Arizona’s NASCAR stop finds a sports betting partner

In Arizona, sports betting nears its projected Sept. 9 launch. And another week brings another partnership in the Grand Canyon State.

Penn National Gaming/Barstool Sportsbook last week partnered with Phoenix Raceway. Phoenix Raceway is the home of two NASCAR events each year.

NASCAR and Penn Interactive signaled their plan last week.

“Phoenix Raceway is a state-of-the-art entertainment destination that prides itself on delivering a best-in-class fan experience,” Phoenix Raceway President Julie Giese said in the statement. “Our partnership with Penn National Gaming and Barstool Sportsbook takes this to another level. It will help us continue our mission of redefining the way we engage fans and connect with new audiences.”

In a release announcing the partnership, Barstool Sportsbook underscored its all-in commitment with NASCAR and will offer promotions and sports betting odds specials. Penn National led the migration to NASCAR, joining last year.

As part of the release announcement, NASCAR chief digital officer Tim Clark said: “As our first authorized gaming operator, Penn National has been invested in engaging NASCAR fans since we began building our position in the sports betting space.

“We couldn’t be more excited to provide our partners with access to our passionate fan base in the greater Phoenix market.”

The sportsbook will become more visible, too. Sports betting promotions and signage will feature at the raceway.

Penn Interactive’s senior vice president, Jon Kaplowitz, said in a statement: “Barstool Sportsbook has proven itself to be a market leader in the jurisdictions where it has launched due to a combination of unique offers and a leading mobile experience.

“This new partnership will allow us to engage a passionate sports fan base in Arizona while having access to a best-in-class sports entertainment facility in Phoenix Raceway.”

Penn National is reportedly up to 42 properties in 20 states. Barstool is already operating in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Illinois and is poised to expand even more as legal sports betting reaches more states across the U.S.

Ultimately, Arizona will have 20 licenses, or skins, half of which are sports teams/venues and half for Arizona Native American tribes.

To date the teams and tribes have acted quickly to establish partnerships with sports betting and gaming companies. So far, the list includes the following: the Phoenix Mercury (Bally’s Corporation), Arizona Diamondbacks (Bovada Sportsbook), PGA Tour via the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale (DraftKings), Phoenix Suns (BetOnline) and three tribes via Kindred Group (Unibet), MyBookie and WynnBet.

Still on the runway are the Arizona Cardinals and Arizona Coyotes.