Tiger Woods Camp Rejects Online Gambling Offer
Following recent international media coverage of Paddy Power's negotiations with IMG to sponsor Tiger Woods, the company confirms that its initial offer covering a five year period for a total potential sponsorship of $75 million has been rejected by IMG. Paddy Power remains keen to work with Tiger Woods, and will re-engage with IMG. An enhanced offer will be made, the details of which will remain confidential.
But the odds of Woods working with Ireland's biggest online bookmaker remain slim to none.
"We're in negotiations with IMG to sponsor Tiger," Paddy Power told US magazine website 'Golfweek'. "It's still in the early stage of the negotiations, really, to be honest with you. But if it all comes off, it'll be the biggest sponsorship deal we've done by quite some way."
However, Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent at IMG, indicated that PaddyPower.com's proposal is not being given serious consideration. "We're not involved in any discussions to add to his sponsorship portfolio at this time," he said.
The USGA is opposed to and urges its Member Clubs, all golf associations and all other sponsors of golf competitions to prohibit types of gambling such as: (1) Calcuttas, (2) other auction pools, (3) pari-mutuels and (4) any other forms of gambling organized for general participation or permitting participants to bet on someone other than themselves or their teams.
Paddy Power is most notorious for offering betting odds on whether US President Barack Obama would be assassinated.
Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
