The concrete barriers, wire fencing, and temporary grandstands are going up around Toronto Lakeshore Blvd. and through the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition for the three-day Honda Indy Toronto car race that starts tomorrow.
Kindred Group’s Unibet brand, licensed in Ontario, is getting in on the action, unveiled as the official online casino of the Honda Indy Toronto. Kindred also secured naming rights to the Unibet Finish Line Lounge, a trackside beer garden and viewing area, and the Unibet Victory Circle, the driver-celebration space.
Unlike some of their private operator brethren in the Ontario market – FanDuel, PointsBet Canada, Proline – Unibet has been quiet on the sponsorship front when it comes to sports teams and sporting events.
They see Toronto’s annual Indy car road race as an opportunity to reward VIP customers and promote their casino content.
“The Honda Indy is always a highly anticipated weekend in Toronto as our historic Exhibition Place grounds transform into a racetrack,” said Amanda Brewer, Kindred’s country manager for Canada, in a statement. “Unibet’s sponsoring this long-standing summer tradition gives us a chance to say thank you to our customers and support a fun and exhilarating event that is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2023.”
There should be considerable traffic in the victory circle; 12 races are scheduled, topped off by the 85-lap main event Indycar Series finale Sunday.
Unibet odds for the race are out as well: Alex Palou +350 to win, followed by Scott Dixon (+600), Colton Herta, Josef Newgarden, and Pato O’Ward (all at +800).
The first Toronto race, called the Molson Indy, was held in 1986 and quickly grew into one of the key stops on the racing circuit.
