With multiple sportsbook operators pulling out of the Grand Canyon State over the past year, regulators are once again looking to add more Arizona sports betting options to the market.
The Arizona Department of Gaming announced Friday it will begin accepting applications for Arizona sports betting licenses July 8. The process will remain open until July 19.
It is the third time since the market launched in 2021 the ADG has sought new operators to fill out the state’s 20 sportsbook slots. As of June 9, there were 16 Arizona sports betting operators.
Whether placing a wager on Arizona CFB win totals or want to bet an individual game, Arizona has you covered.
AZ sports betting market
Arizona sportsbooks have taken more than $16.5 billion in bets since September 2021. The state has netted $80.9 million in taxes.
FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars and BetMGM control more than 90% of the market.
Still, there are likely operators in the US sports betting ecosystem that could vie for the open licenses, including Circa Sports and Underdog.
Arizona sports betting licenses open
Arizona sports betting law created 20 licenses, including 10 each for professional sports teams and tribes.
July’s application period is for “no less than one” license connected to Arizona tribes and “no less than one” attached to Arizona sports franchises. There are two open licenses connected to both sports teams and tribes.
The ADG will notify qualified applicants August 2.
Potential sportsbook partners
There are 22 Arizona tribes, 16 of which have gaming operations. Unibet pulled out of the market earlier this year, but had been partnered with the Fort Yuma-Quechan Tribe. WynnBet, which was partnered with the San Carlos Apache Tribe, also recently shut down Arizona operations.
State law requires sports teams to be “the highest level” to qualify for a license. The Indoor Football League‘s Arizona Rattlers have a license after partnering with BetRivers.
There are two other IFL teams in Arizona: the Northern Arizona Wranglers and Tucson Sugar Skulls. The USL‘s Phoenix Rising FC applied for a license in 2021 but did not receive one.
Previous application period results
Bet365 received a license in 2023 by taking over a partnership with the Ak-Chin Indian Community. The tribe previously partnered with Fubo Sportsbook, which shut down its sportsbook operations in 2022.
In February, bet365 launched its sportsbook in Arizona.
Earlier this year, Fanatics earned a license through a partnership with the Tonto Apache Tribe, which was previously partnered with Twinspires. Fanatics launched its Arizona sportsbook in April.
Active Arizona sportsbooks
As of June, SaharaBets is still operating in Arizona. The license is connected to the Arizona Coyotes, an inactive NHL franchise following the sale of its assets to an ownership group in Salt Lake City.
Sports betting operators active in Arizona include:
- Bally Bet (partnered with the Phoenix Mercury)
- Bet365 (Ak-Chin Indian Community)
- Betfred (Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation)
- BetMGM (Arizona Cardinals and Gila River Hotels & Casinos)
- BetRivers (Arizona Rattlers)
- Betway (San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe)
- Caesars (Arizona Diamondbacks)
- Desert Diamond (Tohono O’odham Nation)
- DraftKings (PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open)
- ESPN Bet (Phoenix Raceway)
- Fanatics (Tonto Apache Tribe)
- FanDuel (Phoenix Suns)
- Golden Nugget (Hualapai Tribe)
- Hard Rock Bet (Navajo Nation)
- SaharaBets (Arizona Coyotes)
- SuperBook (Fort Mojave Indian Tribe)
