son Group subsidiary Betsafe has announced the launch of its horse racing markets.

Betsafe becomes the first brand within the Betsson Group to offer horse racing as part of its sportsbook portfolio.

The move follows Betsson’s December 2016 acquisition of niche operator RaceBets for an initial payment of €34m, with CEO Ulrik Bengtsson noting at the time that “this will help fuel organic growth in strategic markets such as the UK and Germany.”

Aiming to compete with the major players in the UK horse racing market, Betsafe customers will be able to “bet on over 250,000 races from across the globe every year”.

In a promotional push, the operator’s first 100 horse racing customers will receive £100 free bets, while the first horse racing customer has been invited to join the Betsafe team at Royal Ascot next week.

Managing Director at Betsafe, Nicola Fitton, commented: “To be a competitive player in markets like the UK and Ireland, it’s imperative to offer a horse racing product, and we’re delighted to be the first Betsson brand to launch horse racing as part of our sportsbook.”