Links Forged as Partypoker Becomes PGA EuroPro Tour Sponsor

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Partypoker is taking advantage of the industry’s recent growth by forging another partnership outside the community, this time with golf’s PGA EuroPro Tour.

PGA EuroPro Tour Partypoker
Partypoker branding will be on display as rising stars like Joe Dean get into their swing on the PGA EuroPro Tour. (Image: National Club Golfer)

Announced on November 1, the deal will see Partypoker branding feature at stops on the EuroPro Tour, which acts as a feeder for the Challenge Tour and European Tour.

As well as branding during the 2019 season, there will be “promotional opportunities” with certain golfers as well as visibility across the organization’s social media channels.

Revisiting Old Ideas

Although the latest deal will provide Partypoker with additional opportunities to promote its brand, this isn’t the first time it’s worked with the company. In 2008, the online poker operator was a headline sponsor for the PGA EuroPro Tour Qualifying School.

However, as regulatory issues caused an industry-wide slump, Partypoker was forced to pull back on a host of sponsorship deals.

This movement away from extraneous business partnerships characterized the industry in the wake of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). While the industry at large may still be recovering from the impact of UIGEA and the Black Friday, the economy now is stronger than it was a few years ago.

Using the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event as a measuring stick, 7,874 entrants made it the second best-attended tournament in its history. Buoyed by this increase in activity, operators are now in a position to forge relationships outside of the industry.

PGA EuroPro Tour Deal Marks New Era for Poker

The latest sponsorship deal also ties in with the growing synergy between poker and sports betting. With the latter starting to gain prominence in the US, operators are not only offering more betting options but working with sports companies to open up new markets.

In October, the World Poker Tour (WPT) announced a deal with blockchain-based sports betting start-up, FansUnite. The partnership will not only facilitate cross-promotional activity but give the WPT a footing in the sports betting industry.

As more US states move to regulate sports betting, deals like the ones forged by Partypoker and the WPT are set to become more common. Indeed, with the former also having a presence in darts, snooker and boxing, it’s now leading the way as poker enters a new phase in its evolution.



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