The Arizona Department of Gaming continues to approve new Arizona sportsbooks, with BetRivers getting a nod of approval Friday.
The ADG approved the Rush Street Interactive application Friday, according to an ADG spokesperson. With the approval, BetRivers Sportsbook is cleared for launch.
There are now nine Arizona sportsbooks live since the market opened Sept. 9. RSI partnered with the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League for market access.
“Arizonans are accustomed to receiving a championship-caliber product on the field with the Rattlers, and we look forward to offering them a similarly high-quality product off the field through our award-winning BetRivers platform and top-notch customer service,” RSI CEO Richard Schwartz said in a statement.
Arizona sportsbooks land in hot market
With less than half the possible online sportsbooks live, Arizona is already proving to be a significant market.
Through the first four weeks of the NFL betting season, Arizona recorded the fourth-most transactions in markets tracked by GeoComply. There were 122% more transactions during those first four weeks than in 2020, including the 36.9 million transactions in Arizona.
“The data also confirms the first week in Arizona was not just a one-off, but that the state has solidified its place as the fourth largest sports betting market in the U.S.,” GeoComply Managing Director of Gaming Lindsay Slader said in a statement.
Sportsbooks still looking in from the outside
There were seven sportsbooks ready to launch with the market in early September. Those first entrants included some of the US sports betting market leaders, including FanDuel and DraftKings.
Since then, TwinSpires also debuted as the Arizona Department of Gaming sorts through applications as they arrive. Beyond the BetRivers launch, the ADG is rolling out licenses as they approve operators.
Arizona sportsbooks still waiting
Arizona sports betting legislation created 20 online sportsbook licenses, 10 each for the state’s professional sports organizations and tribes. The ADG awarded 18 of those licenses through the initial license application period.
There are still two slots open for licenses attached to professional sports organizations.
Arizona sportsbooks yet to launch:
- Bally Bet
- BetFred
- Betway
- Fubo Gaming
- Golden Nugget
- SuperBook
Arizona bettors are also waiting on the still yet-to-be-announced sportsbooks from:
- Navajo Nation
- Tohono O’odham Nation
- Arizona Coyotes
Arizona sports betting lawsuit still looms
The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe‘s lawsuit to stop Arizona sports betting is still sitting in Maricopa County Superior Court. Judge James Smith denied the initial request for a preliminary injunction in September.
On Sept. 27, the tribe submitted an amended complaint against Gov. Doug Ducey and ADG Director Ted Vogt. The Yavapai-Prescott claim the expansion of gaming in Arizona was unconstitutional.
There has been relatively little activity regarding the lawsuit in recent weeks. In the past week, Ducey filed a motion to dismiss the case.
A court order asked for clarification on why Ducey could not adequately represent two tribes who filed a motion to intervene.
