The PGA TOUR has joined the National Council on Problem Gambling’s (NCPG) Leadership Circle to promote responsible gambling at their events.
The move comes as the NCPG kicks off Problem Gambling Awareness Month, which takes place every march. PGA TOUR VP of Gaming Scott Warfield said in a statement:
“Properly preparing and educating our fanbase on responsible gambling will always be a key focal point of our sports betting strategy at the PGA TOUR. The National Council on Problem Gambling is committed to those same causes, and we are proud to join their Leadership Circle as we continue to promote the core values of responsible wagering.”
PGA TOUR will spread the word about responsible gambling
Participants in the NCPG Leadership circle make a “multi-year commitment, which helps protect their investment by ensuring that new programs, as well as ongoing initiatives, will have the funding to remain viable.”
As part of the Circle, the tour has made a substantial donation to the NCPG and will administer the following programs:
- Elevated educational messaging about problem gambling
- Highlighting resources that problem gamblers and their friends and family can turn to
Over the past few years, the PGA TOUR has partnered with two companies to ensure the integrity of PGA data for bettors.
March is a good month for the awareness campaign. The TOUR’s “fifth” major, The Players Championship, takes place the second week of March. The high-profile event is a golden opportunity for the PGA TOUR to promote NCPG’s focus on responsible gambling.
From 2007 to 2018, however, March was a bit of a slow month for the PGA. There were no major tournaments to speak of. In 2019, though, The Players Championship moved from May to March.
TOUR joins an elite group of Leadership Circle organizations
The PGA TOUR joins some pretty high-profile companies in the NCPG’s Leadership Circle. The circle is split into three tiers based on donation amounts:
Chairman level ($100,000 or more per year)
- NFL Foundation
- Caesars Entertainment
- FanDuel
- Las Vegas Sands Corporation
- Mohegan
- San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
President level ($75,000-$99,999 per year)
- DraftKings
Executive level ($50,000-$74,999 per year)
- PGA TOUR
- Bally’s
- Major League Baseball
- MGM Resorts International
- AGEM
- Entain
As a member of the circle, the PGA TOUR gets a quarterly briefing with the NCPG’s leadership team, as well as mentions in the NCPG’s communications. NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte said:
“We are grateful for the support of the PGA TOUR and look forward to continued collaboration as we work to provide golf fans across the country with responsible gambling education. The extensive reach of the PGA TOUR will increase public awareness of problem gambling and the availability of prevention, treatment & recovery services during Problem Gambling Awareness Month and throughout the year.”
