The PGA Tour and commissioner Jay Monahan have long been in favor of legalized wagering when it comes to golf. So it was no surprise on Monday when the Tour supported the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a 1992 law which now allows states to legalize sports gambling.
The Tour issued the following statement.
“Following the Supreme Court’s ruling today, the PGA Tour reiterates its support of the regulation of sports betting in a safe and responsible manner. We believe that regulation is the most effective way of ensuring integrity in competition, protecting consumers, engaging fans and generating revenue for government, operators and league.”
This is a doubling down of their position from a month ago.
“You have keep in mind that betting is happening right now, with illegal black markets and offshore betting, and we don’t have any exposure to what is happening,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan told USA Today.
“If it’s legalized and regulated, you get to a point where you can better ensure the integrity of your competitions. You can provide adequate protection for consumers, which doesn’t exist today. There are commercial opportunities for us, which is one of the things we’re here to do, which is to create and maximize playing and financial opportunities for our players.”
While some people see the potential for corruption and the exacerbation of a long-held human vice, the Tour (wisely) sees an additional stream of revenue.
“If betting operators are going to be profiting off our competitions then we believe that the pro leagues are entitled to do that as well,” added PGA Tour senior vice president of tournament administration Andy Levinson to Golf Channel.
It’s going to be fascinating to see where this goes from here. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thinks this increases the value of franchises by quite a bit, but it remains to be seen just how everything is going to play out.
“The legalization of sports gambling requires an important policy choice, but the choice is not ours to make,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the 6-3 opinion. “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own.”
The only thing you can bank on? Phil Mickelson is going to be involved in some way.
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