NASCAR has been increasingly involved with online sports betting in recent times and views it as a major means to improve fan engagement. With the regulatory authorities giving the green flag to bring North Carolina into the game, the trend has only been more active than ever before. Though the drivers themselves aren’t allowed to be a part of betting, two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano is all up in support of it.
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Texas daily Austin American Statesman reported the Team Penske’s driver’s thoughts about the betting game. “First, you’ve got to be conscious of your decisions and the effects on your life,” he said.
“If you do it responsibly, it helps engagement in our sport. People want to watch more when they have something riding on the outcome. Fans will study more, be up to date more on weekly updates, watch practice, and qualifying. I can see how it definitely grows our sport and others. I think that’s why you see it exploding. It’s part of the evolution of sports.”
NORTH CAROLINA, THE WAIT IS OVER
DraftKings Sportsbook is officially LIVE in The Tar Heel State!
BET NOW: https://t.co/bMK8YqY1T1 pic.twitter.com/8yk83rrvK5
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) March 11, 2024
These words come a mere number of days after legal online sports betting launched in North Carolina on March 11. The motorsports hub is now the 30th state to jump on the bandwagon and eight sportsbook operators are currently live. United States sportsbooks brought in $10.92 billion in revenue in 2023. With North Carolina in on things, the numbers can grow taller this year. Reports say that the state could potentially generate around $600 million through betting.
Logano tries persuading Formula One fans to watch NASCAR
The upcoming racing venue in Austin is the only one that hosts both Formula One and NASCAR. Formula One running the U.S. Grand Prix on the road course has resulted in a large number of fans for it in the area and Logano has attempted to tap into them.
He pitched to the Austin American Statesman, “Our race product is unique. The cars are all over each other, bumping and banging. F1 is definitely interesting in its own way, but when a car makes a pass, it’s like, ‘Holy cow, do you believe a pass was made?’ (…) The strategies are pretty fluid, and the whole thing is unpredictable. You don’t see the same guy win every week.”
Sunday’s race will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be caught live on Fox, SiriusXM, and PRN.
