Following the announcement of ESPN Bet as the official betting partner of the PGA Championship, the PGA of America has confirmed that it has partnered with the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) ‘Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly’ campaign.
The partnership will feature co-branded responsible gaming content, educational materials, and strategic activations across the PGA of America’s digital and social platforms throughout next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY.
“As the PGA of America welcomes ESPN BET as the Official Sports Betting Sponsor of the 106th PGA Championship, it is core to our values to ensure golf fans have the right tools in their bag to bet responsibly,” said PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price. “Activating AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign during this year’s PGA Championship and beyond will be an integral part of our strategy as interest in golf wagering grows.”
Introduced by the AGA in 2019, the Have a Game Plan campaign aims to “bring the broader sports betting ecosystem together around a common consumer education platform”.
The parameters of the campaign are focused on telling users to set a betting budget and sticking to it, keeping betting social, being aware of the odds, and only playing with legal and regulated operators.
The PGA of America joins a number of other sporting organizations and leagues that have already partnered with the campaign, including the MLB, NASCAR, NBA, PGA Tour, NHL, and WNBA.
PGA Championship makes history
This year’s PGA Championship marks the first time that a major golf tournament has had an official sports betting partner.
As part of the partnership, ESPN Bet integrations will feature across the television coverage on ESPN networks. The operator will also offer an ESPN Bet Member’s Lounge for ESPN Bet account holders adjacent to the green on the 13th hole where customers can take advantage of beverages, covered seating, and a VR golf simulator.
The deal with the PGA of America runs until 2026 and Penn Interactives VP of Operations Jason Birney emphasized the partnership was a “great opportunity to interact with and engage golf fans” given that subsequent championships are to be held in states where ESPN Bet operates.
Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, NC will host the 2025 edition of the tournament and in 2026 the championship will be played at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, PA.
