Playboy Enterprises, one of the most widely recognized brands in the world, continues to position itself within the online gaming industry.
Coming off the heels of an announcement in February that it was launching an online sportsbook, www.PlayboySportsBook.com, the company's Playboy.com subsidiary announced today it will launch an online pari-mutuel wagering site in the third quarter of this year.
Playboy.com will team with Penn National Gaming for the project. The site, www.PlayboyRacingUSA.com, will be the first Playboy-affiliated gambling site in which U.S. residents will be able to access.
The site will be licensed in Pennsylvania and offer online wagering on horse races.
Under terms of the agreement, Penn National will be responsible for the service's development, day-to-day operations and overhead, including hardware and software, management and customer support. Playboy will provide marketing, branding, user interface, design and content.
The site will tap into the system of Penn National's subsidiary, eBetUSA.com, and will offer a wide variety of pari-mutuel wagering options on horse races in North America. Bettors from around the world will have access to major events in the U.S., and Penn National, through its commission-approved operation, is giving Playboy the opportunity to launch the site with live racing and wagering on nearly 30 tracks. Playboy RacingUSA.com will also offer real-time odds, scratches, race results, video event coverage and commentary.
Playboy says it will employ the same safeguards to be used for Playboy’s online sportsbook to prevent accepting wagers from states and jurisdictions where online pari-mutuel wagering is prohibited.
And what would a Playboy site be without a Playboy Bunny? To continue the branding of its online wagering site, the pari-mutuel site will feature Deanna.
Lawrence R. Lux, president of Playboy.com, said in a statement that Deanna will bring a common thread to both sites. "Our live Playboy Betting Bunny, Deanna, who consumers will already know from PlayboySportsBook.com, will serve as the site’s interactive hostess," he said.
Christie Hefner, chairman of Playboy.com, said in a statement that it was important for Playboy to continue its presence in the online gaming market and to target U.S. players in the new venture.
"PlayboyRacingUSA.com is our second online gaming initiative and the first that will be available to U.S. citizens due to the acceptance of horseracing wagering in many U.S. states," she said.
According to Hefner, the new site could become one of the most popular in the industry, and increase the bottom line for the Internet arm of Playboy.
"This allows us to fully leverage Playboy.com's 4.4 million monthly unique visitors which combined with Penn National’s operational expertise will allow us to create a significant high-margin revenue addition to Playboy.com."
The agreement makes sense not just for Playboy.com either. Peter M. Carlino, CEO of Penn National, said his firm would be able to match its expertise with that of Playboy’s.
"By teaming with Playboy we are creating an exciting growth opportunity that leverages Penn National’s substantial pari-mutuel expertise, industry presence and systems, with Playboy’s tremendous brand and marketing strengths, including its large and demographically appropriate online and offline audiences," he said in a statement. "We look forward to a close working partnership and the formal launch of the service in the third quarter."
Lux says the site will not only be a leader in betting options, but it will also have a Playboy feel to it that should appeal to a large portion of the online betting market.
"The site will bring Playboy’s unique brand of sexiness, excitement and fun to online horseracing," he said. "PlayboyRacingUSA.com will offer a range of distinctive features, including real-time odds, scratches, race results, video event coverage and commentary."