- Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) has announced a sponsorship deal with the Front Row Motorsports NASCAR team.
- GNOG will be the primary sponsor of the Number 38 Ford Mustang driven by Anthony Alfredo for NASCAR Cup Series races on August 22 at Michigan International Speedway and on September 11 at Richmond (VA) Raceway.
- GNOG will be an associate partner for the rest of the 2021 season.
NASCAR has been comfortable with the gaming industry for awhile now. Brendan Gaughan–son of South Point Las Vegas owner Michael Gaughan–was a driver for a number of years. South Point Casino’s branding has appeared on cars as well. NASCAR race coverage has shown race betting odds for as long as I can remember. That’s why it isn’t surprising that they’ve been quick to embrace the opportunities offered by the growing US sports betting industry. The official NASCAR.com website has a ‘Bet Center’ section with handicapping information and race analysis. NASCAR also has several ‘authorized gaming partners’ including BetMGM, Penn National and WynnBET and DraftKings is listed as the ‘Official Daily Fantasy Sports Game’. In early September, the Penn National operated Barstool Sportsbook will launch in Arizona in partnership with NASCAR owned Phoenix Raceway. This weekend, NASCAR will release two betting education products hoping to teach fans about how to bet on races.
The individual racing teams have also gotten involved. In February, WynnBET announced a partnership with one of the sport’s most iconic teams–Richard Childress Racing, best known for their #3 and #8 Chevys once operated by Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. respectively. More recently, the Mooresville, North Carolina based Front Row Motor Sports (FRM) team has announced a sponsorship partnership with Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG). GNOG serve as the primary sponsor of the Number 38 Ford Mustang driven by Anthony Alfredo for NASCAR Cup Series races on August 22 at Michigan International Speedway and on September 11 at Richmond (VA) Raceway. GNOG will be an associate partner for the rest of the 2021 season with branding on the Number 23 Mustang, the team hauler and the Front Row official website. The August 22 Michigan race has another sports betting component–it’s ‘officially’ named the Firekeepers Casino 400. Firekeepers Casino offers retail and online sports betting in Michigan leveraging the Scientific Gaming Open Sports platform.
The race team posted a press release on the official Front Row Motor Sports website outlining the relationship and describing the Golden Nugget Online Gaming paint scheme:
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is pushing all-in with Golden Nugget Online Gaming (NASDAQ: GNOG) for two primary races with the No. 38 Ford Mustangs team this season. GoldenNuggetCasino.com will be the primary sponsor of the No. 38 car, driven by Anthony Alfredo, at the NASCAR Cup Series race on August 22 at Michigan International Speedway, and again on September 11 at Richmond Raceway. GNOG will also be an associate partner of FRM for the 2021 season with branding on the No. 38 Mustang, the team hauler and online.
GNOG’s No. 38 Ford Mustang is designed with an inspiring patriotic theme and their traditional black and gold colors. The Golden Stars and Stripes car will make its debut at Michigan International Speedway, and again at Richmond Raceway, commemorating September 11th.
Samir Banerjee, Marketing Director of GNOG, thinks that the NASCAR racing audience is a great ‘target market’ for sports betting:
“The NASCAR Cup Series is one of the premier sports leagues in the country with a passionate fan base of online casino and sportsbook patrons. Our partnership with Front Row Motorsports and Anthony Alfredo will introduce both Golden Nugget Online Gaming’s casino and sportsbook digital platform to millions across the nation and the world as we continue to grow in the rapidly expanding iGaming industry.”
NASCAR drivers understand promotion–they seem to come out of the womb knowing how to plug a sponsor–and Anthony Alfredo, driver of the Number 38 Mustang, is no exception:
“I am proud to help welcome Golden Nugget Online Gaming to the NASCAR Cup Series. Online gaming and sportsbooks continue to grow in popularity and NASCAR fans are always looking for diverse ways to engage with the sport and have fun. This is another exciting and innovative avenue for them to do it.”
Another NASCAR/sports betting crossover–their online streaming multi-cam race coverage will have an odds ticker on screen starting this weekend. The odds information will be from sports betting data company Sharplink Gaming. The rest of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule includes stops in Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Nevada and Arizona–all states that have sports betting (or in Tennessee’s case a bizarre facsimile of sports betting). Expect to see more sports betting sponsorships in the weeks to come.
