T
he Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) announced Wednesday it has received 15 applications from state’s tribes for a sports betting license, and 10 applications seeking licensure as a professional sports team or organization.
Since legislation approved this year enables 10 licenses for each category, the regulator plans to review proposals and choose which 10 of the 15 tribes will be able to enter the market, scheduled to launch before the National Football League season begins on September 9.
With the application period closed on August 9, the ADG now has until Monday, August 16, to determine whether all applicants legally qualify for licensing. If more than 10 tribes qualify, the department will have up to 8 business days, by August 27, to allocate the licenses to qualified applicants so that marketing campaigns can begin August 28, said department public information officer Max Hartgraves, as reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal. Eligible bettors will be able to download betting apps and register as of that day.
The Arizona Department of Gaming hopes to launch sports and daily fantasy sports wagering by September 8.
By law, the regulator can’t disclose which companies and tribes are in the running for licenses, Hartgraves said. He also added there’s no scenario in which additional licenses can be offered because the numbers were a part of the legislation.
The selection criteria include 19 points to be considered by gaming administrators to make the decision. They include business ability, experience and track record for event wagering; the size of the operation; a commitment to make local investments; a preference that licenses be distributed among nongaming tribes, rural gaming tribes, and tribes located relatively near metropolitan areas in the state; and the ability to begin operating within six months.
Some tribes already have entered into partnerships with established gaming operators as an advantage over other competitors.
Gila River Casinos, which has three casinos in metropolitan Phoenix and a fourth in the planning stages, recently announced a partnership with BetMGM and the Arizona Cardinals NFL team. Also, the Colorado River Tribes consortium of four tribes has partnered with Australia-based BlueBet with market access to the BlueWater Resort and Casino near Parker, Arizona.
In addition, UK’s Betfred partnered with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation; Kindred’s Unibet with the Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe; PointsBet with the Yavapai-Apache Nation; TwinSpires, associated with Churchill Downs in Kentucky, with the Tonto-Apache Tribe; and WynnBET with the San Carlos Apache Tribe. The Ak-Chin Indian Community has had a long-standing deal with Caesars Entertainment Inc.’s Harrah’s brand. Caesars has a deal with MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks.
DraftKings has a deal with TPC Scottsdale, host course for the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open; and FanDuel with NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Bally Bet connected with WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, and
Barstool Sportsbook with Phoenix Raceway.
