F1 Climbing Ranks of US Sports Betting, Says YouGov

Posted on: April 24, 2025, 04:09h. 

Last updated on: April 24, 2025, 04:10h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.
  • There’s still work to be done, but F1 is increasingly popular among US bettors
  • F1 betting audience skews younger, draws more women

In the US, sports wagering handle is largely dominated by the big three of football, basketball, and baseball with all other sports residing in the “other” category, but Formula One (F1) is climbing the US sports betting ladder.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. F1 betting is increasingly popular in the US. (Image: AP)

For years, motorsports handle has been dwarfed by stick and ball sports and comes nowhere close to competing with football — the most wagered on sport in the US — but F1’s soaring popularity in the US is spurring increased interest. A new YouGov survey says 47% of American bettors are interested in F1, more than double the 23% that are enthusiastic about sports betting, broadly speaking.

Some 28% of Formula 1 fans placed an online sports bet in the past 12 months, the highest share among fans of major US sports leagues,” notes YouGov. “That’s ahead of NBA fans (25%), NASCAR fans (21%), and well above NFL fans (16%).”

Of note to sportsbook operators is the point that F1 bettors aren’t solely focused on that sport — they’re among “the most active betting participants in the US sports ecosystem,” according to YouGov. Data also indicate F1 wagering enthusiasts are more likely to place wagers at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and at live events than are their counterparts focusing on other sports.

F1 Betting Rising, But There’s Work to Be Done

F1’s betting surge in the US makes sense when accounting for three of the series’ races being located in this country, including the Las Vegas Grand Prix. That said, the sport has work ahead of it when it comes to bringing more bettors into the fold.

YouGov says just 22% of F1 fans that also bet have wagered on any motorsport in the last year. That places motorsports, a category including NASCAR, as merely the joint-eighth most popular betting category in the US. Not surprisingly, motorsports betting the US trails football and basketball, but it also lags boxing, esports, and tennis, among others.

“For the broader sports betting population — regardless of F1 interest — the figure is even lower, with just 15% placing a motorsports bet in the past year,” adds YouGov. “This points to a clear gap between fan interest and actual betting behaviour — but also an opportunity for growth.”

How sportsbook operators attempt to capitalize on the F1 betting opportunity set remains to be seen, but there are demographic motivations at play.

F1 Betting Demographics Appealing

Regarding demographics, if there are two things sportsbook companies covet, it’s youth and bringing more women into the fold. Motorsports deliver on both fronts.

Fifty-eight percent of motorsports bettors are 18 to 34 years old, according to YouGov. That far exceeds the 40% of NFL bettors in the same age group and trails only the 68% of soccer bettors in that age cohort. When it comes to women, 31% enjoy wagering on motorsports — a percentage that exceeds those associated with baseball, basketball, football, horse racing, and soccer.

As for which platforms motorsports prefer, they are choosy with 41% saying they’ve used bet365 in the past week. That compares to the 32% and 30%, respectively, that said the same thing of DraftKings and FanDuel. BetMGM and ESPN Bet tied at 26% apiece.