The DP World Tour has banned 26-year-old English golfer Marco Penge for violating betting regulations on golf tournaments. Although the tour did not disclose which tournament Penge bet on, the report stated that he did not bet on himself or the tournaments in which he was participating. However, the tour banned him for breaching the rule that ensures the integrity of such events is not compromised.
Key details of suspension
Penge’s two-month suspension began on 13 December 2023 and is set to conclude on 13 February 2024. During this period, he is barred from participating in any DP World Tour events. In addition to the suspension, Penge was fined £2,000. This financial penalty serves as a deterrent to other players who might consider similar violations.
The panel stated, “Penge’s immediate admission of breach and cooperation throughout the investigation warranted mitigation reflected in the eventual sanction imposed.”
Under regulation 3(a)(i) of the DP World Tour, members are restricted from gambling on any tournaments. This regulation states, “No Covered Person shall either directly or indirectly bet or instruct any other person to bet on the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any professional or elite amateur golf event anywhere in the world.”
In 2023, Korn Ferry Tour players Vince India and Jake Staiano faced similar suspensions for betting on PGA Tour events. The DP World Tour is known for its rigorous rules, and the PGA Tour is equally stringent with its regulations. Both tours work closely with integrity-monitoring services to swiftly detect and address any violations.
Marco Penge’s path to the DP World Tour was truly remarkable, showcasing his talent and perseverance on the Challenge Tour in 2023. His promotion was well-deserved, reflecting his hard work and dedication. In the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings, he secured the 110th spot, just managing to keep his DP World Tour status for 2025. His recent 27th-place finish at the Australian Open further demonstrated his potential.
DP World Tour’s advanced tech for monitoring betting activities
The DP World Tour’s partnership with U.S. integrity to enhances its ability to monitor betting activities of players and tournaments. This advanced analytics helps to identify any suspicious activity and ensure a fair playing field for every player.
The tour stated, “U.S. Integrity will provide supplementary integrity-monitoring services via its proprietary dashboard, to proactively identify irregular contest-level, officiating and wagering patterns by conducting analysis across many data sets.”
Despite the strict betting regulations for players, the DP World Tour and PGA Tour have maintained partnerships with giants of the betting world like DraftKings and FanDuel to boost fan engagement. In 2023, the DP Tour made OlyBet its official betting operator. In 2019, the PGA Tour signed a multi-year agreement with DraftKings to become the Tour’s official daily fantasy game partner. This dual behaviour has raised questions about the conflict of interest on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
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