PGA Tour open to gambling tie-ups; BetEasy inks NBA deal

Professional golf has rethought its no-gambling sponsorship stance, while the NBA has inked a down-under deal with The Stars Group.

On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced that it had “revised” its sponsorship regulations to permit tie-ups with “gambling entities.” The Tour said gambling firms are now eligible to become Official Marketing Partners (OMP) for all six tours it oversees, and individual tournaments and players can pursue their own gambling deals, effective immediately.

However, while “larger casino companies” and daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators are welcome to pursue OMP deals, the same can’t be said for companies doing business in the US whose “primary purpose” is sports betting.

The Tour specifically cited “pure sportsbooks or bookmakers such as William Hill or Bet365” as examples of ineligible companies, although it noted that these types of operators can still pursue golf deals outside the US market.