eNASCAR race popular with bettors at Las Vegas sportsbooks
The eNASCAR race that took place Sunday at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway generated plenty of real money in wagers at Las Vegas sportsbooks.
“It ended up being about 50 percent of a normal race when all was said and done,” Circa sportsbook director Matthew Metcalf said. “We wrote a lot on the yes/no options we had for 10 drivers and a decent amount in matchups. It was, by far, the most bet on esports from a money amount.
“The ticket count was probably equal to some of the more popular Counter-Strike matches we’ve done.”
William Byron won Sunday’s race, the third event in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. Byron opened at 7-1 and had the most money and tickets on him at William Hill, where one bettor won a $400 wager that paid $2,800.
William Hill took 400 bets on the race overall.
“We were a small loser, but we’re encouraged for Week 1. We wrote a lot of tickets, and that’s all we’re trying to do,” William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said. “We just want to keep people engaged and keep them coming to the William Hill site and give them something to do. We’re just trying to help people through the doom and gloom. That’s really what all of this is about.
“Let’s face it. The only way to make any money is on the NFL, NBA and MLB. This is to bridge the gap.”
Sunday’s virtual race, in which each driver competed in a simulator from home, was televised on Fox and FS1.
All NASCAR Cup Series races are postponed through May 3.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
