On-site hospitality suites
DraftKings is now the first official betting operator of the World Golf Championships (WGC) – FedEx St. Jude Invitational and the Northern Trust PGA Tour events. The former takes place August 2-8 at TPC Southwind in Tennessee, while the latter is being played at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey August 18-22. The betting operator announced these new partnerships via Twitter on Tuesday:
Through these new agreements, DraftKings will have its own “DraftKings House” hospitality suites at the two tournaments. This suite will be beside the 18th green at the WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational and will contain an open-air patio. The suite at the Northern Trust will be between the 15th green and 16th fairway and will include a VIP suite. Both of these suites will also have sections that will be open to the public.
The DraftKings House suites will have televisions showing the golf action, as well as other live sports. They will also have free Wi-Fi, premium beverage and food options, and phone chargers. To be able to enter the DraftKings House, fans will need to buy a daily grounds ticket for the respective event. Finally, DraftKings will host its Fantasy World Golf Championship at the Northern Trust, where 40 of the best daily fantasy users will compete for a prize pool worth $4m.
Working closely with the events
DraftKings is looking to engage closely with golf fans through these two deals. DraftKings chief business officer Ezra Kucharz spoke about the new partnerships, saying: “DraftKings is proud to evolve and expand our presence into the golf space by continuing to build upon the existing relationship with the PGA TOUR.”
We’re excited to be one of the first PGA TOUR events to offer a public venue setting in this category.”
WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational executive director Darrell Smith spoke about how the partnership with DraftKings was an easy decision. He said: “We’re excited to be one of the first PGA TOUR events to offer a public venue setting in this category.”
The Northern Trust executive director Julie Tyson welcomed this new deal with DraftKings and believes that the arrangement will help enhance the on-site experience for fans.
Sports betting has been legal in Tennessee since November 2020 and in New Jersey since 2018. The latter consistently has one of the highest betting handles in the country each month.
Expanding its golf reach
DraftKings already has a significant presence in the world of professional golf. It is an official sports betting and fantasy partner of the PGA Tour. It also is planning to launch a retail sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale, the home of the annual Waste Management Phoenix Open PGA Tour event in Arizona. As part of this arrangement, DraftKings will be able to launch an online sportsbook in the state, pending relevant regulatory approvals. It also has 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau on board as a brand ambassador.
DraftKings is one of the biggest sportsbook operators in the United States today. It has retail and/or online sportsbooks available in 14 states. It also has daily fantasy sports offerings in 44 states after getting the green light from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board last week. Finally, DraftKings has online casinos live in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan.