Survey: Anticipated Sports Betting Trends in Arizona

As regulated mobile sports betting apps become more common nationwide, Arizona has recently entered the market as the newest state to offer this service.

In April 2021, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed a bill into law legalizing sports betting in the state. The focus has since shifted to the preparation of licenses and regulations for the market. Upon its official launch, Arizona plans to issue a total of 20 online sports betting licenses, which will be distributed among the state’s professional sports teams and federally recognized tribes.

Once the state government completes all remaining regulation details, Arizona residents will be able to begin placing mobile bets on their favorite sporting events starting September 9th.

Yengols.com hired YouGov to conduct a survey of Arizona adults in preparation for the state’s upcoming entry into the regulated sports betting industry. The survey was designed to gauge interest in sports betting in the Grand Canyon state, uncovering the current number of active bettors, the percentage of adults considering starting to bet on sports, and the specific sports and activities they are most excited to wager on.

How many people from Arizona are placing bets?

Although Arizona’s mobile sports betting market has not yet launched, almost 20% of adults in the state are currently placing bets on offshore sites or in neighboring states with mobile betting options. Once the regulated market goes live, an estimated 280,000 more individuals will start participating, resulting in over one million adults engaging in legal mobile sports betting in Arizona. Survey findings show that 80% of current sports bettors are expected to take advantage of the new market once it becomes accessible.

How frequently will people in Arizona place bets?

In Arizona, 20% of surveyed adults who identify as sports fans are planning to bet on sports daily. Furthermore, the majority (54%) of sports fans in the state intend to place bets on their favorite sporting events at least once a week.

Crossing Borders to Bet

Despite not living in a regulated market, Arizona residents have easy access to neighboring states with regulated markets. According to a survey, 75% of sports bettors have traveled to Nevada or Colorado to place bets on their favorite sports. The survey also found that avid sports fans are three times more likely to have made the trip to bet compared to casual sports fans.

Betting Beyond Sports

Each state is responsible for overseeing the regulations of mobile betting laws and creating individualized guidelines for their respective markets. This means that each state has its own set of restrictions on betting and a variety of options for different events. Due to the absence of live sports during the COVID-19 pandemic, sportsbooks have had to adapt their offerings, leading to increased interest from bettors in non-sports events such as reality TV shows, award ceremonies, and elections. Although election betting is popular in countries like the U.K., it is currently not allowed in any state within the U.S.

A survey found that 38% of sports bettors are open to betting on award shows like the Oscars or Grammy’s, with 44% willing to bet on reality TV shows. Nearly half of sports bettors in Arizona are interested in betting on U.S. elections if it were allowed. Arizona’s regulations allow for betting on college sports through legal mobile sports betting platforms, making 4 out of 5 Arizona sports bettors happy to have the opportunity to legally bet on college sports.

Survey Details

Yengols.com hired YouGov Plc to carry out a survey of 1,005 adults in Arizona from May 14 to June 1, 2021. The data has been adjusted to accurately reflect the demographics of all adults aged 18 and above in Arizona. In the survey, a sports bettor is described as an individual who currently engages in sports betting, while a sports fan is defined as someone with at least a slight interest in sports. An avid sports fan is characterized as someone who considers sports to be one of their primary interests.

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