Svenska Spel expands horse racing betting with PMU

Swedish state-owned operator Svenska Spel has linked up with France’s Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU) to launch a new horse racing betting service.

Scheduled to launch on 21 September, Svenska Spel Trav och Galopp will allow Svenska Spel customers to wager on horse racing events from around the world.

Features on the service will include the ‘High Five’ daily game, where players are tasked with picking the five highest-placed horses in a race.

The arrangement also include streaming rights, with Svenska Spel customers able to view live coverage of racing.

Svenska Spel Trotting & Gallop will operate alongside Svenska Spel’s existing racing offering, which, launched in early 2019, allows players to bet on Swedish trotting events.

“What we have been missing is a high-profit bet on the horses that we now get through the collaboration with PMU,” Svenska Spel’s product manager racing, Helena Hallman, said. “This is something our customers have asked for, which we are now happy to be able to offer them.”

PMU’s international director Aymeric Verlet added: “We have the same values and are convinced that Svenska Spel Sport & Casino will play a major role in horse racing in Europe.

“The collaboration will help us offer French horse racing to new customers and help strengthen the presence of European horse racing in Sweden.”

Confirmation of the new deal comes after it was revealed last week that Swedish gambling revenue for the second quarter of 2020 dropped 4.1% to SEK5.94bn (£526.9m/€571.3m/$678.9m).

The SEK5.94bn total was the lowest for a quarter since the Swedish regulated online gambling market opened in January 2019.