• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 1, 2025

NASCAR Turns To Free-To-Play Betting Game To Drive Casual Fan Interest

  • Free-to-play game with $50,000 jackpot to debut before Daytona 500.
  • Partnership is Penn National’s first with a pro sports league.
NASCAR
Oct 20, 2019; Kansas City, KS, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (18) and driver Denny Hamlin (11) during the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

Aiming to use sports betting as a way to better engage fans on race days, NASCAR is moving things to the next gear.

NASCAR is launching, with new partner Penn National Gaming, an official free-to-play mobile game with a jackpot attached.

This may just be the first of several forms the way that NASCAR’s sports betting approach comes to life, Scott Warfield, NASCAR Managing Director of Gaming said. 

“They were the best first partner to develop something custom with,” Warfield said. “It became clear Penn was [willing to build a partnership from scratch] and have a tremendous vision of 2025 to 2030 and what steps we need to take to get there.”

The game, NASCAR Finish Line, is available as a free-to-play mobile app that has a $50,000 jackpot for every race. It will reward users who predict the winner and highest finishers among six groupings of six drivers. The app will be live ahead of the Daytona 500, which takes place Feb. 16.

The partnership represents Penn National’s first with a professional sports league.

NASCAR has aspirations to use partnerships like this to catch up to other sports in terms of betting activity, as Warfield notes it doesn’t have the same four to five decades of history as others.

The American Gaming Association’s 2019 Sports Betting Consumer Study found 17% of current and potential sports bettors would be interested in betting on auto racing. 

“We have room to grow, I believe a lot of operators see NASCAR and golf having tremendous upside,” Warfield said. “To anyone who says people don’t bet on motorsports, I say, ‘Yea, but what have we been providing them to make it interesting?’”

Like other sports leagues starting to embrace sports betting, Warfield said NASCAR’s foray into the space is less about direct revenue than increased fan engagement.

READ MORE: NASCAR’s New Sponsorship Model Speeding Along

“We have a good sense of where we are, and it’s sizable to jump off, but it’s not where we want to be,” he said. “How do we get fans to watch 30 to 45 minutes longer, and what does that do for the rest of our business? It’s an engagement tool, first and foremost.”

Warfield admitted he previously assumed NASCAR betting options – particularly the free-to-play mobile app – would be primarily for the core fanbase. Penn National helped convince him otherwise. He now believes the app’s relatively simple bet options will help better engage a curious bettor and casual fan than just the core fans. 

Likewise, the additional bet options offered by gaming operators are also opening up the market.

“The types of bets offered were race winner and series champion; those are OK, but very static and very hard,” Warfield said. “Now you can start putting in driver head-to-head, lead changes, top-finishing manufacturer, on and on. There are 400 laps; I see that as 400 distinct betting options. But we’re not getting there in 2020.”

The partnership expands the relationship between NASCAR and Penn National, which is the title sponsor for Kansas Speedway’s Hollywood Casino 400. Penn National’s recent partial ownership acquisition of Barstool Sports will help grow casual bettors, Warfield said. Barstool has its own marketing relationship with NASCAR.

It’s not the first gaming-related partnership for NASCAR, which partnered with Genius Sports in 2019 to distribute NASCAR data to sportsbooks. Likewise, the organization signed an integrity deal with Sportradar to monitor betting around the sport, along with content deals with Action Network and VSiN.

READ MORE: NASCAR’s Esports League Sets Pace As It Moves Towards Year Two

Warfield expects more sports betting partnerships down the line, noting there have been conversations with operators large and small.

“We’ve gone about it as methodically and informed as we can,” he said. “We spent 2019 listening. 2020 is now about bringing on new partners, developing the game, and the distribution of in-play products. 

“We have a management and C-suite that see sports betting the way they look at esports; it’s a growth initiative and marketing tool, and we’re thinking about 2030, not 2020. That’s an attractive place to be.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.

Final Indy 500-Monaco Weekend Coined 2 First-Time Winners

Kyle Larson failed to complete The Double for the second consecutive year.

Featured Today

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”
Sports are shown on TVs behind a bar as guests enjoy the grand opening of DraftKings Sports & Social in Ohio.

DraftKings, FanDuel Interested in Sports Prediction Markets

Sports betting giants are eyeing sports “prediction” markets.
Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) during the third quarter of game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.
April 23, 2025

Kalshi’s Offensive Blitz Continues With Suit Against Maryland

Kalshi previously sued regulators in Nevada and New Jersey.
United States District Court, District of New Jersey. Federal Courthouse in Newark. on Thursday Feb. 11, 2021. Newark Federal Courthouse
April 29, 2025

Kalshi Gains More Legal Momentum With Early New Jersey Win

Kalshi has begun racking up early legal victories as it defends its sports event contracts.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
The sun rises behind the New York skyline seen from the Jersey City waterfront on Thursday morning Dec. 10, 2020.
April 22, 2025

N.Y. Sports Betting Faces Major Limits Under New Proposal

Newly proposed legislation would impose daily betting caps and limit advertising.
April 16, 2025

Sports Prediction Markets Still Face Legal Roadblocks

The Wire Act and tribal sovereignty could be the next legal battlegrounds.
April 14, 2025

Bank Says Sports Betting Could Weather Tariff Storm

Lower tax revenues could encourage more states to legalize sports betting.
Sports gambling reached an all-time high in 2022.
April 9, 2025

Kalshi Gears Up for Legal Fight With States

Maryland followed at least five other states that have sent cease-and-desist letters.