Best Indy 500 Betting Offers

Q: When and where is the Indianapolis 500 held?

The race takes place annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana (an enclave suburb of Indianapolis), typically on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (late May). The 109th running occurred on May 25, 2025.

Q: Who has won the most Indy 500s?

There are four drivers with four Indy 500 wins each:A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977)Al Unser Sr. (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987)Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991)Hélio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021)Foyt was the first driver to win the race four times. Unser Sr. became the oldest Indy 500 winner at age 47.

Q: How many laps and drivers are in the Indy 500?

The race is 200 laps around a 2.5‑mile oval, totaling 500 miles, with a field of 33 starters arranged in 11 rows of three cars.Some drivers attempt the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca‑Cola 600 on the same day, called “Double Duty.” Tony Stewart did it in 2001; Kyle Larson tried it again in 2025.

Q: How fast do the drivers go in the Indy 500?

During the race, top speeds on straights can exceed 240 mph. Cornering speeds are lower, generally 215–225 mph.The average pace is between 165 and 190 mph due to cautions.Average speeds during qualifying are typically between 231 and 234 mph (often higher than in the actual race). In 2024, Alex Palou set the all-time fastest qualifying average at 234.217 mph.

Q: How do drivers qualify for the Indy 500?

Qualifying happens over two days. On Saturday, drivers set speeds for grid positions 13–30 (or 33). The top 12 advance to a Sunday shootout to determine the first four rows. There's also a Last Chance Qualifying to fill final lineup spots.

Q: How many people attend the Indy 500?

Permanent seating capacity is around 235,000, and with infield attendance, race day crowds can exceed 350,000 to 400,000 spectators. Kids age 15 and under get free entry in general admission if accompanied by a paying adult.

Above, we’ve designed a quick comparison tool to help you find the best Indy 500 betting site.

You can select up to three betting sites from the list above and click Add to Compare to compare their offers, features, payment methods, and more side-by-side.

If you’re unsure which online site suits you, this tool can help you quickly spot the right fit. Give it a try and see how the options stack up.

Note that betting offers vary based on your location.

How We Test & Rate Indy 500 Betting Sites & Offers

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Best Indy 500 Bets

To Win: As it says, you’re betting on one driver to win the race. Indianapolis is a little less murky in this regard than many American motorsports events, given that the pool of contenders at the top is relatively solid, and it’s hard for true outsiders to break in. Still, there are no guarantees. Most to-win bets are in moneyline format, with a plus number that indicates how much a bettor would win with a $100 wager.
Podium: Open-wheel racing loves its podiums, where the top three finishers stand during the ceremony after the event. Betting on this top-three finish would bring less favorable odds than those to win, but give the bettor a better chance at collecting.
Matchups: A head-to-head bet between two drivers, winning or losing depending on how they fare against one another, regardless of what else happens in the race. One would be a favorite and one an underdog.
Futures: A bet on the race's outcome made well in advance. In the weeks and months leading up to the Indy 500, not much is known about the contenders other than their personal history at Indy and how they’ve fared in the IndyCar season. Betting earlier via a futures wager can bring more favorable odds for a driver likely to assert himself as a favorite in May.
Props: Special bets that can add a fun degree of variety, and potentially offer a better chance to collect. Prop bets depend on what betting site you are using; a few potential props are top American finisher, which former Indy 500 champ will have the best result, will there be a rain delay, or will the event end under caution. Some individual drivers, especially popular ones, may have their suite of prop bets, so shop around.

Indianapolis 500 Betting Tips

Among auto races, the Indy 500 stands unmatched in tradition, a primary reason it can attract crowds of 300,000. It all started on a brick surface in the early 1900s, earning the race the nickname "Brickyard," remembered today in the one yard of bricks at the start/finish line.

There’s a lot to take in at the Indianapolis 500, with all that spectacle greeting one of the biggest crowds in American sports. To help cut through all the distractions, here are five things to consider when wagering on the premier event in U.S. open-wheel racing.

Know the Favorites

And not necessarily just the names atop the odds list. In modern times, the Indy 500 is a race dominated by three owners, and knowing their entries is paramount when laying action.

Roger Penske has won it a record 18 times, most recently in 2019 with Simon Pagenaud. His drivers are always top contenders. Michael Andretti never won the Indy 500 as a driver, but his cars have won it six times. Chip Ganassi entries have won three times between 2009 and 2020.

Forget Everything Else

The Indy 500 is so different that nothing from earlier in the year provides an accurate barometer of how drivers will perform over May. Everything about the Indy 500 is unique, including the event itself.

Even apart from other ovals, drivers have seen nothing like those long, blistering Indianapolis Motor Speedway straights that test both nerves and horsepower thresholds. The track is fast, mean, and punishing. If you bet based on results at street layouts and road courses, do so at your peril.

Watch the Interlopers

The Indy 500 attracts big names from other racing disciplines who want to try the event. NASCAR drivers Danica Patrick, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Kurt Busch, and Tony Stewart have all crossed over, as have Formula 1 mainstays Graham Hill, Fernando Alonso, and Jim Clark.

These are typically top drivers with well-funded efforts that attract much media attention, so they’re not showing up just to run in circles.

Monitor Practice Times

It’s a long month with a lot of track time, and by the time the green flag drops, it’s pretty clear who the favorites are.

No question, the track is a bear, and it tests the setup as much as it does the driver. Engine failures (or worse) occur simply because of forces impossible to appreciate unless you’re sitting up close watching cars try to navigate this narrow 2.5-mile oval.

Odds will surely shift based on practice performances, but nothing better indicates who the top contenders will be.

Be Wary of Longshots

The Indianapolis 500 is traditionally a top-heavy race, with just three owners who produce most of the winners, and a track capable of tearing lesser equipment apart.

Alexander Rossi and Takuma Sato may not have been household names when they won in 2016 and 2017, but they drove for an Andretti team that often dominates the race. Sato won it again in 2020, driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

There may be some tempting options in long-shot territory, but history indicates they won’t have the equipment to mount a serious charge.

Indy 500 Traditions and History

After winning the 1936 Indianapolis 500, Louis Meyer was so parched he grabbed a bottle of buttermilk to quench his thirst in Victory Lane. A dairy executive noticed, and a tradition was born, one of many surrounding the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Balloons are released during the annual rendition of “Back Home Again in Indiana” just before engines start. The distinct 2.5-mile layout hasn’t changed since the facility opened in 1909, featuring four sharp, flat turns, two long straights, and a pair of tricky “short chutes.”

Winners are awarded the Borg-Warner Trophy, commissioned in 1935 by the auto company of the same name. This unique trophy features the faces of the winning drivers. Winners are also awarded a pace car, usually a Chevrolet.

Recent Indy 500 Winners’ Odds

Year	Winner	Odds
2025	Alex Palou	+550
2024	Josef Newgarden	+500
2023	Josef Newgarden	+1400
2022	Marcus Ericsson	+2000
2021	Hélio Castroneves	+3000
2020	Takuma Sato	+1600
2019	Simon Pagenaud	+800
2018	Will Power	+1000
2017	Takuma Sato	+1500
2016	Alexander Rossi	+2000
2015	Juan Pablo Montoya	+5500
2014	Ryan Hunter-Reay	+1200
2013	Tony Kanaan	+1500
2012	Dario Franchitti	+900
2011	Dan Wheldon	+1000
2010	Dario Franchitti	+450
2009	Hélio Castroneves	+400

Responsible Gambling on Indy 500

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Indy 500 betting sites must follow strict protocols to spot, prevent, and reduce gambling-related harm. These aren't optional measures; they're legal requirements and essential safeguards that protect vulnerable players from developing problematic habits.

We always keep these requirements in mind whenever we review and rate a betting site, and we only partner with licensed operators that adhere to legal standards. Moreover, all betting sites we review here have responsible gambling tools and resources to help you stay in control of your betting.