Auto Race Betting gets Head Start in Dover

NASCAR betting rules coming in 2019 as Dover hosts first on-track bets.

As the green flag waved down over Dover International Speedway this weekend, it indicated much more than the start of the Gander Outdoors 400, part of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, at the popular Delaware raceway. It also marked the beginning of a new era in auto race betting.

First on-site auto race betting comes to Dover Intl Speedway, NASCAR betting rules to follow.

Fans line up to place first on-site bets on Sunday’s NASCAR race at Dover International Speedway in Delaware, October 7, 2018 – photo credit AP

The Dover racetrack launched its new on-site betting kiosk on Sunday, becoming the first NASCAR track ever to permit race gambling on location. With the introduction of sports betting, the racing association says it will be implementing gambling regulations for the sport next year.

NASCAR Betting Rules Coming in 2019

At present, there are no rules in place to direct NASCAR associates, drivers or members of their crew. All are capable of betting on races, should they choose to do so. Kyle Busch could place a bet on himself, or on any other driver. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that contestants being able to bet on themselves and/or others does not bode well for the integrity of the sport.

On-Track Auto Race Betting on NASCAR Cup Series Steve Phelps, President of NASCAR, says a whole new set of guidelines will appear in the racing rulebook next year. The regulations will address a number of gambling factors, including who can bet, what can be bet on, and the code of conduct for sponsorship.

“I think for ’19, we’ll have some rules that we’ll put in place,” said Phelps on Sunday. “For right now, there’ll be betting here. They have a kiosk here, you can bet inside. We’ll study and see how that goes, but I think we’ll have some rules in place for sponsorship, for what betting looks like, and continue to see what happens in the landscape overall.”

He believes drivers and teams understand “the way the rulebook looks today”, and says that clarification will come next year. No doubt, it will provide exclusions that prohibit drivers and teams from participating in auto race betting.

“From a sponsorship standpoint,” adds Phelps, “I think sponsorship will definitely … gravitate to NASCAR as most sponsors do because of the return on the investment they can get because of the visibility that it has.”

Auto Race Betting in Dover

Delaware has taken an accelerated approach to sports betting. On June 5, 2018, hardly three weeks after the PASPA law was rescinded by the US Supreme Court, the necessary regulations were in place to launch a full-scale sports gambling market in the state. It took a bit longer to get on-site auto race betting on the menu.

Fans were lined up at the betting kiosk outside Dover International Speedway hours before Sunday’s big race, placing their wagers on various outcomes and situations. Straight up bets on the eventual winner weren’t the only popular means of gambling. Various prop bets were made available, including things like ‘most laps led by any driver’, and the ‘total number of caution flags’ waved over the course of the race.

NASCAR betting isn’t the only option, either. Delaware’s Dover International Speedway and Dover Downs each offer a wide range of professional league sports betting options at their properties; baseball, basketball, football, golf, hockey, and soccer round out the current menu.