Youbet.com is having a sale. For a limited time, users of the wagering site can bet for free.
The California-based online race wagering service, which offers betting on thoroughbred and harness horse races from all of the major racetracks in the United States and Canada to residents of most U.S. states, is offering wagering discounts until the end of March.
The discounts include a waiver of the wagering fee, which is usually 25 cents per bet, and free use of credit cards and electronic checks, which usually cost players about 6 percent of the transaction amount.
The special user deals also include 50-cent past performance, or handicapping, information.
Ron Luniewski, co-chief executive officer of Youbet.com, said this is the first time the company has offered its products and services for discounted values and that Youbet.com is now the lowest-priced horse race wagering site on the Internet.
"We invite existing and new members to experience and enjoy the best products, offerings and content that the industry has to offer at the lowest cost available on the market," he said.
Luniewski said the new measures were timed to coincide with legalized online horse race wagering in California. Gov. Gray Davis approved the law in August, and the California Horse Racing Board is expected to define the regulations for online pari-mutuel wagering in the state at the end of November. The law takes effect in January; Luniewski said the new law plus Youbet.com's new user benefits could have a substantial impact on the company's business.
"We are anticipating the opening of California, and we also think that it removes barriers to attract new fans and move some of the existing people from competitors," he said.
Along with the new marketing campaign that is debuting Youbet.com's discounts and benefits, the wagering site itself has been upgraded to include a floatable, sizeable audio-video window as well as performance updates that improve the quality and speed of the audio and video feeds. Other new features include functions that allow bettors to switch between Oregon and Pennsylvania wagering accounts, transfer money via electronic means and monitor exotic and win odds forms at the same time.
The betting service also has a new telephone wagering platform, Youbet.com TotalAccess, which is available through its Oregon hub. The new phone service has voice recognition and touch-tone software that allows users to confirm bets via telephone before the wagers are placed.