Last week’s announcement that bet365 had selected 1/ST as its advance deposit wagering platform provider was met with the sort of polite applause that might accompany the third-favorite winning an optional claiming race at Gulfstream.

However, the collaboration solidifies the direction each company is pointed in with respect to horse betting.

For bet365, it signals a clear intent to continue to expand upon its considerable international horse betting pedigree. In February, it became the first U.S. operator to offer fixed-odds horse wagering and sports betting on the same platform (in Colorado). Once bet365 starts accepting parimutuel wagers through 1/ST Bet (the collaboration’s launch date has yet to be revealed), it will boast the most comprehensive suite of online horse betting products in the United States.

“As we continue to develop our horse racing product in the United States — including fixed odds, ADW, and more — we are excited for what lies ahead,” bet365 said in a statement issued to US Bets.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to partner with one of the premier brands in sports betting and for 1/ST BET to showcase its best-in-class parimutuel horse racing wagering experience to bet365’s customers,” added 1/ST Chief Revenue Officer Keith Johnson in a press release.

For 1/ST, an emphasis on B2B

As far as 1/ST is concerned, the cake is slightly more layered. Like Churchill Downs Inc. and its TwinSpires Racebook, 1/ST is clearly capitalizing on the recent trend of sportsbooks leaning on seasoned ADW operators to get into the horse betting business.

In keeping with that focus, 1/ST appears keener on promoting its B2B technology solutions. Those include AmTote and Monarch Content Management, the latter of which caters to high-frequency computer assisted wagering syndicates. As for AmTote, it came under fire last month after a communication outage led to the Tampa Bay Derby being run without wagering.

1/ST, the Stronach Group’s consumer-facing brand, still owns two of the sunnier jewels of U.S. horse racing in South Florida’s Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita in Southern California, but otherwise seems intent on getting out of the racetrack stewardship business.

Out west, 1/ST announced last year that it would shutter Golden Gate Fields in the San Francisco Bay Area — although that track managed to lengthen its lifespan a little with a months-long reprieve. Meanwhile, in Maryland, a plan is underway for 1/ST to transfer ownership of Pimlico Race Course (home of the Preakness Stakes) to the state and eventually shutter Laurel Park, though Churchill Downs is rumored to be involved in a last-minute bid for the former track.

Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for 1/ST