Making a Mark at Major UK Racing Festivals
UK-licensed online sportsbook Fairplay is officially heading to the track. The brand is making its on-course bookmaker debut at this week’s Qatar Goodwood Festival after successfully acquiring its very first racecourse betting pitch.
The fully branded Fairplay pitch will go live tomorrow (Tuesday) for the opening day of the festival, which remains one of the absolute biggest fixtures on the British Flat racing calendar.
Bridging the Gap Between Online and the Track
Taking the brand trackside is a deliberate move designed to support and complement Fairplay’s growing online business. By popping up at select, high-profile UK racing festivals, the operator wants to get directly in front of punters without spreading itself too thin across the entire racing calendar.
Fairplay Founder Billy Gowing is thrilled about the new venture and plans to be right in the thick of the action.
“Goodwood is the ideal place for Fairplay to make its on-course debut. We have no intention of trying to be at every meeting in the country. Our ambition is to build a presence at the major festivals and put the Fairplay name on some of the biggest stages in British racing. Being on-course gives us another opportunity to demonstrate that Fairplay is genuinely invested in the sport. It allows racing bettors to interact with the brand in person, while creating greater awareness of the online sportsbook we are building.”
Running a bookmaker pitch is no small task, but the leadership team is taking it on personally. “Neville and I are both huge racing fans, so there is also a real sense of excitement about running the pitch ourselves,” Gowing added. “Neville knows the numbers and the markets inside out, so he will be making sure I do not take on too many liabilities.”
Navigating Industry Headwinds
It’s no secret that the current landscape is tough, but Fairplay is facing it head-on. Expanding their physical footprint at major festivals is a strategic play during a volatile time for the sector.
Gowing didn’t shy away from the realities of the market, noting: “There is no question that this is a challenging period for British racing and betting, particularly with the impact of affordability checks and increasing taxation.”
