PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has been involved in golf for two decades now. According to his latest statement, he is excited about the future of the organization and sports betting.
The PGA Tour supported the draft legislation that will place sports betting under federal control. In addition, the Tour believes legalized sports gambling can bring more financial opportunities. According to the commissioner, events will be more engaging to fans if they can bet on tournaments.
The commissioner referred to the first-hole birdie wager between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods during The Match. He said that the side bet made the event more interesting for fans. Sports news outlets reported it as one of the highlights of the event.
Aside from making events more engaging, fans will also love the potential financial gain from sports betting. That’s the reason why the Tour supports the proposed federal legislation to oversee sports betting.
PGA Tour Offers Support to Federal Control of Sports Betting
The bill filed by Senators Chuck Schumer and Orrin Hatch will place sports betting under the federal government. At present, individual states control gambling activities in their jurisdictions. Although the bill doesn’t mandate integrity fees, most major sports leagues support the bill.
The PGA Tour welcome the creation of a body to supervise the integrity of sports. They also stated that a single standard is the best way to protect the integrity of fans and competitors.
Monahan also said that the legalization will regulate betting that is already done illegally. As a result, it ensures fairness of competitions. In addition, he believes that legalized sports betting will provide better commercial opportunities for the PGA Tour.
At present, eight states already legalized sports betting. Last December, Washington DC residents voted to allow legalized sports gambling in the state. They are just waiting for the approval from Congress and then PPH sportsbook operators can serve the nation’s capital.
