SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Golf’s PGA Tour has announced that it will implement a ‘comprehensive gambling policy’ for its tournaments and operations assisted by sports data supplier Genius Sports.
This week PGA Tour governance announced that it aims to launch a new ‘Integrity Program’ by January 2018. The professional tour organiser wants to create a complete betting monitoring system which will monitor all stakeholders associated with professional golf.
The PGA states that a new program is needed in order to maintain its sports integrity amid changing consumer demands and technologies impacting betting on golf markets.
“To maintain integrity and prevent and mitigate betting-related corruption in PGA Tour competitions—ensuring competitions always reflect, and appear to reflect, the best efforts of the players, while protecting the welfare of the players and others involved with the PGA Tour—through clear policies and regulations, ongoing education and training, and effective and consistent monitoring and enforcement functions.” The PGA detailed to US media.
Genius Sports has been consulted by the PGA on the development of its new program. Both parties will work together with Genius Sports training PGA stakeholders on data collection, bet monitoring, identifying sports corruption and creating best practices for Golf integrity.
The PGA aims to rollout the integrity program throughout all its syndicated Tours (North America, Europe, China, Latino America, LPGA) unifying guidelines and policy for the protection of golf.
“The bedrock of PGA Tour competition are the inherent values of golf and the honesty and integrity of our members,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said.
“We recognize, however, that no sport is fully immune from the potential influence of gambling. So, we felt it was important to move forward with an Integrity Program to further protect our competition from betting-related issues. Genius Sports will provide essential support as we roll out the Program across the entire PGA Tour.”
