NBA Voice Ditches Mainstream Sports After NASCAR Betting Hook Despite “Negative Connotation”

Betting in NASCAR has always been a bit of an off-the-record relationship. Long before NASCAR joined the gambling boom, the roots of sports betting in America were already being laid. Back in the 1930s and 40s, Nevada became the first state to legalize sports betting, turning what was once a back-room hustle into a legitimate business. Fast forward years, and things changed after 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting. NASCAR didn’t just dip its toes in—it dove right in.

By 2019, the sport had signed deals with data providers like Genius Sports and Sportradar, allowing legal sportsbooks to offer real-time odds on everything from race winners to stage leaders. And that’s where this NBA insider comes into play. For Rob Perez, a side hustle in betting got him introduced to stock car racing, and the connection has grown only stronger over the years. There is this rhetoric that NASCAR is past its prime and gone are the good old days, but Perez had an interesting take on how betting could shape the future of the sport for good.

In a recent sit-down with NASCAR Live, NBA insider Rob Perez, better known on social media as World Wide Wob, revealed an unlikely passion that’s taken over his weekends: NASCAR. And it all began with betting. “I’m a, I don’t want to say relatively new because I’ve been following NASCAR for, I’d say around a decade now, and my original inspiration for consuming the sport was revolving around betting.” It started with a friend who made a living off NASCAR bets. That, paired with Perez’s occasional dabbling in “sports financial investments,” as he calls them, made him take a second look at a sport he once brushed off.

“You know, betting on NASCAR and since I like to participate in some sports, financial investments from time to time, it made me have a new appreciation for this sport of auto racing, which has this negative connotation. You know, in the Northeast where I’m from, it’s just cars making left and right turns. I promise you it’s not all that,” he said, and what hooked him to NASCAR  wasn’t just the speed—it was also the strategy.

NASCAR betting isn’t just for diehard fans anymore; it’s exploding across states with legal sportsbooks offering odds on everything from stage winners to pole positions. Across platforms like DraftKings, BetMGM, and Penn National Gaming among others. NASCAR themselves have partnered with Genius Sports, a sports  data and technology company to monitor match fixing and form the guard rails. With the new revenue stream, there is a threat of corruption. But for Perez, there’s more to the sport than just betting.

Perez, now speaking the language of a true NASCAR fan, said, ” The strategy that goes into like a gas mileage race at Michigan, tire wear at a Darlington or a Texas or something, like every track has its own personality and characteristics to it, whether it’s a mile, mile and 1/2. It could be a demolition Derby, it could be pack racing, it could be road racing. The first thing I’m thinking about in Mexico City is that turn 1 looking. Almost identical to what happens at Watkins Glen and how they will approach that.”  

Back in high school and college, NASCAR was just background noise to him, something he knew existed, thanks to names like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon dominating the headlines. But then came the crossover; his love for horse racing betting gave him a blueprint. And once he started applying that betting mindset to NASCAR, studying matchups, and watching practice sessions, something clicked.

Sep 15, 2023; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; NASCAR fans watch from the pits during practice for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Perez goes on to say, ” I’d always like betting on horse racing. So that kind of those same type of tactics and philosophies and sentiments certainly apply to its machines versus actual animals with horses, but a lot of those same things, you know, apply here. So it piqued my interest.” FanDuel reported a 70% jump in NASCAR bets in one season alone. NASCAR is even testing parimutuel-style wagering, where fans bet into a pool. It’s not just about speed anymore; it’s about odds and strategy and about picking the right driver at the right track. These platforms offer a buffet of wages, outright winners, head-to-heads, fastest pit-stop, and even live-in-race microbets.

NASCAR betting is currently available in states where sports betting has been legalized, such as Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, among others. Florida still seems to be having ongoing discussions about the legalization of sports betting.

The odds for the Viva Mexico 250

This weekend marks a monumental step for NASCAR as the Cup Series hits International asphalt at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The high-altitude challenge, plus the focus on calling for potential rain, has sportsbooks buzzing with activity as fans prepare for what could be one of the wildest races of the year.

Leading the odds board is Shane van Gisbergen at +330, the clear favorite thanks to his road course prowess. Aggressive yet calculated style has already knitted him a win in similar formats, making him a prime pick for race day wagers. Close behind are our other road warriors like Christopher Bell (+700), William Byron (+650), and Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson, both sitting at (+750). It’s a loaded lineup with unpredictable variables, exactly the kind of chaos that sharp bettors live for.

And there’s more than just odds at play. Daniel Suarez returns to his homeland with the hopes of an entire nation on his back. Listed at +1600, Suarez is considered a dark horse, but there is undeniable magic in racing on Home soil. Combine that with the unpredictable elements of road racing, and Suarez becomes a sentimental favorite if not a statistical one.

With Amazon Prime and FOX FS1 carrying the live broadcast and betting windows open across the US and beyond, this race is more than just a historic milestone. It’s a betting battleground where long shots, local pride, and high drama converge under the Mexico City skyline.

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