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Moves that will see the state of Arizona become the latest to legalize sports betting continue to grow at quite a pace. Officials are predicting that by September 9th residents, and visitors, to the state will finally be able to place a sports bet.
The bill signed by Governor Doug Doucey will allow those in the state to bet on sporting events and fantasy sports and will be able to do so at in-person physical casinos as well as off-reservation sportsbooks.
10 mobile-wagering licenses will be handed out, and in keeping will be given to those that align to physical outlets.
The push for legalization by early September is no coincidence as legislators are looking to clear the necessary hurdles before the start of the coming NFL season. A spokesperson at the Arizona Department of Gaming is quoted as saying;
“The amended compact allows for potentially 9 new authorized casinos in the state. It is the decision of each sovereign tribal nation to determine casino expansion within the requirements of the amended compact.”
Moves to meet a very challenging deadline are certainly something those in charge have factored in;
“We do need to set up a whole new regulatory structure and develop these rules. So, we are on a pretty tight timetable,” noted Max Hartgraves, public information officer for the department. “Luckily, we do have that emergency clause, so we’re able to kind of expedite that rule-making process. But, just putting that whole regulatory structure in place, because this form of gaming has never been legal in the state.”
When things are fully in gear one can expect a number of high-profile sportsbooks to enter the arena and as such you can expect the likes of the sidelines sport odds comparison company to be of vital use in the Grand Canyon State. One such sportsbook, Fanduel, is set to open a retail sportsbook at the Phoenix Suns Arena.
Draftkings will look to open up a similar outlet at TPC Scottsdale and Caesars will do likewise at Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field. No doubt a number of other big brands will set up shop, keen to maximise the likely revenue yield.
The number of states that have legalized online sports betting continues to grow and a number of regions are a long way down the path towards joining Arizona in their efforts to allow sports betting.
Currently the states which allows such activity include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, Colorado, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Montana,
Both Virginia and Michigan joined this group earlier this year and as such their list of prospective sportsbooks is quite lean. Many other states are said to be in advanced stages of legalization, both for sports betting and the likes of poker and casino action online.
Arizona, the 15th most populated state in the US, is expected to become a big player in the sports betting market and will be challenging directly with nearby Colorado and Nevada, though experts project there being plenty of business to go around.
