While additional Arizona betting apps are expected to launch soon, some are still waiting to go live.
Arizona sports betting apps have been thriving since their introduction three months ago.
We are eagerly awaiting the official data on September and October’s handle in the Grand Canyon State. However, it is known that the majority of the 18 operators who received licenses have already opened for business, and customers are enthusiastically embracing sports wagering.
Of the original 18 teams, the Phoenix Mercury (in partnership with Bally’s Arizona) and the Arizona Coyotes (with no announced partner) are the only professional sports teams whose operating partners have not yet been introduced.
The tribal partners in Arizona, such as the Fort Mohave Indian Tribe collaborating with SuperBook Sports, Navajo Nation with TBA, Hualapai Tribe with Golden Nugget, and Ak-Chin Indian Community with Fubo Gaming, have yet to begin their operations.
What lies ahead for Arizona’s sports betting industry?
Currently, the Arizona Department of Gaming spokesperson has confirmed that there are no immediate plans to issue the remaining two licenses out of the 20 available in Arizona. These licenses were originally designated for allocation in the professional sports category.
This suggests that the Arizona sports betting market will not remain dormant, as several licensed operators are set to launch their operations in the coming months.
Operators who were unsuccessful in obtaining licenses in September are currently seeking out potential partners to assist them in gaining entry into the market.
What are unlicensed operators currently engaged in?
MaximBet, among other operators, failed to secure a license from the ADG. Despite this, Doug Terfehr, Vice President of Brands & Communications at MaximBet, revealed to yengols.com that the company is actively pursuing expansion in emerging U.S. markets, such as Arizona. In August, MaximBet formed a partnership with the White Mountain Apache Tribe, but they were not selected as one of the initial 18 license recipients.
According to Terfehr, Arizona is still a key growth area for their company, with plans to expand into 8-10 new markets in 2022, including Arizona. MaximBet views Arizona as a prime market for their lifestyle brand and is currently exploring strategies to establish a presence in the state.
BlueBet, an unlicensed sportsbook applicant from Australia, has partnered with the Colorado River Tribes to enter the market.
BlueBet CFO Darren Holley confirmed in an email to yengols.com that the company is committed to expanding into the Arizona sports betting market. He clarified that BlueBet has no plans to operate a retail-only facility moving forward.
Holley mentioned that BlueBet has no plans to operate solely as a retail facility at the moment. The company is interested in exploring opportunities in different markets and is keeping an eye on developments in Arizona in case additional licenses become available.
Who is the next to launch in Arizona?
Fubo Gaming is poised to become a major player in the sports betting industry. According to yengols.com, the company has announced its plans to launch operations by the end of this month or early 2022.
According to a company representative, Bally’s Arizona is expected to be one of the new operators to launch, with plans to open in early 2022 as scheduled.
SuperBook Sports, Golden Nugget, and Digital Gaming all declined to comment on their launch date plans when asked. Similarly, the Navajo Nation’s gaming office also chose not to provide any comments on its sports betting partner.
Arizona sports betting has proven to be a success beyond expectations.
The official figures for the first months of sports betting in Arizona have not been disclosed, but rumors within the industry indicate that the state’s initial handle could potentially set new records.
Dominic Orozco, the Strategic Marketing Officer at Gila River Hotels & Casinos, stated that the company has seen a surge in customer demand after opening three retail sportsbooks in the Valley in early November.
Orozco informed yengols.com that the platform is relatively new, having only launched on September 9th. Despite the limited data available, Orozco noted that they are experiencing positive results in terms of account activations.
Currently, numerous people are testing out different platforms, resulting in a competitive period for market expansion. Nevertheless, we believe that we will continue to have a solid presence in the Arizona market even after things settle down.
The response to the newest entrant in the Arizona sports betting market, Rush Street Interactive/BetRiver Arizona, partnering with the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League, was also favorable.
In November, RSI’s Chief Operating Officer, Mattias Stetz, stated that the Arizona market has the potential to compete with the top states in the country, largely due to the presence of four major professional sports teams in the Phoenix metro area.
Stetz noted that Arizona’s enthusiastic sports fans and abundance of professional teams make it a prime candidate for a thriving sports betting market.
Comparing Arizona with other existing markets
Arizona’s market, which launched on September 9, has been compared to Colorado’s, which also legalized wagering in 2019.
The comparison is appropriate because both states have similar population sizes (5.8 million in Colorado and 7.2 million in Arizona) and market structures.
In October, Brendan Bussmann, a partner and director of government affairs for gaming and hospitality at consulting firm Global Market Advisors since 2015, drew a comparison during an interview.
Bussmann drew parallels between Arizona’s sports betting market and Colorado’s, pointing out the strong local team affiliations and large population base interested in sports. He is optimistic that Arizona can achieve similar success in the sports betting industry.
Arizona is looking to replicate the achievements of Colorado’s thriving sports betting industry, which recently achieved record-breaking handles of $408.3 million and $491.4 million in the past two months.
Who has launched sportsbook operations in Arizona?
Let’s examine the current standing of operators and partners in the state.
Sports Betting Licensees- Fubo Gaming located within the Ak-Chin Indian Community
- Arizona Cardinals (BetMGM Arizona)*
- Arizona Coyotes (TBA)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (Caesars Sportsbook)*
- Arizona Rattlers (BetRiver Arizona)*
- The Fort Mohave Indian Tribe’s sportsbook.
- The McDowell Yavapai Nation operates Betfred Arizona.
- Hualapai Tribe (Golden Nugget)
- Navajo Nation (TBA)
- The Phoenix Mercury can be watched on Bally’s Sports Arizona.
- Phoenix Speedway, brought to you by Penn National Interactive and Barstool Sports.
- The Phoenix Suns are hosted at Arizona’s FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Quechan Tribe (Unibet Arizona)*
- The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe’s venture into the world of digital gaming
- WynnBET forms a partnership with the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
- The Tohono O’odham Nation has partnered with Kambi Group.
- The Tonto Apache Tribe offers the TwinSpires Sportsbook.
- DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona at the Scottsdale TPC
- BetMGM Arizona operates in collaboration with the Gila River Indian Community.
- has collaborated to create innovative gaming experiences.
- Yavapai-Apache Nation (IGT PlaySports)
– Operations have been initiated.
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Author
Peterson Christopher, with over seven years of experience covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for outlets like ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News, now holds the position of lead writer at yengols.com.
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