Legal sports betting in Arizona launches Thursday, September 9th

On April 15, 2021, Arizona state legislators passed House Bill 2772, ratifying the legalization of sports betting for retail and online access. Governor Doug Ducey signed the bill into law for gambling expansion within the state. For those interested, scheduled sign-ups for sportsbooks are available. The sports betting law allows a maximum of 20 sportsbooks operating in the state. Regarding the distribution of the sports betting licenses, ten will be associated with professional sports teams, while the other ten are reserved for Native American tribes.

The launch date for legalized sports betting in Arizona is September 9, 2021. Of course, Thursday is the opening day of the 2021 NFL season and for Thursday Night Football. The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Arizonan bettors can now place bets on sports games from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, Premier League and other sports leagues across the globe.

According to Arizona law, gamblers must reside in the state and be at least 21-years-old in order to place bets. Johnny Avello, DraftKings‘ director of race and sports operations, commented on the betting news: “We’ve been preparing for this for quite a while now and now it’s come to fruition. So we’re excited to get this kicked off. You can bet on the teams in your state, if you would like to, the college teams or the great pro teams the great state of Arizona has.”

Avello also mentioned, “Instead of people going to Las Vegas that makes their wagers now, they’ll stay at home and make those wagers. And, they’ll do it from the comfort of their home or shopping or wherever they may be because it’s as easy as downloading DraftKings on the app, funding it and making your wagers.”

Caesar’s Sportsbook, Arizona Diamondbacks create partnership

On September 2nd, Caesar’s Sportsbook announced their official partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks. For Arizona residents, the Caesar’s Sportsbook app will have limited time offers available for bettors once downloaded. Furthermore, politicians and average gamblers agree that legalized sports betting will be great for Arizonans because of tax dollars and increased revenue.

The available online sportsbooks include BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, Unibet, WynnBET and other ones. Regarding sign-up bonuses, FanDuel is offering $75 in free bets, Caesars is allowing $100 free and $1 per point, BetMGM is giving away $200 and DraftKings has $150 free bet offerings.

DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, Fantasy Sports Shark, Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC), Underdog Sports—all six are the approved fantasy sports operators in the state. FanDuel is partnered with the Phoenix Suns. Sign-ups for sports betting accounts launched on August 28th. Down below is the “Latest Sportsbooks in Arizona” table, a list of sportsbooks available to Arizonans.

Sports betting in Arizona: Here is what the D-backs, Caesars sportsbook might look likehttps://t.co/Ko2VBBjCoc #abc15 pic.twitter.com/Jrp0udANVj

— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) September 2, 2021

Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe lawsuit

In August, the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe sued the state, and they filled out the paperwork because they claimed the new sports betting law is unconstitutional. The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe runs the Bucky’s and Yavapai casinos near the city of Prescott. The tribe members felt forced by government officials, and the members are convinced it violates Proposition 202. This allows only Arizona-based Indian tribes to participate in betting games on Indian lands for job growth and tribal programs.

Tribe members were offered new table games, such as craps and baccarat, and this led to the tribes endorsing House Bill 2772. The tribe leaders claim they were not actively involved in the negotiations of the 2021 Amended Compact. Therefore, they never signed the compact itself. Moreover, it was based on a nonnegotiable proposal, which didn’t seem fair to the Yavapai. While the future of Arizona sports betting is still intact, more lawsuits could be filed in coming months.

In response to the lawsuit, Arizona Sen. T.J. Shop said on Friday, “The timing of these challenges, at the dawn of selection rather than during the legislative session or upon the bill’s enactment, amount to an end-around on that qualifications-based awarding process at the Department of Gaming.” Shop is expecting dismissal of the lawsuit. Needless to say, the main purpose of the tribe’s lawsuit is to prevent the Department of Gaming from providing sportsbook licenses and legalized sports betting.

On Monday morning, Judge James Smith will hear the tribe’s case against Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona Department of Gaming Director Ted Vogt. The compact signed by Ducey in April allows gaming expansion at the Native American casinos, but it also allows professional sports leagues and licensed businesses to partake in sports wagering activities.

Latest Sportsbooks in Arizona