Over the last decade or so, the face of motorsport in global terms and attractiveness has rapidly changed, most definitely for the better. Gone are the days of only iron horses, we now have the whole gambit that even includes competition drones and, who knows, even flying cars some day soon…
The number of punters betting on UK sports, including horse racing continues to grow and the opportunities to bet on the various forms of motorsport has never been greater as well. In a world where horse racing and football have long been the dominate players, now Formula 1, NASCAR, Speedway and many more petrol-powered sports continue to expand the wagering opportunities for the enthusiastic bettor.
Improvements in TV coverage, such as the Sky Sports F1 channel, bring the high-octane excitement into people’s living rooms as never before. High quality, high-definition widescreen televisions with surround-sound now give the experience of watching motor sport a visceral, almost-like-you-are-there quality. In a world of stats, data and tight-margins, the access punters have to these details is unprecedented. The explosion of markets within the motor sport betting world means there are more opportunities to find a wager that suits than ever before.
Formula 1
Without doubt, Formula 1 is the grand-daddy of the motorsport world, spanning the globe and regularly being watched by many hundreds of millions of people. The betting opportunities for F1 are almost endless. Each grand prix sees the entire week, from early qualifying to the race itself, full of angles for the discerning bettor. Qualifying markets are increasing in popularity, with each session bringing a new opportunity to wager. As well as the usual outright race markets, punters can bet on the head-to-head markets between named drivers, the number of finishers in the race, the winning time and many more eventualities.
During the Formula 1 season, there are both constructors’ markets and drivers’ total points markets and spread Betting firms, such as Sporting Index and Spreadex, offer a plethora of prices, updated after each race, allowing punters to take profits from a winning position. Sky Sport’s coverage and new feature series like Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ takes viewers deeper than ever before and equips them with all the information a punter needs about the cars and the drivers.
Other Motorsport
NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP and Speedway have long been popular with punters. Most UK online firms offer a comprehensive service across the motor sport world.
And now, with the creation of the DRL World Championship, drone racing is seen by many as having a very bright future. With races taking place in the US, UK, Italy, France, Germany and beyond, drone racing has an increasingly global reach. The bookmakers Pinnacle, William Hill and Bet365 already offer odds on drone racing and with news that US bookmaking giant DraftKings has applied for a US licence to offer odds on drone racing, more firms are sure to follow.
The growth of betting on esports in the UK shows how strong the appetite is for new betting mediums. Whilst it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, betting on games such as Call of Duty and League of Legends is already big business. Esoccer Pro Leagues are also popular, with punters able to make selections on matches live in-running. Whether it be drones, shoot-em-ups or good old-fashioned soccer, the future of betting on remote-controlled events is clearly very bright.
Flying cars anyone..?
This isn’t about motorsport, it’s an advertisement for the gambling industry, and as such should carry an appropriate indication at the top of the page.