Just ahead of the official launch of online sports betting in North Carolina, FanDuel Sportsbook and NASCAR have agreed to terms on a ground-breaking partnership.
FanDuel is now an Authorized Gaming Operator of NASCAR and will have the rights to use their branding for the racing organization. As well, FanDuel will incorporate NASCAR stats and driver information into its leading sports betting app and website.
In short, the FanDuel partnership will mean that when North Carolina online sports betting launches, North Carolinians can expect some of the best auto race betting content delivered on the country’s top sports betting site.
North Carolina primed to lead nation in NASCAR betting
According to Google search traffic, North Carolina has the most searches for NASCAR drivers of any state.
Charlotte is the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame; the state is arguably the place to be for fans of NASCAR racing.
“Partnering with FanDuel, a best-in-class sports gaming company and iconic brand in the space, is a huge win for NASCAR and its fans. We can’t wait to work with FanDuel to deliver our fans more engagement opportunities and expand our sports gaming offerings,” said NASCAR Managing Director of Sports Betting Joe Solosky in a press release.
This deal comes right on the heels of another major sports betting partnership for NASCAR. Just a day before, NASCAR penned a deal with race data technology company nVenue to provide in-race betting data to sportsbooks. The partnership will increase the type and amount of live bets bettors can place on NASCAR races.
NASCAR is a multi-billion dollar enterprise and brand that enjoys tremendous popularity nationwide, but especially in the south and coastal states. A television deal is worth reportedly $700 million annually for the race series.
A FanDuel sportsbook at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
Each year, the Coca-Cola 600 is held at famed Charlotte Motor Speedway, attracting tens of thousands of fans and large TV ratings.
North Carolina’s sports betting law, which allows for up to 12 online sports betting operator licenses–and FanDuel Sportsbook will certainly be one of those–also carves out space for up to eight retail sportsbooks at the state’s sports venues. Charlotte Motor Speedway is among the venues that can open a retail book, and the venue’s directors seem poised to make that a reality as soon as possible.
Who would operate that sportsbook?
That is a question that NASCAR betting fans in the Tar Heel State will be very eager to know. Building sportsbooks onto sports venue requires significant investments, and so top-ranking sportsbooks like FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars are typically the operators we see investing in them. Does this partnership with NASCAR mean FanDuel is looking to increase its sports betting footprint in North Carolina?
The online sports betting launch window opens Jan. 8, 2024, and closes on June 14. As we get closer to launch and learn which operators will stake a claim in North Carolina, we will have a better idea of what the state’s in-stadium retail sportsbooks will look like.
NCSharp has also offered our preliminary projection for year one of online sports betting. We project between $6-$7 billion in total bet spending in the first full year of NC online sports betting.
Bowyer to serve as FanDuel Ambassador
In expanding its NASCAR presence, FanDuel has also poached one of the legends of racing. They’ve signed FOX Sports NASCAR analyst Clint Bowyer to the role of FanDuel ambassador. In that position, Bowyer will appear in commercials and online promoting the sports wagering app, as well as responsible gambling in North Carolina.
Bowyer helms a popular FOX Sports pre-race and post-race show, bringing his lively insights on racing to the airwaves. A former NASCAR racer, he still competes on the SRX Series.
FanDuel NC requires users be at least 21 years of age to register and place wagers.
If you or someone you care about has a gambling problem, you can call 1-800-GAMBLER in North Carolina for assistance.
Image Credit: Mike McCarn / AP Images