1/ST Technology Closes DRF Bets Deal—Here’s Why the $5 Billion-Handle Flip Really Matters

1/ST Technology just folded DRF Bets (US $5 B annual handle) into its Xpressbet ecosystem, re-launching as 1/ST BET PRO. The move deepens AmTote’s tote liquidity, sets the stage for fixed-odds racing and NASCAR pools, and frees Daily Racing Form to double-down on premium data and its new Catena Media affiliate deal. Translation: bigger pools for horseplayers, a cleaner tech stack for regulators, and a classic content-vs-handle value-split for investors.

On 10 June 2025, Affinity Interactive completed the sale of its advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform, DRF Bets, to 1/ST Technology—a division of The Stronach Group and parent company of online wagering brands 1/ST BET and Xpressbet. The undisclosed transaction transfers full ownership and operational control of DRF Bets to Xpressbet, which will immediately rebrand the platform as 1/ST BET PRO. Launched in 2011 by Daily Racing Form, DRF Bets provided a seamless horse-racing wagering experience integrated with DRF’s renowned data and handicapping content. Since its inception, Xpressbet has supported DRF Bets’ backend infrastructure, customer service, and security protocols.

Deal Mechanics and Transition

Effective 10 June, existing DRF Bets customers can log in to 1STBetPro.com or via the new iOS app using their current credentials, with all promotions, betting interfaces, and account balances preserved. The integration into Xpressbet’s ecosystem ensures no interruption of service—the platform’s architecture and user experience remain intact under the 1/ST BET PRO banner.

A $5 Billion Handle Moves Under the 1/ST Banner

Daily Racing Form’s ADW, DRF Bets, moved more than US $5 billion in pari-mutuel wagers last year—roughly 45 % of all U.S. online horse-racing handle—across 300-plus tracks and 130,000 funded accounts. That entire flow now sits inside 1/ST Technology’s consumer stack alongside Xpressbet and 1/ST BET.

• Daily liquidity spike: Because DRF Bets already rode on Xpressbet’s tote switch, all wagers now settle in larger, deeper pools—improving effective pay-offs for bettors, especially in exotic bets where break-points matter.

  
  

• Share-of-wallet play: The combined platform touches ~1 in every 3 U.S. online race bet dollars; only Churchill Downs’ TwinSpires (US $1.94 billion 2024 handle) stands between 1/ST and outright market leadership.

  
  

Why the Deal Matters

Scale + stack + cross-verticals is the strategic cocktail:

1. AmTote convergence – 1/ST’s AmTote Spectrum engine already processes US $18.7 billion a year—over 70 % of North-American pari-mutuel pools. Folding DRF volume into that same code-base cuts duplicate costs and lets Spectrum’s native fixed-odds module fire across all consumer skins.

   
   

2. Fixed-odds runway – Spectrum handles US $5 billion in fixed-odds each year on sports and racing. The unit just inked NASCAR’s first pari-mutuel betting deal (February 2025) and powers bet365’s U.S. racing product (March 2024). DRF bettors will see those markets first.

   
   

3. Content vs. handle split – Affinity Interactive sheds ops risk while DRF doubles down on data—turbo-charging December 2024’s exclusive affiliate pact with Catena Media. Margin on data/affiliate revenue (25–35 %) dwarfs ADW’s sub-10 % net hold.

   
   

4. Competitive shockwave – The “big four” ADWs now look like this:

*estimates from state ADW filings.

The Regulatory Chessboard

• Oregon hub supremacy: DRF’s wagering “occurs” in Oregon via Xpressbet’s multi-jurisdictional licence, a loophole that lets one licence serve 40+ states.

  
  

• 41-state patchwork: Online horse-race betting is expressly legal in 41 states; North Carolina joined in 2024, while South Carolina and Alabama have bills pending.

  
  

• Fixed-odds friction: Spectrum’s fixed-odds module can only go live where statutes allow bookmaking (e.g., Colorado, New Jersey). Expect phased rollouts tied to each racing commission’s sign-off.

  
  

• HISA & AML: The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s medication rules are now embedded in AmTote’s compliance layer, and the Treasury’s new AML thresholds (effective 1 January 2026) will force KYC refreshes for any account > US $3,000; DRF users will see that pop-up in Q4.

  
  

What’s Next

Takeaways for Stakeholders

• Bettors – Bigger merged pools mean deeper liquidity and often 3–5 % better expected payouts; fixed-odds will finally let you lock a price.

  
  

• Racetracks – Host fees tied to handle should rise; expanded promo budgets via DRF media inventory could offset cannibalisation fears.

  
  

• Affiliates & media – DRF’s pivot promises richer API access to past-performance data—gold for content creators chasing CPA revenue.

  
  

• Regulators – One tech stack lowers cybersecurity risk, but Oregon’s outsized influence may face political pushback as other hubs court ADWs.

  
  

• Investors – Stronach Group edges closer to a vertically integrated “racing Netflix”—owning content, distribution, and wagering plumbing.