The Arizona Department of Gaming has already released the final draft of proposed sports betting regulations to be implemented in the state. This was also already submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office which means that we will all soon know which operators will be opening their bookies in the state soon.
It was in April when the state has made the legalization of sports betting in the state official. This added Arizona to the list of states that now has legal sports betting in the US. So far, there are now over 20 of them, and the push for legal sports betting in various parts of the country mainly started 3 years ago.
In May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States has stricken down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 or more known as PASPA. For a long time, this has deemed sports betting federally illegal. However, since then, many states have already started to push for local sports betting operations like New York, Illinois, Delaware, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Because of this, the best USA casinos ranked at CasinoWhizz are becoming more available throughout the country.
Arizona Sports Betting to Be Ready by the Upcoming NFL Season
The vice president of BetArizona.com, Max Bichsel, spoke about how optimistic he is regarding the launch of the state’s sports betting. Bichsel said, “Arizona, in particular, presents an exciting opportunity for legal sports betting in the U.S. The state’s Department of Gaming is working very quickly to ensure that it’s up and running by the NFL season.
“The Arizona market has many positive characteristics to help it mature quickly and the basic framework for sports betting in the state constitutes a win for all parties, including mobile operators regarding ample total license availability, sports teams concerning license eligibility, and tribes, who can offer gaming options outside of tribal boundaries for the first time.”
Even if sports betting isn’t live yet in Arizona, sports betting companies are already securing strategic partnerships with local sports franchises. On Monday, the Arizona Cardinals announced its partnership with BetMGM at the State Farm Stadium. It is already reported that BetMGM will be opening its sportsbook just in time for the 2022 NFL Season. This makes the Cardinals the first team in their league to announce a planned sportsbook in their stadium.
The owner of the Cardinals, Michael Bidwill talked about how big this opportunity is. Bidwill said during the announcement, “This is a tremendous opportunity to build upon our long-standing relationship with Gila River and launch a new one with BetMGM. They are best-in-class partners whose excellence and expertise in this emerging space will provide a new and innovative way to engage and interact with our fans.”
The CEO of BetMGM, Adam Greenblatt, also spoke about their plans to open three sportsbooks with the Gila River Indian Community. The three casinos they will be operating with are Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva.
Greenblatt said, “Arizona sports fans are extremely passionate and we’re confident they’ll enjoy the BetMGM experience. Gila River Hotels & Casinos and the Arizona Cardinals represent the state’s premier casino destinations and a sports franchise, making them the ideal partners for us.”
Aside from the Cardinals, other teams outside this sport have also already announced partnerships with betting companies. In April, The Phoenix Suns announced to continue their relationship with FanDuel.
The Diamondbacks have a joint partnership with Caesars and WilliamHill. They announced in May that Caesar’s will be opening a sportsbook just outside of Chase Field. The following month, the WNBA Phoenix Mercury and Bally’s Corporation also announced a p15-year partnership. This makes Phoenix Mercury the first professional women’s sports team to partner up with such a company.
More About Sports Betting in AZ
With the betting laws in the state of Arizona, there will be 10 private bookies that will be granted a license to operate. Another 10 will be given to the Arizona tribes and another 10 to tribes and teams that are in partnership with horse racing tracks in the state.
For the license application process, interested applicants will be required to pay 750,000 USD for the application fee. Aside from this, an additional 150,000 USD will also have to be paid for the annual renewal of the license. When it comes to taxes, mobile sportsbooks operators will have to pay 10 percent of their gross gambling revenue to the state.
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