings Racing changes both the product architecture and the commercial relationship behind it. Where DK Horse required customers to operate across separate apps, DraftKings Racing sits inside the Sportsbook app with shared wallet functionality and integrated promotions. Customers in Delaware, New Mexico and Rhode Island can now place pari-mutuel wagers on horse racing without leaving the primary DraftKings environment.
“With Triple Crown season approaching, we’re bringing DraftKings Racing to three new states at the perfect time to deliver an unmatched horse racing experience,” said Johnny Avello, Director of Race and Sports Operations at DraftKings. “By offering horse racing directly within the DraftKings Sportsbook app, we’re making it more convenient for customers to enjoy racing alongside their other favourite sports — all in one place, with one wallet and a more streamlined experience.”
The timing is deliberate. The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes run between May and June, representing the highest-traffic period on the US horse racing calendar. Launching in three new states ahead of that window maximises the available customer base at peak demand.
DK Horse Phase-Out Timetable
DK Horse remains operational in 23 states where DraftKings Racing has not yet arrived: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. The standalone app will be retired on a state-by-state basis as DraftKings Racing receives the necessary approvals in each jurisdiction.
The regulatory pathway for horse racing differs from online sports betting, which shapes the rollout pace. Pari-mutuel wagering is governed under separate state frameworks, meaning DraftKings must secure distinct approvals for DraftKings Racing even in states where it already holds sports betting licences. That jurisdictional separation is built into the app itself — horse racing availability is determined independently, even when accessed through the Sportsbook interface.
Super App Context
The horse racing integration sits within a broader product consolidation strategy at DraftKings. The operator is preparing to launch “DraftKings Sports & Casino,” a super app combining Sportsbook, Predictions, Casino and Lottery into a single product with access calibrated by jurisdiction. The move toward a unified platform reflects the same logic as the DK Horse transition: reducing fragmentation across DraftKings’ product suite and lowering the friction between verticals for existing customers.
US operators have moved aggressively on product diversification in the past year. DraftKings’ entry into prediction markets mirrors a wider trend of licensed sports betting operators expanding their addressable market before the regulatory environment for newer verticals solidifies. Horse racing, by contrast, operates on a well-established federal and state framework that removes much of that uncertainty, making the DraftKings Racing rollout a lower-risk element of the same consolidation effort.
DraftKings has not provided a timeline for completing the full 23-state DK Horse transition, but the state-by-state regulatory process means the phase-out will extend across multiple quarters. The pace of the remaining rollout will depend on approval timelines in each jurisdiction.
Source: G3 Newswire
