Betway named F1’s first official betting operator as series rolls out gambling strategy
betway has been tabbed as Formula 1’s first officially licensed gambling operator as the series begins to implement a two-year strategy ahead of the 2026 season opening in Melbourne. F1 has signed a multiyear, non-exclusive agreement that allows Betway to use a proprietary in-race betting product created in partnership with San Diego-based Alt Sports Data. The series is prioritizing online betting content on its website and app while ruling out on-track logos or in-person retail kiosks for operators at this stage.
Betway deal: how the product works
The agreement gives Super Group’s Betway access to a product built from F1’s near-endless live, low-latency telemetry — data fed from cars and track sensors — that can power novel in-race wagering. That technology enables markets such as short-term, lap-by-lap outcomes, with one example being bets that choose which of two drivers will make a pit stop first in forthcoming laps. F1 hired San Diego-based Alt Sports Data last spring to develop the data product and is now rolling that product out to commercial partners under non-exclusive terms. Betway’s multiyear arrangement is the first of those pacts; F1 expects additional agreements with other operators to be announced in the coming weeks, including some with broad U. S. licensing footprints.
Reactions from F1 leadership and the betting team
Jonny Haworth, Director of Commercial Partnerships for F1, framed the non-exclusive approach as a market-minded choice: “didn’t want to alienate operators from integrating the data and marketing it. ” Haworth added that an exclusive partnership would shut the door on other operators’ willingness to integrate the data and market Formula 1 as a product. Mark Wrigley, a longtime IMG Arena executive who joined F1 last year as Head of Betting, will oversee these commercial relationships on a day-to-day basis as the series expands its betting footprint. F1 will also produce betting-related editorial content for its digital channels to support integration and fan engagement, emphasizing online channels rather than in-person retail points.
What comes next
F1’s move to enlist betway as its first licensed gambling partner is the opening chapter in a broader commercial push. Expect further operator agreements to be revealed in the near term and for the series to scale the new data-driven betting product across markets where partners hold licenses. The immediate priorities are integration of the low-latency product with operator platforms, editorial content rollouts on F1’s digital channels, and careful enforcement of the decision not to place operator branding on track. Oversight will remain with the series’ betting leadership as these commercial arrangements are implemented and expanded.
