NASCAR embraces regulated sports betting with new wagering options

The relationship between professional sports and regulated sports betting in the United States has always been tense at best and outright hostile at its worst.The big leagues, including the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL fought vigorously against sports betting, but one league, NASCAR, is rarely included in the conversation. That’s because NASCAR is embracing America’s newest (legal) pastime in a way other sports really haven’t.
In a recent interview with Casino.org, NASCAR Managing Director of Gaming Scott Warfield explained how his sport is moving forward with sports betting options, and how it plans to protect the integrity of its sport (spoiler alert, it doesn’t involve extracting an integrity fee from anyone).
Warfield points out that motor sports wagering is focused more on in-play wagers rather simply winners and losers saying, “The racing on Sundays is as good as it’s ever been,” Warfield said. “If you look at the stats, at the amount of passing, green flag passes, number of winners and teams in victory lane – it makes for super in-race betting options.”
While he’s excited about NASCAR’s prospects for making good use of sports betting, he also acknowledges where motor sports wagering is compared to, say, football and knows partnering up with the right operators is essential. “We’re in search of partners in the gaming space to grow the (NASCAR) handle, which has been pretty stagnant in terms of sports betting.”
And, also unlike other professional sports leagues, NASCAR isn’t particularly worried about the impact of regulated sports betting on the integrity of its product. “Integrity is and will remain our number one priority of this discipline,” he said.
Warfield doesn’t see implementing wagering as a short term project noting, “This is not a 2020 or 2021 project but a 2030 and 2031 project.”