PointsBet Becomes Latest PGA Tour Official Partner, Says Golf Betting a Growing Market

Posted on: August 19, 2020, 01:15h. 

Last updated on: August 19, 2020, 02:58h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More

Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

The PGA Tour on Tuesday announced it completed a deal with PointsBet allowing the Australian-based sportsbook operator to serve as an official betting partner of the men’s professional golf organization.

The multi-year deal means PointsBet will receive rights to use Tour branding, the ability to advertise within sponsored platforms, and permission to develop pre- and post-game programming. PointsBet also will be able to distribute tournament highlights to customers who wagered on the event, and present odds-based content on the Tour’s website and mobile applications.

“PointsBet has made a substantial commitment to golf through a deep and robust product offering and an emphasis on live, in-play betting, both of which will translate into greater audience development and fan engagement for the PGA,” said Norb Gambuzza, the Tour’s vice president of media and gaming in a joint statement with PointsBet.

Since the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018, allowing states to decide for themselves whether to legalize sports betting, the PGA Tour has put together an integrity program with Genius Sports to ensure its competitions remain free of corruption. In addition, IMG Arena has served as the Tour’s partner, providing live scoring data to sportsbooks across the globe.

Betting Up at PointsBet

PointsBet currently offers sports betting in New Jersey, Indiana, and Iowa. It also has received approval to operate in Illinois and has plans to expand into several other states.

One of the company’s unique sports betting products is PointsBetting, which adds exponential risk and reward to a wager. For golf, PointsBet said PointsBetting has been especially popular with bettors wagering on a golfer’s “finishing position,” or where they place after a round or at the end of the tournament.

This year, more than half of PointsBet’s golf bets have been made on in-round wagers. Since sports returned in June, PointsBet’s in-round betting on golf has increased by nearly two-thirds in unique bettors and handle.

PointsBetUSA CEO Johnny Aitken said in the release because the company owns its technology, it has complete control in determining what betting markets it wants to offer.

This allows us to introduce bet types that cannot be found elsewhere, offer a deeper slate of options both pre-tournament and in-play, and enhance the viewing experience via a faster and more seamless app,” Aitken said. “As golf betting continues to rise, we are positioned well to innovate and grow with the PGA TOUR.”

August has been a busy month for Aitken’s company. After securing team deals with the Indiana Pacers and three Denver-based teams, PointsBet announced Evolution Gaming would develop live table games for its upcoming mobile casino gaming app that it’s planning to launch in New Jersey and Michigan.

Third PGA Partnership in a Month

The PGA Tour has been busy making sports betting deals, too. Over the past three weeks, it reached official betting partner agreements with DraftKings and BetMGM.

The deal with DraftKings comes about a year after the Tour made the sports technology and entertainment company its official daily fantasy game partner.

This past weekend, during the Wyndham Championship, the Tour started including exclusive content with DraftKings odds on featured groups.