After years of being spoken of in code words – if it was mentioned at all – sports gambling continues its rapid move into the mainstream with the latest announcement from NASCAR.
In many ways, it was a perfectly ordinary press release: on Wednesday the racing organization said it has selected Extreme Networks, Inc., a cloud-driven networking company, to participate in the NASCAR Technology Partner Platform.
Together with Verizon Business, the technology integration and managed services lead for the project, Extreme will deploy a large public venue solution architecture inclusive of Wi-Fi 6 access points at the 12 high-speed race and super speedways operated directly by NASCAR.
The deployment also includes Wi-Fi 6 and network analytics for back-office operations at NASCAR’s headquarters in Florida.
The parties said in a statement the new access points will be combined with real-time analytics to “power innovative, immersive and compelling fan experiences, while improving operating efficiency.”
Again, nothing terribly remarkable, until one reads the next sentence: “By leveraging Extreme’s cloud-driven Wi-Fi 6, NASCAR will offer high-efficiency, high-capacity networking that will serve as the critical foundation for powering experiences such as mobile ticketing, mobile concessions and mobile sports betting.”
Yes, mobile sports betting.
After decades of treating gambling as a sin that needed to be kept as far away from sports as possible to avoid the taint of cheating, NASCAR and numerous other sports leagues have jumped whole hog into sports wagering.
The most remarkable part of today’s news is the utterly matter-of-fact nature in which it was delivered. There were the words “mobile sports betting” mentioned right along with ticketing and concessions. Sports wagering has become a given, not something to be whispered.
Real-time analytics
Extreme said its ExtremeAnalytics will provide NASCAR with real-time visibility into the health and performance of the Wi-Fi network, mobile application usage patterns across the stadium and fan preferences. In addition, they company said NASCAR will have a “single pane of glass” to better understand and optimize venue operations, which in turn will enable it to continually improve fan-facing experiences and operational efficiencies of each track.
“Fans expect experiences at the speedway to be immersive, engaging and highly connected,” Christine Stoffel-Moffett, vice president, enterprise technology for NASCAR, said in a statement. “Extreme provides the critical technology foundation for us to offer innovative fan experiences such as mobile transactions, sports betting, AR/VR, and biometrics, while providing greater visibility into the effectiveness of our operations. These insights will allow us to regularly calibrate the way we deploy staff, ensure safety and security, and push the boundaries on creating unique experiences. Extreme is a great partner in helping us make NASCAR the most inspiring and future-forward sports organization on the planet.”
Sampath Sowmyanarayan, CRO, Verizon Business, added: “We are building on the already long-standing relationship with NASCAR, and together with Extreme Networks, we are working to transform the motorsports industry delivering greater fan, team, operations and overall venue experiences across the US.”
Ed Meyercord, president and CEO, Extreme Networks, said, “NASCAR has taken a forward-thinking approach on how to use our technology to improve operational effectiveness, while creating endless possibilities for the organization to engage and attract a new generation of fans. We are proud to play such an important role in NASCAR’s business transformation and are confident that our solutions will provide them with the performance and insights they need to drive future innovation.”
