Eight years ago, the PGA Tour still banned the use of cell phones at tournaments. Now, with phone use fully legal, it is beginning to embrace mobile sports betting. Non-fans might now be brought into the game by the promise of winning real money. And fans out on the Tour’s courses in states where gambling on sports has been legalized are even able to place in-game bets on the action in front of them.
“We view gaming in general as an opportunity for fan engagement … for us to expand our audience to people who aren’t currently engaging in our sport is tremendous,” explains Andy Levinson, the PGA Tour’s SVP of tournament administration.