BetMGM has signed a 3-year contract to continue as the official betting partner of the PGA Tour. This gives Bet MGM exclusive rights through 2024.
As part of the deal, BetMGM and the PGA Tour will use their expertise to calculate sports betting odds. That data will be posted to the Tour’s digital platform. Also, BetMGM will be the only oddsmaker on the leaderboard. That exclusivity also extends to the TourCast platform and pages on pgatour.com.
Norb Gambuzza, PGA Tour’s senior vice president, media and gaming, looks forward to working with BetMGM. He appreciates the robust support BetMGM has given golf over the years, through sponsorship of both players and tournaments.
BetMGM also has been granted the right to use PGA Tour logos in the US. The sportsbook also gained the right to advertise on other partner platforms and within Tour media. Finally, BetMGM has video and content rights allowing it to create pre-game and post-game sports betting programs, and to distribute Tour highlights to its bettors.
Matt Prevost, BetMGM’s chief revenue officer, agrees that the partnership with the PGA Tour has been very productive. Prevost points to the fact that BetMGM has seen an increased interest in golf among its bettors. BetMGM’s position as the exclusive odds maker should bolster its position in the sports betting market.
BetMGM already sponsors several members of the PGA Tour, including Jimmy Walker, Max Homa, Pat Perez, Kevin Na, Joel Dahmen, Ryan Moore, and Jason Kokrak.
The PGA TOUR has become one of the most popular sports on the BetMGM sportsbook. Golf bettors can download the app on both iOS and Android. BetMGM not only posts the latest betting odds, but it also offers multiple betting formats, including point spreads, money line bets, parlays, and futures.
Currently, sports bettors in the states of New Jersey, Nevada, Indiana, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, and West Virginia can use BetMGM. The mobile sportsbook plans to be in operation in more states, as soon as sports betting legislation is passed.
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Jason Korak Wins the CJ Cup in Las Vegas
BetMGM sponsored golfer, Jason Korak, had a career breakthrough this year, winning the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. This is the first win for the Tour’s 10-year veteran.
The 35-year-old Canadian turned in a final-round of 8-under 64 for a 20-under 268 total, matching the best round of the tournament.
Kokrak hit four consecutive birdies, on numbers 5-8, then hit a two-putt birdie at the par-5 18th. That put an end to Korak’s three-stroke deficit. Putting was Kokrak’s key to success at Shadow Creek. He achieved a career-high of 14 putts of 10 feet or more.
BetMGM also debuted real-time betting at the Shadow Creek Golf Course, a first for the PGA Tour.
BetMGM is Also the Betting Partner of the LPGA Tour
Last May, BetMGM signed a deal to become the first betting partner of the LPGA Tour. As part of the deal, BetMGM will post LPGA betting odds on its menu, right along with PGA Tour odds and those for the European Tour. Also, BetMGM has the right to use the Official LPGA Tour Partner logo in its promotions and advertising.
Due to its relationship with MGM Resorts International, BetMGM has access to the resort’s sponsorships of several prominent LPGA Tour Members. These include Danielle Kang, Natalie Gulbis, Cristie Kerr, Anna Nordqvist, Alison Lee, and Michelle Wie West.
MGM-sponsored Alison Lee came out on top during the Bank of Hope Match-Play tournament help at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.
The veteran player fell behind by two through six holes, but that situation did not last for long. Lee won four between holes 9-13, going from 2 down to 2 up. From there, Lee rode to victory.
Now that BetMGM is an official LPGA partner, it’s only a matter of time before the sportsbook directly sponsors LPGA members.
Why is Golf so Popular with Sports Bettors?
Golf betting is right behind major league sports. Some experts think that’s because a golf tournament is a multi-day event, providing days of engagement. Also, you can turn on the sports TV and find a golf tournament playing nearly 24/7. Unlike American football or baseball, golf is an international sport, playing on courses from Las Vegas to South Korea. In fact, the Asian nation has a booming golf industry, with dozens of courses and tournaments.
Others think that sports bettors can relate personally to golf; there are many, many more weekend golfers than, let’s say, middle-aged amateur football players. Major league sports are the realm of elite athletes, not the everyman.
In any case, BetMGM has positioned itself as a leader in golf betting by partnering with both the PGA and LPGA Tours.
