How the Online Casino Industry Helps NASCAR Grow

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NASCAR is one of the biggest auto racing competitions in the US, and it is becoming more popular across the globe. Much like other competitions, it has lots of sponsors, and some of those sponsors are gambling companies. This industry has expanded significantly ever since online casinos became more accessible. The games are also easy to get into and learn. There are online roulette tips that anyone can memorize, and there are even guides and courses to help with more complex games. Moreover, bonuses and promotions really encourage new players to give online gambling a shot.

However, there are many gambling operators out there, and people often don’t know who they can trust. There are big brands that are always a safe choice, but smaller operators tend to struggle with brand identity and awareness. They bridge this gap with high-quality content. Basically, if you can play with a live dealer at an online casino it means that the operator is investing good money to improve user experience. Another way to solidify legitimacy is through sponsorship deals with sports like NASCAR. These relationships are mutually beneficial and here we will see how. 

How the Online Casino Industry Benefits NASCAR

In any sport both teams and leagues need financing. They use the funds to grow, bring new talent on board, invest in new research, and provide a better show for the audience. So regardless of whether a sponsor is supporting a race, a tournament,  or a single team, NASCAR benefits. Over the past 10 years, some of the big US gambling brands have sponsored NASCAR:

  • BetMGM
  • WynnBET
  • Pala Casino Spa Resort

These partnership deals are not always identical. Some include a simple brand promotion, whereas in other cases the partnership deals allow gambling sponsors to have unique content. Online casinos with sports betting options aim to become a go-to operator for NASCAR betting. So, through partnership, they can facilitate unique bets and different odds which can give them a competitive edge. After all, casinos and sports are very similar in some respects, and viewers or fans also love to compete. So, if you are promoted as the best operator for certain bets, the number of users on your site will grow.

It’s important to note that casino sponsors also bring in more viewers, who aren’t NASCAR fans by default. It’s common for sportsbooks to have a special promotion, a bonus, or a promo code for bettors during big events. They want to get people excited about betting. Since these are all great deals, many casual gamblers will claim those promotions and tune in to watch a race. In a way, partnering up with a gambling company also helps NASCAR get better viewership. 

Criticisms of Online Casino Sponsorship of NASCAR

Every major sport that has gambling sponsors has to deal with its fair share of controversies. Organizers and athletes are privy to insider information, and they have abilities to affect the outcome of any race. So, there is always an issue regarding the integrity of the outcomes, since someone might have a financial incentive to fail.  These fears aren’t unfounded, as throughout history matches were rigged.

That being said, it’s incredibly difficult to cheat nowadays. The regulations are tighter and fines are more severe for those who participate in match-fixing. However, match-fixing isn’t the only concern when it comes to gambling sponsorships. The main issue viewers have is that a lot of the fans are underaged boys and girls or children. In other words, this is seen as normalization of gambling habits, and as a way of pushing casino games to kids.

Although kids aren’t allowed to create accounts and gamble online, people still argue that exposure to this content will inevitably lead to the development of gambling habits. This is an entertaining hobby, and a number of bettors have won a significant sum of money. Unfortunately, gambling addiction and problem gambling are both very present. Despite the warnings for responsible gambling and multiple helplines people often take the hobby too far and make bad financial decisions.

Many sports are aware of these problems and some of them have taken certain steps. For example, big leagues that have a lot of media coverage often don’t promote gambling companies. These sponsorships are only for lower-tier competitions.

Conclusion

There are clear benefits to having online casinos as sponsors. These companies need to comply with strict rules and regulations so it’s not easy for them to get brand exposure. This is why sponsorship deals are lucrative and they can improve the quality of competition and help teams grow. There are both pros and cons to these arrangements though. Since athletes and drivers are role models to younger viewers, seeing them as brand ambassadors for gambling can lead to the development of negative habits.