Arizona: 12 days to secure an event wagering license

Garance Limouzy July 8, 2024

In Arizona, USA, operators have 12 days, starting this Monday, July 8, to apply for an event wagering license.

The Arizona Department of Gaming is currently accepting applications from event wagering and sports betting operators. According to state law, Arizona can accommodate up to 20 operators to provide services, yet currently, only 17 operators are available to serve customers within the state.

“The Arizona Department of Gaming is pleased to announce that it will begin accepting applications for event wagering licenses in July,” the ADG’s statement read.

According to the state’s law, out of the twenty licensees that could operate, ten must be associated with a professional sports franchise and ten with a Native American nation. Counting the 17 licenses that have already been given, the Arizona Department of Gaming will grant one license to an operator linked to a Native American nation, and two to operators linked to a sports franchise.

As there are no Arizona-based sports licenses that don’t yet have a partnership with an operator, it is most likely that event wagerers who want to operate in the state will try to tie a partnership with a Native American nation.

Lack of sports franchises

Meeting the requirements to qualify as a professional sports franchise eligible to form partnerships with event wagering operators is challenging. Previously, the Arizona Department of Gaming denied some applicants, including the United Soccer League’s Phoenix Rising, which sought a partnership but was rejected in their 2021 application. In the previous licensing round, no professional franchise operators applied, due to a lack of franchises. However, in March 2024, the Arizona Department of Gaming granted a license to Fanatics Betting & Gaming, which chose to partner with the Tonto Apache Tribe.

Arizona’s gambling market, regulated in 2021, continues to expand. According to the March sports betting revenue report, Arizona operators reached a record handle in January. The 16 operators then active in the state processed $706.4 million in wagers, achieving an adjusted gross revenue of $46.2 million after promotional deductions and contributing $4.6 million in taxes to the state.