NASCAR is in the process of creating a live betting product that will be distributed to legal sports betting operators around the world.
Through a partnership with sports data company Genius Sports announced Friday, NASCAR’s official data will be used to build a real-time gaming platform that provides odds and a suite of wagers and prop bets to licensed sportsbook operators.
“Partnering with Genius Sports allows us to deliver a dynamic fan engagement platform in the rapidly-growing world of legalized sports gaming,” NASCAR senior vice preside of broadcasting and innovation Brian Herbst said in a release announcing the partnership. “This new relationship will provide another entry point to the sport and complements our strategy to create a more immersive experience for fans.”
Genius Sports will become exclusive provider of NASCAR data to sportsbooks.
NASCAR is the latest sports organization to dip its toes into the evolving sports betting landscape in the U.S. Last May, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal statute that had restricted state-sponsored sports betting to primarily Nevada for 26 years. Since the ruling, legal sportsbooks have opened seven states, in addition to Nevada: Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
The NBA and Major League Baseball have sports betting-centered partnerships with MGM Resorts, and similar deals between leagues, franchises and bookmaking companies.
The partnership with Genius Sports is NASCAR’s first in the growing U.S. sports betting sector. Prior to the 2019 season, NASCAR instituted a policy that allowed teams and tracks to do marketing sponsorships with sports betting companies.
“NASCAR fans are some of the most devoted in the world,” Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke added in the release. “We look forward to helping them create a deeper, more connected experience that is both safe and secure as the business of sports betting continues to evolve in the U.S.”