Choctaw Casinos Named PGA Championship's First-Ever Official Casino
Choctaw Casinos & Resorts has been named the PGA Championship's first-ever "Official Casino Resort" partner, an announcement made August 31 ahead of the 2027 tournament. It's the first time in the Championship's 111-year history that it has designated an official casino partner, and the deal also names Choctaw the event's "Official Community Partner."
A hospitality venue built around the 2027 event
The 2027 PGA Championship is scheduled for May 17-23 at PGA Frisco, roughly 25 miles north of Dallas, Texas. As part of the partnership, Choctaw will operate a premium hospitality venue called the Ice House at PGA Frisco, featuring exclusive food and beverage offerings, specialty cocktails, branded merchandise, and interactive activations for attendees. Daily VIP ticket holders tied to the partnership get access to a dedicated viewing area behind the ninth green.
A tournament already selling out far in advance
The tournament is expecting roughly 200,000 spectators, and championship-round tickets sold out more than nine months ahead of the event — daily VIP tickets tied to the Choctaw partnership are already completely sold out as well. Heidi Grant, senior executive officer for the Choctaw Nation, called the event "a historic opportunity for the state of Texas," saying the tribe is "proud to partner with the PGA of America to help deliver an unforgettable experience for golf fans."
Why it matters
Major sports properties striking their first-ever official casino or sportsbook partnerships has become a recurring theme in the industry — the NFL's own non-exclusive deal with Fanatics functions similarly on the football side. For Choctaw, a Oklahoma-based tribal gaming operator, an official designation at a major golf championship held in Texas — a state without legal commercial casino or mobile sports betting — is a notable way to build a national brand presence beyond the markets where it directly operates gaming. It doesn't change anything for players in any specific state, but it's another data point in how casino operators are using major sports and entertainment properties to build brand awareness well beyond their home markets.