FanDuel partners with Formula 1 in North America

Ziv Chen

1 May 2026 at 4:36am UTC-4

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FanDuel has become the official betting operator of Formula 1 in the US and Canada.

It is the first time that the sport has signed up a betting operator for the region. Under the agreement, FanDuel’s platform and data will be added to Formula 1’s digital platforms, including its website and mobile app.

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FanDuel content will also be used in the sport’s age-restricted betting guide, alongside editorial features as part of Formula 1’s strategy to expand betting engagement in North America.

Fans in eligible jurisdictions will be able to bet at FanDuel on a range of outcomes, including race winners, podium finishes, and head-to-head driver matchups. Other betting options are expected to be introduced later in the current season.

Formula 1 Director of Commercial Partnerships Jonny Haworth said, “As sports betting becomes an increasing component with how fans, especially in the US, interact with sport, it’s vital we have a strong and well-placed partner to deliver our strategy and fuel our momentum across the market. With tens of millions of fans across the country, FanDuel is yet another avenue that eligible fans can enjoy and experience the thrill of Formula 1.”

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The Backstory

Betting meets the grid in North America

Formula 1’s decision to name FanDuel its official betting operator in the United States and Canada caps a steady build toward deeper wagering engagement across the sport and the broader U.S. media landscape. The move follows a series of data, media, and compliance alignments that are reshaping how fans discover odds, place bets, and stick with platforms through live events and casino content.

F1 has been laying the groundwork to turn live race moments into bettable experiences. It has also watched the U.S. sports betting market mature into a content-first, distribution-driven contest where rights, data speed, on-screen integrations, and player funnels determine share. FanDuel’s arrival on F1’s official digital surfaces extends the operator’s expanding bundle of media tie-ups, casino catalog additions, and compliance infrastructure designed for a fragmented regulatory map.

The stakes are high. Racing delivers long windows of live action and strategy variation, a fit for in-race markets that can scale handle without the stoppage cadence of U.S. stick-and-ball sports. For F1, the partnership adds a powerful North American acquisition channel. For FanDuel, it opens a high-growth fandom with a deepening U.S. footprint and a calendar that complements the peak cycles of mainstream leagues.

Real-time data to power in‑race markets

F1’s parallel push on predictive data and live pricing explains why the sport has moved quickly to standardize tools that enhance bet timing and relevance. In February, F1 struck a deal with San Diego-based ALT Sports Data to supply real-time predictive analysis and priced odds to regulated sportsbooks and fans globally. The partnership is designed to support bespoke markets and micro-markets that depend on speed, model accuracy, and resilient distribution under race conditions.

Emily Prazer, F1’s chief commercial officer, framed sports betting as a growing slice of the global fan experience and cast ALT as a specialist in live pricing and niche market development. That positioning hints at where the product is heading: more granular markets on pit-stop windows, tire strategies, sector performance, and head-to-head matchups that refresh throughout a race. Those mechanics require consistent data quality and short-latency delivery — table stakes for user trust and operator risk management.

For FanDuel, access to official F1 surfaces and audiences pairs naturally with a data ecosystem oriented around in-play. As the ALT integration matures, sportsbooks can offer denser menus of live bets, which convert casual viewers into active bettors and keep existing customers engaged over multi-hour broadcasts. That increases session length and the likelihood of cross-sell into same-race parlays or next-session qualifying markets.

FanDuel’s media strategy moves up the grid

FanDuel has been methodically stitching betting into premium live sports streams, giving the operator distribution beyond its own app and site. This winter it became the official odds provider for NBA and WNBA on Amazon’s Prime Video, embedding bet tracking, live odds views, and custom segments into broadcasts. The message is consistent: meet fans where they already watch, present betting as an additive layer, and use personalities to normalize on-screen odds.

The Prime Video integration functions as both a brand halo and a conversion tool. Feature placements increase casual exposure to price movement and bet types, while in-broadcast prompts can push viewers to the FanDuel app. Translating that playbook to F1’s digital estate — with context-rich odds and editorial features — should drive similar behavior among race fans, especially as U.S. events stack up across the calendar.

Media carriage also helps mitigate customer acquisition risk as paid search and affiliate costs rise. Owning or renting prominent windows inside live sports feeds is a hedge against performance-marketing inflation and a route to differentiated experiences that rivals struggle to match without equivalent rights.

Casino content as a retention engine

Sports handles spike around tentpoles, but ongoing value depends on keeping users active between marquee events. FanDuel has been expanding its casino library and engagement mechanics to deepen time spent and repeat visits. In February, online slots maker Wazdan said it would launch new titles with FanDuel Casino in Michigan and Ontario, including Mighty Fish: Blue Marlin and 36 Coins, with distribution via Light & Wonder.

Wazdan’s portfolio brings features like Cash Infinity and Hold the Jackpot, which are engineered to increase session duration and bonus-cycle engagement. For a sportsbook adding F1 betting windows across weekends, a stronger casino cross-sell funnel helps smooth volatility in sports revenue and monetizes the broader audience that comes in through racing content. That matters in markets where same-game parlays in stick-and-ball sports currently dominate yield and could seasonally decline.

Integrated wallets and seamless navigation from a live betting slip to a slots lobby also reduce friction. As more states weigh iGaming, operators that have tested and tuned these bridges in existing jurisdictions will be better positioned to capitalize when new markets open.

Compliance and coverage in a patchwork market

Expanding live betting on motorsports intensifies the need for precise geolocation, know-your-customer flows, and multi-state account management. Suppliers are moving to upgrade those layers. Sportsbook platform provider Amelco recently partnered with geolocation firm Radar to reinforce compliance and reduce fraud across 17 U.S. states and Ontario, highlighting demand for flexible, scalable geofencing alternatives.

While FanDuel operates its own stack, the broader supplier momentum indicates where the bar is heading. In-race betting means users place more frequent wagers, sometimes in quick sequences, amplifying the need for low-friction yet robust compliance checks and location verification. As additional states regulate or refine rules, operators that can adapt geolocation and wallet logic with minimal user disruption will maintain conversion and protect margins.

That back-end reliability will be critical for F1, whose North American audience spans states with different permissions for online betting, in-play markets, and casino products. Consistency at the edge — the user’s device — can be a competitive differentiator when presenting live markets that refresh every few seconds.

New pipes to convert sports audiences

The fight for user attention is also moving upstream to publishers and content hubs that can steer intent. Acquisition specialists are building tools that connect sports coverage directly to regulated sportsbooks. Player acquisition firm Acquire.bet said it would exclusively deploy E2’s sports data and content technology in North America, stitching state-specific sportsbook links into branded hubs with tips, pregame analysis, and free-to-play games.

For F1, whose editorial and statistical content plays a major role in how fans follow qualifying, tires, and lap times, this type of monetized content layer is a natural companion to official data and live odds. It provides pathways from discovery to bet slip, tailored to jurisdiction and user appetite. For FanDuel, broader access to high-intent audiences through publisher networks reduces reliance on costlier channels and creates a steady pipeline around the F1 season arc.

The throughline is clear: a sport standardizing live betting data, an operator embedding into premium video, a casino portfolio built for engagement, a compliance stack ready for in-race volume, and affiliate tech that converts readers into bettors. As FanDuel plants its flag on F1’s North American surfaces, the industry’s recent moves suggest the product roadmap — more micro-markets, deeper integrations, and a tighter bridge between watching, wagering, and returning.