How to bet on NASCAR smartly & responsibly

NASCAR may not be considered the most popular sporting event across the entire country, but over the past five years, it has seen an increase in viewership. Along with more states legalizing sports betting in one form or another, wagering on the races is also more readily available than ever before.

There are even a wider variety of race types, including the upcoming street course with the Grant Park 165 in Chicago. With NASCAR’s ability to appeal to a more widespread audience and those fans being able to place wagers on the races, it is important to understand how to bet on NASCAR smartly and responsibly.

Who can bet on NASCAR in the United States?

Location

There are areas in the U.S. where NASCAR is as popular as ever, and Sunday afternoons are not to be missed. But similarly, only people in certain locations in the country can legally wager on the races. In total, there are 38 states – plus Washington, D.C. – that offer some form of regulated sports betting, which can be broken down into online/mobile and in-person/retail. Of the 38 legal locations, 30 have available mobile sports betting, which we’ve listed below:

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wyoming

That leaves eight remaining locations with in-person/retail sports betting only:

Delaware, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin

Finally, there are 12 states that don’t offer sports betting in any fashion. Some of those are certainly home to some diehard NASCAR fan bases, and you can see the list below:

California, Texas, Idaho, Utah, Minnesota, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Alaska and Hawaii

Age

Now that we have location taken care of, fans must also be aware that there are age requirements in those locations to legally wager on NASCAR, or any sporting event. Primarily, the age requirement is 21 years old, but there are a handful of locations where there are younger requirements - either 18 or 19 years old:

Kentucky, Montana, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming

However, fans must be located in those locations for those age requirements to be in effect. In other words, just because an individual is 18 years old and from Kentucky, that does not mean that they can legally place a wager in Tennessee.

Furthermore, while those locations may have younger age requirements, some sportsbooks within those states may still have a 21-year-old requirement. Therefore, always be sure to be aware of the age requirement in place for both your current location and operator being used.

How to bet on NASCAR responsibly

Having the locations and age requirements under your belt will ensure that the NASCAR wagering is done legally, but we’re here to help do so smartly and responsibly. With that in mind, we’ve shared some tips to help do just that:

Set limits: Begin by setting aside a budget of betting funds, often referred to as your “bankroll,” that will not impact your finances if it is lost completely. From that bankroll, decide upon a portion (generally 1-4%) that you will use for each individual wager. That standard bet amount is known as your “unit size.”

Understand the sport’s betting markets: NASCAR offers an expanding, but different, set of betting markets when compared to other sports. Before placing a wager, be sure to understand all of the different bet types, such as outright winner, top-place finishes or with head-to-head matchups between drivers.

Sports betting should be viewed as entertainment: The bankroll that you set aside for yourself should be viewed similarly to funds that you would use on other forms of entertainment, such as the movies, a recreational hobby or attending a sporting event. It should never be seen as a form of income.

Don’t gamble under the influence: To ensure that you remain responsible within your limits, be sure not to gamble while intoxicated or impaired in any way. This will only hinder your judgment and potentially lead to irresponsible gambling.

Don’t chase losses: Given that sports betting is not a reliable source of income, losses are inevitable. However, chasing those losses with emotional, unplanned wagers can often lead to significantly larger losses, and therefore must be avoided.

Dangers and risks of betting on NASCAR

As mentioned, betting on NASCAR presents a unique set of betting markets in comparison to many other sports. The sport has expanded its available bet types significantly, with now hundreds of available wagering options for every race. Some bettors get caught up in the excitement of so many betting choices and overextend with a multitude of bets. The thought that at least some of your bets will win is a dangerous false-assumption that can lead to significant losses.

It is critical to keep your total risk amount manageable for each race, always with a clear view of the worst-case scenario when all of the wagers lose. In a sport like NASCAR, where one major crash can wipe out a significant portion of the field, betting restraint is critical.

How popular is NASCAR betting?

Despite the inherent risks of betting on NASCAR, we noted right from the start that the sport was becoming increasingly more popular. As of the second Sunday in March of 2024, the Cup Series saw a 19 percent increase from that same race the previous year, which was their largest year-to-year increase in history.

That was for the Work United 500 race, which garnished 4.03 million viewers, and it’s far from the most popular event of the season. Back in February of 2024, the Daytona 500 was recorded to have just shy of six million viewers, so it’s clear that the races are drawing significant viewership.

For perspective, both Formula 1 and IndyCar have seen a decrease in viewership from 2023 to 2024. As for a sports betting perspective, there has been a very interesting study done in North Carolina, which was the most recent state to launch legal online sports betting.

Researchers found that NASCAR was fourth on the list in terms of the most popular sports to bet on. That was behind only the NFL, NBA and MLB, which are widely considered the most popular overall in the United States. Similarly, the study also found that 70% of respondents tuned into a NASCAR race for the first time because they had placed a wager on the event.

Gambling Addiction treatment options

Given the increase in sports fans enjoying NASCAR and the readily available betting markets, problem gambling becomes more of a concern. There are up to an estimated 20 million Americans who either suffer from problem gambling or are at risk to do so, and that is why Birches Health is here to help.

Birches Health provides online treatment from licensed professionals, with 90% of patients having reported improved quality of life following care. Therefore, they are an unmatched option for those dealing with or at risk of problem gambling, including their loved ones.

There are many options for taking an initial step toward help and recovery with Birches Health:

You can also simply call 833-483-3838 or email hello@bircheshealth.com to get in touch directly with the Birches team.