The Drone Racing League (DRL) announced a partnership with Betfair on Wednesday, adding more weight to the old adage that you can bet on anything.
The agreement is to cover sports betting on the final race of the Allianz World Championship circuit to be held Tuesday, June 13, at Alexandra Palace in London.
More on Betfair and drone racing
The world championship event is the UK’s first professional drone race. The race will feature six of the world’s greatest first-person view pilots, according to a press release.
On site, fans will be able to bet on individual heat winners for each of the seven heats as well as the overall winner of the Allianz World Championship. Bettors can place wagers on the event online via the Betfair sportsbook app. (Sports betting is not legal in most of the US, for any Americans hoping to bet on the action.)
Anyone can watch the races here.
“Drone racing is a sport made for betting,” said DRL CEO and founder Nicholas Horbaczewski. “It combines the raw thrill of short track racing with the complexity and strategy of motor sports.
“The Allianz World Championship race will be the first time a live audience will see the thrill of professional drone racing up close, and the inclusion of betting will make it that much more exciting for fans. We’re so excited to be able to bring this experience to drone racing with Paddy Power Betfair, a global leader in betting.”
If you’re not familiar with drone racing, here’s a quick look at the DRL:
Sports betting industry is always looking for new action
Betfair isn’t even the first sportsbook to take bets on drone racing. Pinnacle is believed to be the first bookmaker to offer wagers on the sport last year.
“This is a great opportunity and we’re excited to see how a partnership like this will play out for us in the future given the rise in popularity of the sport of drone racing,” said Stephen Mault, head of marketing for Betfair. “Innovation and technology are the lifeblood of everything we do at Betfair and we are committed to constantly finding ways of enhancing and improving the experience of our customers.”
It’s never a surprise when sportsbooks look to push the envelope or put resources into a new segment of the industry. For example:
- Paddy Power Betfair recently acquired a daily fantasy sports platform.
- Esports betting is offered by a number of major European sportsbooks.
- Virtual sports betting is already offered at a variety of international books and is being rolled out in the US.
Will betting on drone racing take off? That remains to be seen. But it’s certainly worth a shot for Betfair as the sport gets off the ground.
