F1 Revs Up For U.S. Betting Expansion In 2026
NEW YORK - Formula 1 is pushing deeper into the sports betting market in 2026 after spending the past two years quietly building the infrastructure needed to support wagering on the world’s fastest motorsport at the best sports betting sites. F1 expects the red lights to go out soon for U.S. betting expansion in 2026 by partnering with multiple operators.
The series’ 2026 debut in Melbourne saw new betting markets offered via Betway overseas. That operator left the U.S. sports betting space in 2024.
F1 Head of Betting Mark Wrigley sees the expanded betting presence as the next step in fan engagement for a sport that already boasts roughly 800 million global fans and stages 24 races across five continents.
Its betting strategy — much like the rest of Formula 1 — starts with data.
During a race weekend, F1 generates roughly 700 data points per second from each of the 22 cars on the grid. That information flows from sensors embedded throughout the cars and the track itself, creating a deep reservoir of real-time telemetry.
Wrigley admits F1 remains an emerging property in the sports betting ecosystem — and that building the right product required a deliberate approach.
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“We had to think about how we wanted to engage in this sector,” Wrigley said. “It took the best part of a year to really go back to basics and think about how we bring something to life that is much more engaging. Using the vast amounts of data that we have as a sport, how do we convert that into a real useful betting proposition?”
Betting Markets Built For Fans
Despite the massive data flow, Wrigley said bettors shouldn’t expect wagering markets tied to every single data point.
Instead, F1 focused on what fans actually want to bet on.
“All of those things are helping to power the engine of creating live odds,” Wrigley told Bookies.com after speaking at the Next.io Summit. “Even then it's too much data, probably. All sports have been going through that process of taking historical data, contextualizing it, and trying to create relevant markets.”
The key, he said, is creating betting opportunities tied to the storylines unfolding during each race.
“We surveyed our fan base and asked what they want to engage on,” Wrigley said. “We want to go: ‘Here's what's meaningful and engaging.’ It's about those fans who want to engage, rather than just throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.”
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That means wagers that go beyond simply predicting the race winner or podium finishers at the best betting apps in the US.
Many of the most compelling moments in F1 happen deeper in the field — battles that play out live on the broadcast but have historically offered no wagering angle.
“Everyone has their favorite drivers,” Wrigley said. “Those battles aren’t always at the front of the race. They could be in the middle of the field.”
He pointed to last weekend’s race in Melbourne.
“The battle was: ‘Who was going to catch Lando Norris?’ Or the battle for 10th place for that final point. That was super exciting, but there was no way for fans to have an opinion and engage with that.”
New Betting Markets Coming To F1 In The U.S.
F1 gambling expansion in the U.S. is a natural given that the circuit makes a stop in Las Vegas in the fall (there are also U.S. races in Austin, Texas, and Miami). Upcoming markets are expected to include:
- Positional finish betting
- Short-window in-race wagers over the next 3–5 laps
- Driver A vs. Driver B overtakes
- Which driver will pit first
- Tire strategy outcomes
- Pit stop timing markets
The goal is simple: keep fans engaged for the entire race.
“It’s about lots of ways in which you can keep people engaged throughout the entirety of the race,” Wrigley said. “Not necessarily just the start, which is always incredibly exciting, but those phases in the middle where strategy really plays out.”
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Data Takes The Wheel
Unlike traditional sponsorship deals, F1’s betting expansion is built around a data-driven wagering product developed with Alt Sports Data, a San Diego-based sports betting data company that partnered with F1 last year.
The objective is to convert the sport’s real-time telemetry into live betting markets that mirror the strategic complexity of the race itself.
The enormous volume of data produced by F1 — delivered with extremely low latency — allows sportsbooks to create micro-markets that evolve lap by lap.
Those wagers reflect the tactical elements that define Formula 1: pit strategies, tire management, overtakes, and race positioning.
For sportsbooks, the model creates more engagement opportunities across the full race broadcast — not just the checkered flag.
Digital-First Strategy Targets U.S. Growth
F1 purposefully avoided any exclusive relationship with a single sportsbook operator. That allowed it to have separate licensed partnerships inside and outside the U.S.
The strategy reflects the fragmented nature of the global sports betting market, where operators typically dominate individual regions rather than operating under a single global brand.
For now, F1’s betting push will remain focused almost entirely on online wagering, and away from prediction markets.
Unlike some other leagues, F1 will not feature sportsbook branding on trackside signage or broadcast graphics — at least in the early stages of the program.
Instead, betting content will be integrated into F1’s digital ecosystem, including its official website and mobile app.
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Hollywood Gives F1 Another Boost
F1’s global growth has also been fueled by Hollywood.
The film F1 starring Brad Pitt earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
While it won't win the top prize, F1 serves as part entertainment — and part introduction to the sport — for millions of potential new fans. (The movie is available to steam on Apple TV, as is each series race thanks to a U.S. media deal that began this year.)
NASCAR experienced a surge in popularity after Tom Cruise’s Cole Trickle raced onto screens in Days of Thunder back in 1990.
The exploits of Pitt’s character Sonny Hayes could have a similar effect for F1.
“It's another way in which you can reach fans,” Wrigley said. “Having Brad Pitt, one of the biggest film stars in the world, you're reaching a different demographic. Sports and movie audiences can be quite different.”
He added that the film also had to introduce new viewers to the nuances of F1.
“The nuances of the sport can be quite complex at times,” Wrigley said. “There’s such a broad range of fans. Some are incredibly die-hard and know all the technical infrastructure. Others are drawn to the narratives of the story. You have to explain some of the elements of how the sport works.”
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