For more than five years, sports betting has been expanding across the United States. After the repeal of PASPA, lawmakers in different states enacted retail, mobile or in some cases both retail and mobile sports wagering, allowing punters to be able to wager via legal operators. While there are unquestionable benefits of legal wagering, including support for teams and tax revenue that can be vital for different local and state programs, the activity raises concerns, especially about the integrity of sports and the safety of the professional players.

In a recent interview for NBC Sports’ Golf Central, Norb Gambuzza, PGA Tour’s senior vice president of media and gaming, spoke about the challenges the Tour is facing considering the growth of the legal betting sector and what actions it takes to ensure the integrity of the game.

One of the constant efforts of the PGA Tour is monitoring the betting activities across the world in real-time. This enables the Tour to determine if there are suspicious transactions across the market and if there’s a lot of money moving across the lines for certain players. Those efforts are completed under the PGA Tour’s integrity program.

“We are constantly, in real-time, monitoring betting activity around the world to see what is happening with individual players.“

Norb Gambuzza, senior vice president of media and gaming with the PGA Tour

PGA Tour Officials Are Prohibited from Wagering on Sports

Over the last year, several scandals emerged that involved NFL players engaging in sports betting. In a few cases, some fuming bettors used social media to threaten professional athletes, actions that shook the sports vertical and once again raised concerns about the safety of the players.

In the recent interview, Gambuzza was also asked how the PGA Tour monitors incidents related to golfers who engage in sports wagering. He revealed that after the repeal of PASPA, the Tour implemented robust policies related to integrity, setting clear rules for anyone who has PGA Tour credentials or otherwise people referred to as covered persons.

This policy effectively informs all covered persons about the integrity requirements that safeguard the sport. Not unexpectedly, PGA Tour’s covered persons are prohibited from engaging in wagering on golf, explained Gambuzza.

Besides enforcing internal compliance, the PGA Tour uses the services of Genius Sports and US Integrity, two of its partners that facilitate monitoring betting activities across the globe. Finally, Gambuzza explained that all of the PGA Tour’s betting partners have a list of the covered persons so if anyone places a wager on golf, they are going to be identified right away.

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The poker tournament series that takes place at different locations all across the US, The Moneymaker Tour, has announced a new and exciting partnership with Texas Card House in Houston.

The newly inked deal will allow the Tour which strives to help players “have their own ordinary to extraordinary moments” to host its first scheduled event in 2024 in Texas. 

The Lone Star State will, therefore, help the Moneymaker Tour kickstart the new year with 12 days packed with action at the tables, between January 10 and January 22. 

Over $500,000 in Prize Money Announced

Texas Card House Houston, which is one of the locations of Texas Card House, the state’s first private poker club, will host no less than 12 trophy events.

The buy-ins will start at $150 and go as high as $1,500. The Moneymaker Tour, which was created by 2003 World Series of Poker Champion and ACR Team Pro, Chris Moneymaker, along with Moneymaker executive manager Tony Burns, has also announced over $500,000 in guarantees across the series. 

The Main Event will take place between January 16 – January 22 and will feature a buy-in of $1,500 and a guaranteed prize pool of $250,000. The event’s final table will be streamed live on January 22.

The Moneymaker Tour’s executive manager, Tony Burns, expressed excitement for being able to step into the new year “in a new state with a new partner”. 

He also discusses Texas’ transformation into a state that offers “great action” while expressing their eagerness to have their “first-ever stop in Houston” on January 10.

The Partnership, “a Key Highlight” for Texas Cas House

At the same time, Texas Card House’s chief operating officer, Victor Leone, called the new partnership “a key highlight” in their continuous efforts to provide premium experiences for poker players in the state. 

Leone added that their community should expect “a dynamic and thrilling tournament series” that will put “high-stakes play and intense competition synonymous with Chris Moneymaker” on full display. 

The Moneymaker Tour was inaugurated at the Poker Room at Palm Beach Kennel Club in May 2023 and has been growing in popularity ever since. 

Its third series was held at the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati a few months ago, in September, and it was the first series to draw a $1 million guaranteed Main Event. 

The event gathered 788 participants and was won by Joseph Bakun who took home over $208,000.

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Sports content pioneer Stats Perform has unveiled an extension of its exclusive data agreement with the WTA Tour, the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. As a result, the sports data specialist will continue to collect and distribute official WTA data and live streams to its network of partnering sportsbooks.

This deal extends the two parties’ long-standing partnership and will make official WTA live scores, stats and content available across Stats Perform’s worldwide distribution network. As a result, WTA data will reach a number of sports betting operators, media and tech giants and broadcasters.

The partnership between Stats Perform and the WTA Tour reflects the former company’s dedication to women’s sports. Since its inception, the tie-up has seen the two parties introduce many innovations, including:

• full coverage of outer courts and qualifiers
• new AI enriched Opta metrics like clutch points and win probabilities
• interactive AI enriched live streaming features like instant highlights and tailored insights that display on-screen during games
• expert Opta research support for commentators and interviewers
• the addition of a more detailed in-venue data feed, alongside the umpire data feed.

Stats Perform added that WTA tennis sits alongside official live streams and data from Tennis Australia in its exclusive media rights portfolio. The company also has data agreements with a number of professional soccer, basketball, cricket, rugby, ice hockey and badminton leagues, among others.

An Exceptional Partnership

Martina Storti, WTA Ventures’ chief executive officer, commented on the partnership, saying that she is excited to continue working with Stats Perform. She praised the latter company’s data and insights, saying that they are in line with the WTA’s plans to drive fan engagement.

The development of long-term relationships with industry partners is an important source of commercial revenue underpinning our ambition to reinvest in the sport and help the WTA achieve the goal of equal prize money for women at all top events.

Martina Storti, CEO, WTA Ventures

Alex Rice, Stats Perform’s chief commercial officer, also commented on the matter, saying that the stats specialist’s team is likewise delighted to deepen its ties to the WTA.

We’re proud of what our respective teams have achieved together so far and excited to continue to elevate fan and bettor experiences with the most reliable, comprehensive and innovative official WTA content.

Alex Rice, CCO, Stats Perform

Rice added that now that the Tour is set to feature more tournaments and matches, it will provide even more opportunities for sportsbooks and media partners to engage fans.

Stats Perform added that this partnership extension comes just after the company secured the Best Sports Data Product accolade at the 2023 SBC Awards for the second year in a row.

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In a provocative take during SI Golf’s Bad Takes Week, journalist Alex Miceli has suggested that PGA Tour players should be allowed to make casual wagers on golf events. Miceli proposed a limit of $100 for players, noting that the sum represented a psychological threshold. Although his proposal is hypothetical, it draws attention to golf’s sometimes contentious relationship with gambling.

Golf and Betting Have a Long-Shared History

The issue of sports wagering by athletes came to the forefront as Miceli argued for a pragmatic approach, setting a monetary threshold to ensure that bets remain small and for entertainment. He noted that gambling has been intertwined with the fabric of golf since its inception, and the PGA Tour should adapt its policies to reflect this reality.

Betting less than a C-note on golf is just plain fun, and no one is trying to get rich, just entertained.

Alex Miceli

Referencing research by Stanford University and the Journal of Gambling Studies, Miceli contended that gambling was predominantly a form of entertainment. He suggested that rather than restricting this aspect, the PGA Tour should acknowledge and accommodate it within reasonable limits, allowing athletes to enjoy its social side. Miceli argued that small bets would cause harm or compromise match integrity.

The journalist invoked the historical presence of gambling in golf, citing Old Tom Morris, widely regarded as one of the sport’s most famous historical figures, as an example. Miceli noted that Morris often placed wagers on golf challenge matches, advocating that present-day players should be allowed the same privilege. 

The PGA Regularly Engages with Operators

Recent suspensions of Korn Ferry Tour players Jake Staiano and Vince India sparked controversy as many fans noted that their harsh punishments did not reflect the severity of their transgressions. India will have to skip the game for six months, while Staiano’s penalty is milder and will only extend for three months.

Miceli questioned the irony of a Tour with an Integrity Program banning player gambling while maintaining official relationships with multiple betting operators. Staiano and India’s relatively minor bets on golf events led Miceli to advocate for a more lenient stance, accusing the PGA Tour of acting as a “fun police.” 

The PGA Tour needs to lighten up and allow a fundamental tenet of the game to proceed for everyone- including its own players.

Alex Miceli

By proposing a $100 limit, Miceli aims to strike a balance between allowing players to engage in a tradition of the game while ensuring that the integrity of golf remains intact. Despite his good intentions, his intentions are unlikely to gather momentum as wagering scandals in other sports have caused a shift in public sentiment, condemning all gambling from professional athletes.

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The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour has now become the first pickleball organization to join the sports betting hype and launch wagering markets. The FanDuel Sportsbook, one of the biggest operators in North America, has inaugurated the markets, becoming the first company to offer official data-powered markets and live video feeds on pickleball.

According to the announcement, FanDuel’s PPA Tour offerings will be available in 10 US states and one Canadian province. Bettors in those regions will be able to wager on a variety of events, including the Vulcan Kansas City Open, which starts today.

FanDuel will offer a number of markets, including match winners, correct match scores, total points (over/under) and head-to-head. At the same time, the PPA Tour will work together with Genius Sports to provide data and live video feeds to its partnering sportsbooks.

In the meantime, FanDuel collaborated with YouTube for a special NFL promotion.

The PPA Tour hopes that more sportsbooks will add pickleball markets once the discipline secures regulatory approval in additional states.

In line with the launch of betting markets, PPA Tour athletes and staff are now subject to the Tour Sports Betting and Integrity Policy and were required to complete a digital learning platform on integrity and player wellbeing. Sportradar assisted the tour in creating the platform and its Sports Betting and Integrity Policy.

The PPA Tour promised that it will make sure that all customers who opt to wager on the league will also have access to sufficient safer gambling tools.

The Launch of Betting Is an Important Moment for Pickleball

Connor Pardoe, PPA Tour’s founder and CEO, commented on the launch of betting markets, calling it a “monumental moment” for the association and the sport as a whole. Pardoe expressed his excitement, saying that he is glad that more and more people wish to watch pickleball and bet on matches.

Our venture into sports betting will bring a whole new level of engagement from current and new fans, and we continue to be excited for what the future holds for our sport.

Connor Pardoe, founder & CEO, PPA Tour

Sean Conroy, Genius Sport’s executive vice president, North America, also released a statement on the launch. He said that his team is excited to launch pickleball content, helping sportsbooks engage fans of the sport.

We’re excited to offer sportsbooks with valuable new content including low-latency video feeds on PPA Tour events, starting with this weekend’s Vulcan Kansas City Open.

Sean Conroy, EVP NA, Genius Sports

Speaking of Genius Sports, the company recently extended its partnership with the NFL and DFB.

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FanDuel, a prominent online gaming company in North America, has revealed plans to enhance its golf betting offerings through the integration of IMG ARENA’s Golf Event Centre into its Sportsbook platform. 

FanDuel’s Integration of Golf Event Centre Set to Transform Betting Experience

Scheduled to commence on August 10, the integration of the Golf Event Centre promises to revolutionize the golf betting experience for enthusiasts. With a special focus on the FedEx St. Jude Championship, FanDuel intends to provide bettors with a 25% profit boost on any live market bets made during the tournament. This initiative is intended to celebrate the launch and attract bettors to experience the new features.

Christian Genetski, president of FanDuel Group, expressed enthusiasm for the integration, stating: “By integrating IMG ARENA’s Golf Event Centre into our sportsbook platform, we can offer fans access to a robust catalog of live markets that will give them new ways to engage with the sport on every hole.”

The integration of the Golf Event Centre will introduce golf fans to an array of fresh live betting markets, including wagers on elements like closest-to-the-pin, longest drive, and the number of birdies. Additionally, the platform will feature exciting stroke-by-stroke bets that allow fans to immerse themselves in the tournament’s progression. An intriguing addition at the FedEx St. Jude Championship is the inclusion of a bunker shot challenge, where fans who present a bet slip can take a bunker shot for the chance to win $5,000 in Bonus Bets.

FanDuel Enhances PGA Tour Engagement with Advanced Data Visualization

Moreover, the Golf Event Centre will provide fans with advanced data visualization tools, enabling real-time shot tracking, hole profiles, and course maps. This feature will empower fans to make informed betting decisions during key PGA Tour events, enhancing their engagement with the sport. A live leaderboard, customizable to track the performance of favorite players hole by hole, will further enrich the experience for FanDuel customers.

Scott Warfield, vice president of gaming at the PGA Tour, acknowledged the significance of the development, stating: “Integrating the Golf Event Centre into FanDuel Sportsbook will be a massive win for golf fans, who will now have a robust offering of betting options to choose from as they tune in to see their favorite players and tournaments.”

FanDuel‘s remarkable revenue growth during the first quarter of 2023, with a 92% increase on an annual basis and a 147% surge in sportsbook revenue, suggests that the company is moving closer to achieving long-awaited profitability, benefitting from its strong presence and 50% market share in the US regulated betting market.

In other recent developments, FanDuel also renewed its collaboration with Women’s Tennis Association. The company further boosted the experience and security of its users by partnering with Prove Identity and enhanced its responsible gambling efforts by hiring Alison Kutler as FanDuel Group’s Vice President for Sustainability and Responsible Gaming.

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The DP Tour, a European men’s professional golf league, has designated OlyBet as its official betting operator in the Old Continent. The agreement between the two parties has been signed for two years and will cover all European countries with the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Thanks to the agreement, OlyBet, an Estonia-headquartered casino and sports betting company, will be able to provide its sports betting customers with the freshest information regarding the DP Tour.

Relevant DP Tour information will be available at OlyBet’s sportsbooks and casinos, while its online streaming platform, OlyBet YV, will broadcast content from the tour. As announced, the operator will follow 39 DP Tour tournaments this season alone.

New Fan Experiences Are at the Heart of the Relationship

Representatives from the two companies commented on the agreement in a promotional new video announcing the partnership.

David Brookes, senior commercial director for the European Tour Group, said that finding a betting partner was a natural step for the league.

I think the drama of golf lends itself perfectly to having a betting partner and in creating this partnership with OlyBet as our official European betting operator, I think it’s a tremendous opportunity to once again evolve and innovate experiences for the golf fans.

David Brookes, senior commercial director, European Tour Group

Brooks added that his team is truly passionate about what it will be able to deliver with OlyBet, saying that this betting agreement will provide fans with new opportunities.

Corey Plummer, chair and CEO of Olympic Entertainment Group and OlyBet Group, said that his team always seeks to leverage the thrill of sports to provide sports aficionados with unforgettable experiences. Plummer added that there are very few sports and activities that are better at bringing thrill, anticipation and excitement than golf.

This is a natural sport for competition, you can play it at all ages and all levels and be very competitive. So we want to create those kind of moments that bring more of that competitive juice and the thrill of the game to as many people as possible.

Corey Plummer, CEO, OlyBet Group

Plummer concluded that golf is growing rapidly and that there are many markets hungry for more golf content. However, he noted that being able to engage with golf through content really elevates the experience.

Plummer concluded that he is excited to provide European punters with more opportunities to engage with the sport and the players themselves.

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