Golf PGA Tour to launch on-site betting at its US events next year

PGA (Professional Golfers Association) Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has revealed that the preeminent North American golf circuit plans to roll out on-site betting offerings at its events in the US from next year.

Speaking to the AFP news agency during the Zozo Championship in Japan, Monahan said the move would help keep more fans interested over the course of an entire day of tournament action, which can stretch to 12 hours or more.

“You’ll start to see product in the market place next year,” he said. “It's all about engagement. When done right, it gives fans the opportunity to engage with your sport over a longer period of time and have more interest in what's happening across the entire player field.”

"As it is becoming legalised by state in the US, you can either participate or not, and we feel smarter to be participating... versus let others control it," he added.

Monahan did not provide details of exactly what kind of betting products would be introduced, but he said they are being developed as part of the PGA Tour’s multi-year global partnership with IMG Arena, the agency giant’s sports betting unit.

A key component of that deal was to support the PGA Tour’s integrity program, and Monahan added that protecting the organisation from betting-related corruption will remain a priority. “Once you start to participate, you can eliminate negative bets,” Monahan said. “We've done a ton of work to make certain that that's the position we're in. I think when we come forward, you'll see that we've taken significant steps to address that. We're going to participate in a thoughtful way and I'm really comfortable with that.”

The PGA Tour has revised its approach to gambling since the US Supreme Court’s decision last May to repeal PASPA, allowing individual states to have the authority to legalise sports betting within their borders.

In February, the PGA Tour relaxed its stance on sponsorships with gambling entities, opening itself up to deals with larger casino companies and fantasy sports operators in the US. That news was followed by a partnership announced in July with DraftKings, which was designated the first ever official daily fantasy game of the PGA Tour.