Why It Matters
The PGA Tour Inc. lists gaming, sports, and tax as the issues it lobbied on in its amended first-quarter 2026 filing, which describes its advocacy as promoting professional golf and golfers and names no specific legislation. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote on April 15, that he had "no tears for LIV Golf's demise" but hoped it would "strengthen the PGA Tour" and support "for the game and players."
By the Numbers
FGS Global (US) LLC's amended first-quarter 2026 filing reports $150,000 in fees, ten times the $15,000 in the original first-quarter report it replaces.
PGA Tour's reported totals by complete quarter across both outside firms:
- Third quarter of 2026: $240,000 (FGS Global, $150,000; DLA Piper LLP (US), $90,000)
- Second quarter of 2026: $300,000 (FGS Global, $150,000; DLA Piper, $150,000)
- First quarter of 2026: $290,000 (FGS Global, $150,000; DLA Piper, $140,000)
- Fourth quarter of 2025: $30,000 (DLA Piper only)
FGS Global registered as a new lobbying firm for PGA Tour in the first quarter of 2026; no FGS Global filing appears for any prior period.
Lobbyists named on the FGS Global first-quarter amendment:
- Adam Goldstein, partner, prior government experience
- Paul Poteet, partner, with prior government and Senate Finance Committee experience
- Ethan Holmes, director, with member experience listed for Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI-3)
- Joel Johnson, partner and D.C. office head, with prior government experience
- Peter Benton-Sullivan, managing director, government relations
- Megan Moore, partner, with prior government experience and member experience tied to Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-IL-2)
Broader Context
The filing's issues text states: "Advocacy to promote the sport of professional golf and professional golfers," covering gaming, sports, and tax issue codes. No bills are named.
Sports betting
S. 1033 was introduced March 13, 2025, by Sen. Blumenthal and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it remained as of the filing date. On Oct. 23, Sen. Blumenthal highlighted the bill following a sports-betting scandal, citing a record $147.91 billion wagered legally in 2024.
Tax treatment
H.R. 1, the reconciliation act commonly called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, became law on July 4, 2025, and includes a change to the tax treatment of gambling losses. A 2023 Congressional Research Service analysis concluded the PGA Tour qualified for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), noting the Tour reportedly held $3.9 billion in assets in 2020. Rep. Greg Steube's PRO Sports Act (H.R. 363) would disallow the tax exemption for professional sports organizations with gross receipts above $10 million, and Sen. Ron Wyden's S. 2519 would deny it to sports organizations with more than $500 million in assets, according to the Congressional Research Service's 2023 analysis, which describes both as proposals.
Congressional sentiment
In April 2025, Sen. Blumenthal, as ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), released a minority staff report finding that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund's (PIF) investment in the PGA Tour "does not make business sense unless it is an effort to buy long-term influence." By April 15, after LIV Golf's collapse, he wrote he had "no tears for LIV Golf's demise" and hoped the Tour would be strengthened.
The Bottom Line
S. 1033, the SAFE Bet Act, remained pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee with no cosponsors listed on Congress.gov as of Oct. 23, 2026. Across complete quarters, the Tour's lobbying spend rose sharply when FGS Global joined in the first quarter of 2026 and has held at an elevated level since, with DLA Piper remaining on the account throughout.
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