AZ Sportsbook Tracker: Which Companies are Partnering with the Coyotes and on the Rise?

Arizona sports betting will be legalized in less than a month, and there are still many key players waiting to get involved.

Arizona is offering 20 sports wagering licenses, with half allocated to sports teams and pro sports facilities, and the other half to Indian tribes. The Department of Gaming is currently evaluating applicants ahead of the launch date, coinciding with the kickoff of Arizona NFL betting on Sept. 9.

So far, the Arizona Cardinals have teamed up with BetMGM and the Gila River Community, the Arizona Diamondbacks have partnered with Caesars Sportsbook, the Phoenix Suns have signed an agreement with FanDuel AZ, and the Phoenix Mercury have joined forces with Bally’s.

Additionally, the PGA Tour/TPC Scottsdale signed a sportsbook agreement with DraftKings AZ, while NASCAR/Phoenix International Raceway partnered with Barstool earlier this summer.

This indicates that the Arizona Coyotes and Phoenix Rising, the only two professional sports teams in the Valley, do not currently have any partnerships with Arizona sports betting apps.

This week, Rich Nairn, Executive Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting for the Coyotes, told Bet Arizona that the team does not currently have any sportsbook partnerships and has no new information on potential future agreements.

The Phoenix Rising, a team competing in the United Soccer League Championship, has revealed that it has formed a partnership with an undisclosed operator.

Governor Berke Bakay expressed gratitude to the Arizona Legislature and Governor Ducey for including soccer fans in the state’s sports betting plans. Phoenix Rising FC, as Arizona’s top professional soccer team, has applied for an Event Wagering Operator’s License with the Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with a leading online sports betting operator. The club is excited to provide Arizona’s varied soccer fanbase with the opportunity to participate in this thrilling new entertainment option.

The Rising used to play at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Tempe, but now they have moved their home games to the Wild Horse Pass facility at the Gila River Indian Community.

According to a recent survey conducted by yengols.com, Arizona residents show strong interest in legal betting once the market is up and running.

Other AZ Partnerships

Alongside collaborations with professional sports teams, Arizona has seen the unveiling of various sportsbook agreements involving multiple operators and tribes in the state.

Up to this point, six tribes in Arizona have entered into agreements with sportsbook operators, including the Gila River Community’s collaboration with BetMGM AZ and the Arizona Cardinals.

This implies that there are four vacant positions within the state, and prominent Native American communities in Arizona, such as the Tohono O’odham Nation in Tucson, the Navajo Nation, and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community, have yet to reach a verdict.

Here is a list of the communities that have entered into sportsbook agreements thus far:

• PointsBet Sportsbook and Cliff Castle Casino Hotel, both under the ownership of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, have formed a partnership.
• The San Carlos Apache Tribe operates the Apache Gold and Sky casinos, as well as the WynnBet Sportsbook.
• William Hill/Caesars and Harrah’s AK-Chin Casino have formed a partnership in the gaming industry.
• The Tonto Apache Tribe owns TwinSpires and Mazatal Hotel & Casino.
• BlueBet has formed a partnership with the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

There are 24 Class III Native American-owned casinos in Arizona, operated by 16 tribes, highlighting the abundance of opportunities in the market.

Several important players who are currently on the market include the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, situated near Tucson and owning Casino of the Sun and Casino del Sol Resort; the Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe, which operates Yavapai and Bucky’s casinos; and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, the owner of We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center.

The Cocopah Casino Resort & Conference Center, owned by the Cocopah Tribe, the Paradise Casino, owned by the Fort Yuma-Quechan Tribe, the Spirit Mountain Casino, operated by the Fort Mohave Indian Tribe, and the Hon-Dah Resort Casino and Conference Center, owned by the White Mountain Apache Tribe, are some of the tribal facilities that have not yet been signed.

Six tribes in Arizona do not have their own casinos, but they do rent out their slot machine rights to other tribes with gaming facilities.