Tipico Sportsbook will be making its NASCAR debut this weekend at a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Tipico has partnered with Front Row Motorsports to sponsor Front Row driver Zane Smith’s No. 38 Ford F-150 at the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150.
The race is set for Saturday, July 8 in Lexington, located between Columbus and Akron. Tipico is one of 18 Ohio online sportsbooks currently operating in the state.
Ohio one of four states Tipico currently operates
The German-based Tipico Sportsbook is currently also available to users in three other states — Colorado, New Jersey and Iowa.
David Paschkes, chief commercial officer of Tipico North America, indicated in a press release announcing the Front Row/Smith partnership that this could be just the start of Tipico’s NASCAR partnerships.
“Through our partnership, we aim to increase our presence and support the NASCAR community, especially those in Ohio, New Jersey, Colorado and Iowa, by bringing the excitement of sports betting directly to fans where the action is happening,” Paschkes said. “As a leading sports betting platform, we are committed to providing an unparalleled experience for all fans and enthusiasts of NASCAR.”
Tipico promo puts new users’ names on Smith truck
To promote the new partnership, Tipico Sportsbook offered a special promotion whereby new users could have their names printed on Smith’s truck.
The “Ride with Zane” promotion gave new users who deposited at least $38 into their account $150 in bet credits, as well as the opportunity to have their name (or a name of their choosing) included on the truck bed of Smith’s Ford F-150.
The top five new users who deposited the most money were also awarded VIP passes to Saturday’s race or another NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race of their choosing.
The “Ride with Zane” promotion, which ended in late June, was limited to the first 300 qualifying new users who signed up. According to a recent post on Front Row Motorsports website, the names of “30+ new Tipico customers” have been added to Smith’s truck.
New users can still take advantage of NASCAR promo
Though the deadline to have their names printed on the truck has passed, new Tipico users can still get in on the NASCAR action via another promo offer.
Through July 31, new users who deposit at least $38 and use the code “ZANE38” can still receive $150 in bet credits. The new user using the code that deposits the most money will receive $250 in bet credits and a piece of the truck Smith is racing this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The second and third largest depositors will be awarded Front Row Motorsports Crew shirts.
Tipico will be on-site all weekend at Mid-Ohio offering new sign-ups and giveaways. Smith will be signing autographs Saturday morning at Tipico’s booth at the course.
Race is Tipico’s latest Ohio-focused marketing effort
The sponsorship of Smith’s truck at Mid-Ohio is Tipico’s latest Ohio-centric marketing effort since launching in the state on Jan. 1.
Tipico is Columbus Crew’s official sports betting partner. Besides the Crew being Tipico’s market-access partner (enabling the sportsbook to offer its online product statewide), plans were announced for a retail sportsbook at the team’s Lower.com Field. Tipico has also offered Crew-related promos, and the sportsbook even has branding on the team’s jerseys, an Ohio first.
Late last year, Tipico signed a partnership deal with concert promoter AEG Presents, which made Tipico the exclusive sportsbook sponsor of multiple AEG Presents owned and operated music venues in Ohio, including Cleveland’s Agora Theatre and Columbus’ KEMBA Live!
Tipico also has a partnership with Gannett, providing odds for the national newspaper chain that operates numerous papers in Ohio, including the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer and Akron Beacon Journal.
Tipico maintains low market share in first months of Ohio sports betting
Despite a focus on Ohio partnerships, Tipico hasn’t been able to increase its market standing in the state.
Tipico has come in eighth in terms of handle in each of the first five months of legal sports betting in Ohio. The sportsbook’s peak market share numbers came in March and April when Tipico garnered 1.4% of the market’s total handle.
For May, Tipico’s handle was $4.7 million, which comes out to a 1.1% market share.
Tipico had been fairly aggressive in promotional spending. In the first four months of sports betting in Ohio, Tipico ranked in the top 5 of online sportsbooks’ promo spending.
But Tipico’s monthly revenue numbers have yet to exceed its promotional spending. In May, Tipico’s promo spend was 53% less than April’s. But its May revenue was still about $37,000 less than its promotional spending for the month.
Smith favored to win at Mid-Ohio
This is the second year for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio. This year’s race airs on FS1 at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 8. Practice and qualifying runs air on Friday, July 7 on FS1 beginning at 4 p.m.
One of the more dominant drivers over the past three seasons and the reigning NASCAR Truck Series champion, Zane Smith came in second at last year’s inaugural O’Reilly 150, just behind winner Parker Kligerman. Smith is a favorite to claim the Truck Series championship again this year, though he currently trails Corey Heim in the standings.
Smith is the favorite to win Saturday at all of the Ohio sportsbook’s offering odds on the race. Tipico, BetMGM OH, Hard Rock Sportsbook and BetJACK Ohio all have Smith favored to win with +250 odds.
