Nascar is taking stronger steps to expand its sports betting initiatives ahead of the 2022 Cup Series season, and over a year after becoming the first league to partner with American Gaming Association.
“Nascar partnered with the American Gaming Association and any betting issues we have, we work with them with limits and any other gambling things,” Joe Solosky, Nascar’s managing director of sports betting, told Forbes. “On the integrity side, we don’t want to compromise our integrity. The garage access could potentially expose the sport and we’ve seen this happen in other sports where athletes get in trouble.”
Looking ahead to 2022, Nascar is working with Genius Sports on how the sanctioning body can help reshape the way the sport is wagered on. Over the offseason, Nascar is working with Genius to explore the possibility of creating feature matchups and different types of betting (over/under, spread betting). With the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum rapidly approaching on Feb. 5, Nascar believes this will be a unique event that enables more distinct betting opportunities for fans through heat races.
Among the enhancements for Nascar’s sports betting program is a redesigned Nascar BetCenter from The Action Network, which includes unique content creation.
Chad Millman, chief content officer from The Action Network, said: “We’re thrilled to renew and expand our partnership with Nascar. They’ve been at the forefront of bringing innovative content and gaming options to fans for several years, reminding everyone that the rush of betting races is the perfect complement to watching them,” reports Forbes.
As of December 2021, more than two dozen states and Washington, D.C. have legalized online sports betting. Ohio and Massachusetts have pending legislation that may soon make it legal to participate in sports betting, creating an even larger market.
In September, New Jersey became the first state to surpass $1 billion in sports betting, and that number is only expected to increase.
Given the booming market in the United States, Nascar believes this is a unique way to convert people to become fans of stock car racing. Unlike fantasy sports, which is a market in itself, the people who participate in sports betting and aren’t familiar with the sport may go from being a casual fan to a die-hard fan.
