JERSEY CITY, N.J. – It’s not the first – and it most certainly won’t be the last – but the DraftKings House at this week’s Northern Trust is a glimpse into the future of golf and gambling.
Tucked between the 15th green and 16th fairway at Liberty National, the sports lounge features all the amenities of a traditional corporate suite, including two bars, a small putting green and an open view of the 15th green. There’s also the allure of on onsite sportsbook.
According to a PGA Tour official, there is no pure betting functionality in the lounge other than what fans already have access to via their phones throughout New Jersey, which was one of the first states to legalize sports betting.
There is, however, two oversized boards that direct fans, who can access the lounge with a general admission ticket, to various apps, including the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Full-field scores from The Northern Trust
There were similar lounges earlier this summer at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and Rocket Mortgage Classic, and the Tour is poised to take the next step toward an onsite sportsbook at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
The Tour and DraftKings announced in April plans to build a permanent sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale. The plan is to have that facility completed in time for the 2023 Super Bowl, which will be played in nearby Glendale, Ariz., and traditionally coincides with the Waste Management Phoenix Open.