PGA Tour reviews gambling sponsorship regulations

The PGA Tour has revised its sponsorship regulations and loosened the hurdles for gambling operators.

US.- The PGA Tour has announced that it reviewed its stance on sponsorships with gambling companies and will consider proposals to become official partners of all six tours under its auspices. This decision comes almost a year after the US Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting.

The golf organisation said that tournaments and players will also be authorised to sign sponsorships with gambling operators if they wish to do so, something that was prohibited under previous regulations.

The new framework, which takes immediate effect, applies to casino operators as well as daily fantasy sports companies, while sports betting operators can be considered for potential sponsorships outside the United States.

Other sports leagues and organizations in the US have already changed their regulations to allow these type of sponsorships and take advantage of the benefits and revenue that comes with the legalisation of sports betting. The PGA Tour said that it lifted its ban on associating with these companies after a comprehensive internal review of its policies.

“As the situation with legalised sports betting in the US has evolved since the Supreme Court’s ruling last May, we’ve seen broader acceptance in sports betting and gaming involvement with pro sports,” said PGA Tour senior vice president Andy Levinson.

“We felt it was time to look at our policies, given the public perception around gaming, and to update those policies to be consistent with public sentiment.”

According to David Miller, a vice president and assistant general counsel at the PGA Tour, these changes will boost fan engagement in the near future: “We want to develop partnerships in the gaming and fantasy industry that drive fan engagement – that provide our fans a deeper way to enjoy golf.

“We expect these partnerships will help create new golf gaming products that will enhance the in-venue and at-home fan experience.”