Arizona: DraftKings breaks ground on first sportsbook at a PGA Tour tournament site

Representatives from DraftKings and the PGA Tour held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a first-of-its-kind sportsbook and dining experience – the DraftKings Sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona – slated to open next fall. 

The DraftKings Sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale will be situated directly across the street from TPC Scottsdale and adjacent to TPC Scottsdale’s sibling, TPC Champions. The 12,000 square-foot gaming and dining amenity is billed as a first-class 19th-hole experience, with the sportsbook to open all year to both golfers and non-golfers, reports Golf.com.

The sportsbook will be the first ever to be built at a PGA Tour tournament site, although guests will be welcome to wager on all sports. It builds upon the existing partnership between the PGA Tour and DraftKings, which first joined forces in 2019, when the Tour enlisted the operator as their daily fantasy sports partner, following with a designation as the first official betting operator.

The idea for a brick-and-mortar at TPC Scottsdale followed shortly after, with the plans to make TPC Scottsdale DraftKings’ first home being announced in April 2021. This week’s groundbreaking ceremony advances that commitment, while renderings of the space give a glimpse of what the upcoming space will look like.

“We know this will elevate The People’s Open to a new level,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said at the groundbreaking, according to Golf.com. “We know this new facility will be worthy of Scottsdale and Arizona’s reputation as a world-class destination, and help maximize the PGA Tour’s economic, tourism and charitable impacts on this state and this community.”

The sportsbook will feature a luxe and modern vibe, complete with multiple glass firepits, indoor and outdoor seating; and gaming kiosks and screens. TPC Scottsdale makes for a natural choice for the venture, given the WM Phoenix Open is played annually in February and has a long history of being the PGA Tour event with the highest attendance.

Customers will find approximately 40 sports betting kiosks and 7 ticket windows, plus an array of wagering options comparable to those wagers currently available in Arizona on the DraftKings Online Sportsbook, according to earlier plans.

The restaurant will feature elevated domestic fare, 12 beers on tap and mixed drinks. The sportsbook is expected to consist of approximately 390 seats throughout its interior and exterior spaces.

DraftKings estimates the sportsbook will provide 100 to 120 jobs, according to AZ Central. The amenity will work as a pilot program from the PGA and DraftKings, with a focus to find the best way to operate the sportsbook and maximize its potential.

“This is the first. We want to make sure this works and works in a way that creates a great experience for those people who are coming down here and it is working every single day of the year," Monahan said, as reported by Phoenix Business Journal. "We’ll take the findings here and as opportunities present themselves, we’ll consider them.”

While the sportsbook won’t be open for the upcoming WMPO - which happens to be the same weekend the Super Bowl will be played in Phoenix - DraftKings has high expectations for the tournament this year.

“It’s been a huge betting tournament for us since we launched sports betting,” DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said. “Golf basically doubled year over year for us in betting volume. Golf is such a great sport for betting because there is plenty of time between shots for live betting.”