The Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, February 4-7 was the first ever PGA event to feature a live betting companion show.
“NBC Sports Edge BetCast” teamed NBC Sports, the PGA Tour and PointsBet, a sportsbook operator. The simulcast on the Peacock Premium streaming service provided tournament odds and betting information.
Defending champion Webb Simpson said he had heard some concerns from other players of the distraction that betting on the event might cause on the sidelines. He told the Straits Times: “While we’re playing, is there going to be more chatter before and after shots or before and after made or missed putts, guys out there gambling on us?” He added, “Hopefully the PGA Tour has a very strict plan on that kind of banter from spectators to players. Hopefully they’ll put a strict plan in place that we’re not going to have kind of the comments from the bettors out there during the round.”
He continued, “That’s obviously something we’ve never dealt with. Hopefully we don’t have to. That’s just one potential problem I see.”
Justin Thomas, third ranked golfer in the world, gave his reaction on hearing about the betting simulcast: “Selfishly, I worry about any sort of sketchiness going on with whether it’s communication with someone that’s out on the grounds and could potentially yell or do something to affect a person that would have, say, a wager or something and that’s a serious, serious concern.”
Concerned or not, living with sports betting is the new reality for golfers.
Norb Gambuzza, the PGA Tour’s senior vice president, media and gaming was excited. “We are extremely excited to produce and distribute specialized betting content as a companion to our linear and digital coverage with our partners at NBC Sports and PointsBet,” he said. “As we continue to embrace sports betting, the Tour will continue to innovate and find new ways to engage fans around the world.”
PointsBet is now the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports and is in fierce competition with DraftKings and FanDuel as more states in the U.S. legalize sports betting.
Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO, commented on this new arrangement: “The PointsBet team is thrilled to work alongside our partners in NBC Sports and the PGA Tour to bring to life a very engaging and unique sports betting production.” Aitken added, “We all recognize that golf is ripe for sports betting innovation, and at PointsBet, we control our destiny when it comes to building the best golf betting experience in the world with our fully owned and operated technology platform.”
