Next up in the sports betting lawsuit in Arizona: Labor Day hearing scheduled
The outcome of a lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court to halt the start of Arizona sports betting is anticipated to be decided by Labor Day.
Superior Court Judge James Smith has scheduled a preliminary injunction hearing for Monday at 9 a.m. Arizona time, leading to this decision.
The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe has taken legal action by filing a lawsuit asserting that Arizona House Bill 2772, which legalized sports betting and daily fantasy sports within the state, is unconstitutional.
Arizona betting apps are set to debut on September 9 in preparation for the beginning of Arizona NFL betting.
Arizona sports bettors were able to take advantage of early registration bonuses starting on August 28th. The Arizona Department of Gaming approved 18 sports betting licenses the day before, allowing new bettors to receive Arizona promo codes during the early registration period.
The lawsuit brought by Yavapai-Prescott argues that the state’s new gaming compact breaches the constitution.
Launch status is uncertain.
There is uncertainty surrounding whether sports betting will commence as planned at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, September 9th.
It is probable that Smith’s ruling will be challenged on appeal, giving the appellate court a window of roughly 48 hours to reach a decision prior to the launch date.
Smith expressed his goal of delivering a decision to the attorneys in charge by Monday night, noting that anything beyond that is out of his hands.
Smith expressed his goal of providing you with the ruling by Monday night, if possible, so that you are informed of the outcome and can advance to the appellate level.
Who is going to be interviewed?
Attorneys from the governor’s office stated their plan to interview around five to seven individuals in preparation for their defense on Monday.
On Thursday, the judge declared that both parties will have 30 minutes to question witnesses before Smith delivers his decision.
The attorney for ADG Director Ted Vogt announced that the department plans to coordinate its defense with the governor’s office to expedite the hearing on Monday.
Quick Turnaround Time
Smith states that all attorneys representing the parties must submit their defendant’s responses by Friday afternoon, and witness testimony must be submitted by 7 p.m. local time on Friday.
Additionally, the plaintiff must submit their responses to Smith no later than Sunday afternoon, highlighting the swift progression of the case.
Smith clarified that the need for urgency is driven by the impending deadline for the launch of sports betting and the potential for an appeal in the case.
Smith recognized the importance of the deadline and the urgency of the situation, expressing understanding by saying, “I am aware of the deadline you are trying to meet. The dissatisfied party plans to appeal, so I am working diligently to finish this task promptly, allowing you to move forward in the process and reach the desired appellate court.”
Author
Peterson Christopher has accumulated over seven years of experience covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for publications like ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News. He now holds the position of lead writer at yengols.com.
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