- The Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour (LPGA) has named BetMGM as their inaugural ‘Official Sports Betting Operator’.
- BetMGM will now offer LPGA odds as part of their golf betting menu.
- They can also use the “Official Tour Partner” logo in advertising and promotions.
Golf betting has blown up in popularity over the past year and now BetMGM is hoping that the distaff version will work equally as well as a wagering proposition. That’s why they’ve signed on as the first ‘Official Sports Betting Operator’ of the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, better known as the LPGA. The multiyear deal will put ladies’ golf on the BetMGM wagering menu alongside the PGA, European Tour and other events. MGM can also use the “Official Tour Partner” logo in advertising and promotions.
BetMGM is the interactive gaming and sports betting division of MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM) in partnership with UK based Entain Plc (LSE: ENT). BetMGM offers sports betting, poker and online casino games under the brands BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino and Party Poker–all on a technology platform developed by Entain. Last year, MGM Resorts tried to acquire Entain, a move that was rebuffed by the company. There’s been some talk that BetMGM will get spun off into a separate corporate entity a la WynnBET but for now it continues as a 50/50 partnership between the two companies.
The PGA Tour has done very well over the past year leveraging the popularity of sports betting in general and golf wagering in particular. They’ve formed partnerships with a variety of sportsbook companies including BetMGM and FanDuel. With Arizona set to launch sports betting they’ve recently entered into a market access deal with DraftKings that will see a ‘state of the art’ wagering facility constructed at TPC Scottsdale. No doubt the LPGA is hoping to reprise the PGA’s success at monetizing sports betting.
Brian Carroll, senior vice president of global media distribution for the LPGA, is hoping to raise the profile of his organization in the partnership with BetMGM:
“As a leading sports and entertainment company and already a supporter of women’s golf, BetMGM is uniquely positioned to join the LPGA family as an Official Betting Operator,. Sports betting and digital gaming are key elements of the future of sports, and BetMGM is on the forefront of both opportunities. We are happy to partner with them as we look to provide more opportunities for our fans to interact with the LPGA and learn about our incredible athletes.”
Matt Prevost, BetMGM chief revenue officer, is always pleased to add another sport to the betting board:
“We look forward to working with the LPGA and engaging with its fanbase through our market-leading products. BetMGM’s advanced betting technology provides a user-friendly experience for LPGA fans and a myriad of betting options to choose from.”
Lance Evans, MGM Resorts’ senior vice president for sports and sponsorships, emphasized the commitment to golf demonstrated by the entire MGM corporate family:
“MGM Resorts’ commitment to golf is unparalleled and is further strengthened by our new partnership with the LPGA Tou. The LPGA features some of the world’s greatest athletes, several of whom are MGM Resorts golf ambassadors. In collaboration with BetMGM, we look forward to creating engaging content and experiences for sports fans and our guests.”
LPGA golfers Natalie Gulbis, Danielle Kang, Cristie Kerr, Alison Lee, Anna Nordqvist and Michelle Wie West, have a pre-existing sponsorship relationship with MGM Resorts.
At the time of publication, Ross Everett has a long position in MGM.
