NASCAR Considers 'Data Integrity Partnership' With Prediction Markets Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood

By Bill Speros

Feb 17th, 2026 2:55 PM EST

DATYONA BEACH, Florida - As Tyler Reddick drove his No. 45 Chumba Casino-sponsored Toyota to victory in the Daytona 500, the topic of prediction markets remained under green. NASCAR is working with prediction markets like Kalshi, Polymarket, and Robinhood about an "integrity based" partnership, Bookies.com has learned.

Any deal would focus on the prediction markets agreeing to integrity monitoring and restrictions on NASCAR-related markets, similar to the ones NASCAR uses in the sports betting space. In return, the prediction markets would get official data from the auto-racing governing body, in addition to "legitimacy" in the racing space.

RELATED: NASCAR Enjoys Ties To Legal Gambling At Multiple Levels

And any partnership concerning NASCAR and prediction markets would not include a marketing component. NASCAR is a sports betting licensee in Arizona, partnering with theScore Bet and in North Carolina, partnering with DraftKings.

"We've decided for now to not pursue anything in the prediction market space, but what we are talking about with groups like Robinhood and Kalshi and Polymarket, is 'Is there a way that we can do some sort of data integrity partnership that doesn't encroach on this state issue?' Thet's where I have to have more conversations with Arizona and North Carolina. Around the fact that we're not doing a marketing sponsorship. This is more to protect the brand and fold in regulations and integrity and responsible gaming where those things don't exist," NASCAR Director of Sports Betting Joesph Solosky told Bookies.com ahead of the Daytona 500 this past weekend.

The NHL and UFC/TKO have prediction market partnership deals in place. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week MLB is also considering deals with prediction markets.

Bookies.com has reached out to representatives of Polymarket, Kalshi, and Robinhood for comment.

Sports Betting, iGaming, Prediction Markets Share Track Space

During the Daytona 500, NASCAR's ties with all that is gambling (and prediction markets) was on vivid display. Fans visited the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone located next to the Daytona International Speedway infield. And in addition to Reddick's No. 45 Chumba Casino Toyota that took the checkered flag after a zany final lap, Corey Heim drove the No. 45 Robinhood Toyota, Malcolm McDowell drove the No. 71 Modo Casino Chevrolet, and ads for FanDuel aired during the national telecast on Fox. NASCAR also enlists BetMGM as one of its "Authorized Gaming Partners."

Because NASCAR holds a sports betting license in two states, the racing body does not want to risk the ire of regulators by working in tandem with prediction markets as a marketing partner. But the integrity-first approach could allow it to stay on the lead lap, without risking "The Big One" with state governing bodies.

"We are not against prediction markets in terms of our teams. We've encouraged our teams and drivers to look at the space," Solosky said. "As a sport, the risk that presents itself to us with our licenses in states makes it untenable for us to do a deal. The NHL doesn't have the same risk we have because it's their clubs that have the (sports betting) licenses. So the NHL itself doesn't have the license, so they're not getting punished or getting any sort of licenses revoked if they do a deal."

NASCAR Considers Arizona A Bellwether

Arizona last year sent a letter to all its legal sports betting and DFS operators telling they they could potentially lose their licenses if they engage in trading sports-event related contracts in a prediction market platform anywhere in the United States.

DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, PrizePicks and Underdog, have all launched prediction market platforms that trade in sport-event contracts in states where they are not currently licensed. DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics are marketing and operator partners with sports betting license-holders in Arizona. PrizePicks and Underdog remain listed as DFS operators on the Arizona Department of Gaming website. In December, Arizona announced its intention to revoke Underdog's DFS license. The DOG cited Underdog's prediction-market partnership with Crypto.com in making the move.

"I would say now with prediction markets, and sports betting bleeding into federal regulated territory, it's becoming a bit more challenging," Solosky said. "So if a group like Robinhood or Polymarket, or Kalshi came to us and wanted to do a partnership, we would have to have conversations with state regulators of, if we did a partnership in the state, in terms how does it affect our license? Because states like Arizona have come out and said, if you do a deal, we'll revoke your license."

Partnership Would Give NASCAR 'Control Over Markets'

Any "data integrity partnership" with prediction markets would allow NASCAR to "have some control over the markets that they offer," Solosky said. NASCAR owns a level of control on the types of race and season-related markets its partner sports books can offer.

"We don't want anything around officials, yellow flags, things like that. NFL doesn't want any sort of penalty markets. Kalshi and Robinhood could offer those right now. And we have no say. So that's where I'm looking at a partnership of not dictating them. I want the product to succeed. It's going to bring more fan engagement even if we want to have direct partnership with them. And it's legal as long as it's still legal, federally regulated. So I'm not dictating and trying to limit the amount of volume that they're doing. But also it benefits them to not have these shady markets that some of these offshore books are having. It makes them more legitimate. Reputable."

Kalshi took more trading volume in Bad Bunny's first song at the Super Bowl ($135 million) than the state of Nevada did in overall handle on the Super Bowl ($133 million). Exotic, non-game related outcome trades give prediction markets an edge over regulated books. Those would be sacrificed in order for NASCAR to hop on board.

Prediction Markets Must Weigh Cost-Benefit Of Deal

Eventually, Solosky said, prediction markets would eventually do a "risk analysis" to determine how much value having the NFL's or NASCAR's blessing would bring in terms of "lobbying" and "regulatory" power.

"On data integrity, Kalshi, Robinhood and Polymarket have been open to the conversation of letting us have some say, and then they get some benefit of whether it's NASCAR data or other things that aren't commercially driven. And it's more beneficial for the industry itself from the integrity standpoint."

And then there's the "L" word.

"Legitimacy. But what we wouldn't be doing, it's not a sponsorship marketing deal of course. So they wouldn't be putting NASCAR marks and logos on their platform. It may be legitimacy. We wouldn't tout it that way. Maybe they would tout it as legitimacy. It's more for their benefit from our side would be very granular of settlement data. Because right now they're not using official NASCAR data."

Comments

Sign In | Sign Up

Post

View more