Hard Rock Sportsbook will restart its expansion with an entry into Arizona sports betting.
On Thursday, the Navajo Nation announced a deal with Hard Rock Digital to bring the sportsbook operator to AZ sports betting. The Navajo Nation was the last licensee to announce its online sportsbook plan following the debut of the Arizona Coyotes’ SaharaBets earlier this month.
“Mobile sports and event wagering is an important new offering that we’re excited to introduce,” Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprises Interim CEO Brian Parrish said in a statement. “The Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile sports wagering platform and our brick-and-mortar operations will offer a broad range of wagers, marketing promotions and cross-marketing offers that will be unique to the Navajo and Hard Rock brands.”
Along with the online sportsbook, the Navajo Nation also operates two casinos near Flagstaff.
Arizona sports betting overview
The Navajo Nation was one of 10 tribes to receive an online sports betting license. There are also 10 available licenses for professional sports organizations in the state, but the Arizona Department of Gaming has only awarded eight of those licenses.
The ADG continues to issue licenses as they are approved, with 13 sportsbooks live. The department still has to approve the Hard Rock Sportsbook for operation.
Arizona recently became the fastest state to reach $1 billion in bets, doing so after just three months. That record will likely fall soon, however, with the launch of mobile New York sports betting.
Hard Rock grows its sports betting footprint
Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming launched Hard Rock Digital in 2020. Arizona will be the third state for Hard Rock Sportsbook, which is live for New Jersey sports betting and Iowa sports betting.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the NNGE to provide Arizona sports bettors with a fun and engaging gameday experience through the Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile app,” Hard Rock Digital Executive Managing Director and CEO Marlon Goldstein said in a release.
Hard Rock also received temporary approval for sportsbook operations in Indiana.
Hard Rock Florida on pause
Headquartered in Hollywood, FL, Hard Rock Sportsbook launched online Florida sports betting in November. The Seminole Tribe gained a market monopoly by renegotiating its gaming compact with the state last year.
It did not last long, however, as the Seminoles were forced to pull the sportsbook following multiple legal challenges to its compact with the state.
With online FL sports betting sidelined, FanDuel, DraftKings and Barstool Sportsbook pushed to reach 892,000 signatures to put a sports betting question on the November ballot. The effort failed, however.
