SailGP Wants You to Bet on It with Bet365, DraftKings and Others

SailGP is hoping to leverage the popularity of sports gambling brands in New York and internationally to boost interest in the competition, which enjoys a solid following despite being misconstrued as a niche sport.

DraftKings and bet365 Likely to Take Up SailGP on Its Betting Offer

SailGP is exactly what the name makes it out to be – a racing event for sailing, with multiple Grand Prix events on the circuit. Although it is often complicated to pull off logistically, the event enjoys more than 193 million viewers globally, making it one of the most popular sports out there.

Not only that, but SailGP is now in talks with DraftKings to launch betting markets on the event locally in the United States. SailGP is also negotiating with bet365, a well-recognized global name in gambling, to take its offer international, with bets offered in multiple markets across the world.

SailGP chief revenue officer Ben Johnson welcomed the possibility of seeing the sport be more heavily featured by betting platforms both domestically and internationally.

“It’s a sport that’s naturally built for sports betting and gaming onsite in person at the events. It’s communal; it’s high speed; there are lots of different winners, event-to-event.”

Other than the purely financial considerations, SailGP is also looking to boost fan engagement and add more viewers, as sports betting has been tied to people opening up to sports that they have not previously watched or explored.

SailGP Vastly Competitive and Ready to Draw Bettors

The potential of winning a flutter adds to the excitement and makes people watch longer and generally be better engaged.

“It is really reflective of how good the teams are currently and how much competition there is on a race-to-race basis, which makes it really fun for fans from a betting and gaming perspective. You can have an odds favorite, but at the end of the day, it really depends on which team is sailing most competitively that weekend in that venue,” Johnson explained.

The latest-cited viewership numbers are a 48% jump year-over-year, highlighting the event’s potential to become a heavily wagered-on event. All that remains is for the bookies to start accepting flutters on the 12-odd races that run every year.

The first event to bet on the SailGP circuit may be the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on June 7-8.