On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced a new sponsorship policy that will allow PGA players to enter sponsorship deals with gambling companies.
With that announcement, gambling companies can now officially be considered for Official Marketing Partners (OMPs) across the PGA’s six tours.
This new policy is geared towards larger casino brands that operate in the US and not with companies “whose primary purpose is sports betting.”
This means that sportsbooks and bookmakers in the US such as William Hill US or Bet365 will not be eligible for US sponsorship opportunities. However, these companies will be considered for sponsorship opportunities outside of the US.
Fantasy sports companies, however, are covered under the new sponsorship policy. Although companies like DraftKings and FanDuel are considered gambling companies their primary focus is not on sports betting.
PGA Tour Senior Vice President Andy Levinson said: “As the situation with legalized 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.
“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.”
David Miller, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for the PGA Tour said: “sponsorship relationships with casinos and daily fantasy sports companies will generally be permitted. Any relationship must promote responsible gaming and be consistent with the Tour’s integrity efforts.”
The PGA Tour is the latest professional sports entity to ease its regulations on entering sponsorship agreements with gambling companies.
So far, several sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, NHL and NASCAR have become more receptive to sponsorship opportunities with gambling companies.
The PGA Tour has also revised its regulations towards spirit brands and players can now wear the brand names or logos of distilled spirit companies.
