The NBA, NHL, and MLB have all partnered with betting companies to add more gambling content to their broadcasts. The NFL also has agreements with five different casinos. In addition to this, DraftKings has added casino gaming to its line of products. It hopes to generate $270 million in revenue this year. These partnerships allow fans to place their bets on their favorite teams and players without ever leaving the comfort of their home.
Official betting is one way to keep players honest and protect the integrity of the game. Many teams have made efforts to prevent a culture of corruption. For instance, the NHL investigated allegations that Evander Kane’s wife bet on games, but he denied the accusations. Official betting helps protect consumers by ensuring that bets are settled based on league data. It also limits betting by insiders and places the onus on betting operators to prevent it.
The NFL and its media partners were initially resistant to the idea of legal sports betting. However, in recent years, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) has been repealed by the Supreme Court. Since the ruling, the PGA TOUR has implemented a robust integrity program. The organization also partners with Genius Sports and IMG ARENA to license live scoring data. Additionally, the PGA has become a platinum member of the National Council on Problem Gambling and is aligned with the American Gaming Association and the Have A Game Plan campaign.
In the last three years, sports betting partnerships between betting operators and sports leagues have quickly spread across the US. In fact, nearly two dozen states have launched sports betting. While the current amount of betting handled is still small, Warfield believes that this number is likely to increase significantly over the next five to ten years. Therefore, the PGA Tour must be proactive and forward-looking in its approach to sports betting content.