BetMGM, Richard Childress Racing Team Up for Speedway Casino Game

^{BetMGM Speedway places players behind the virtual wheel of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 and No. 8 Chevrolet Camaros, with gameplay modeled after high-volatility “crash” mechanics. (Image: RCR)}

BetMGM rolled out BetMGM Speedway on Thursday, a new online casino game featuring cars from Richard Childress Racing (RCR).

The gaming operator has been a partner to RCR since 2021, when NASCAR adopted a BetMGM-branded paint scheme on its two cars that season.

RCR Cars Take Center Stage

The new game allows players to back either (or both) of RCR’s iconic cars: the No. 3 car currently driven by Austin Dillon, or the No. 8, driven by Kyle Busch. While the drivers themselves do not appear in the title, the game features each car's visual identity.

The game will be available through BetMGM Casino in both Michigan and New Jersey, as well as at Borgata Online in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

According to a press release, BetMGM Speedway features a 94 percent return-to-player (RTP), a high volatility play style, and a maximum payout of 10,000x per bet. While the release didn’t dive into details of how gameplay works, both visual elements and quotes suggested a fast-paced game where players can try to hold on for bigger payouts for as long as possible, similar to other “crash games” like DK Rocket.

“Partnering with RCR for BetMGM Speedway allows us to capture the elements of racing, such as acceleration and split-second decision making, in a casino game,” BetMGM Chief Revenue Officer Matt Prevost said in a statement. “BetMGM Speedway is another way to get racing season off to a flying start.”

RCR also praised the game as a natural step in the partnership between the two brands.

“BetMGM Speedway is a strong example of the collaborative nature between RCR and BetMGM,” RCR President Mike Verlander said in a statement. “BetMGM is at the forefront of the sports betting and online gaming industry, and RCR is proud to help BetMGM capture the thrill of racing leading into one of our sport’s biggest races.”

Online Gambling Site Promoting Racing Games

As the vague racing language suggests, the game doesn’t hold a NASCAR license. However, Verlander was clearly alluding to the Daytona 500, which takes place at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 15. Kyle Busch has taken the pole position in qualifying, and Austin Dillon will line up 12^th for the iconic race.

BetMGM isn’t the only gaming brand that has tried to integrate NASCAR racing into its online gambling portfolio.

In October, Hard Rock Bet – the online gambling portal for the Seminole Tribe of Florida – announced that it would offer what was essentially “Historic NASCAR Racing,” in which players bet on what looks like a standard slot machine, but where results are determined by the results of randomly selected previous NASCAR races.

Players can choose their own drivers based on the provided stats, or allow the machine to autopick drivers, in which case it plays far more like a traditional slot. The game was designed to qualify as sports betting, as the Seminole Tribe’s current compact with the state of Florida doesn’t allow for online casino gambling.