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Churchill Downs shifts online offering to Kambi and GAN

News

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has announced that it will migrate its BetAmerica-branded sports betting and igaming business to Kambi and GAN’s software. 

The deal will see GAN provide its enterprise software platform and player account management solution to CDI, supported by Kambi’s sports betting technology and related services such as trading and risk management.

“We believe the transition to GAN and Kambi as our new technology providers will enable our team to execute the rollout of BetAmerica sportsbooks and igaming product offering more efficiently as states move to legalize and implement regulations permitting sports betting and iGaming in the coming years,” CDI chief executive Bill Carstanjen said. 

“BetAmerica will benefit from the proven excellence of these market-leading providers.”

The new solution will be rolled out across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, where BetAmerica currently operates. CDI has not yet announced a timescale for the integration.

“We look forward to powering the BetAmerica brand with our highly optimized technology platform and enabling CDI to efficiently invest their marketing capital to attract loyal sports betting and iGaming players,” GAN chief executive Dermot Smurfit said.

This means CDI will move away from the SBTech platform. It signed up for that solution in May 2018, shortly after the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.

The agreement is the latest instance of Kambi and GAN working together to power US operators’ online betting and gaming offerings. The pair also work with Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment’s Parx Casino, which is live in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and will power an offering in Ohio for Jack Entertainment, dependent on regulations passing.

“It’s a pleasure for Kambi to be partnering with CDI and its BetAmerica brand, which has the potential to benefit from its market access and existing customer database,” Kambi chief executive Kristian Nylén added. 

“I’m certain with the quality and experience we possess, together with the BetAmerica leadership team, we will be able to grow our businesses together as the US sports betting and iGaming market expands.”

For SBTech, which was acquired by DraftKings to form a new listed entity in April this year, CDI is the second US client that has announced plans to migrate from its software since that deal was announced. Golden Nugget was the first, announcing in February that it would migrate to Scientific Games’ OpenSports solution. 

However its combination with DraftKings means that Kambi will lose what has to date been its biggest US client.

DraftKings’ migration to SBTech software will be completed by the third quarter of 2021, per an agreement announced in July.