Arizona

Arizona bettors saw sports betting become legal in 2021, and since then, 17 mobile operators have joined the market, along with the same number of retail betting options.

Arizona is home to plenty of pro sports teams and hosts one of the more exciting events on the PGA Tour. Through the state’s sports betting law, all of these teams and events can be bet on. Not only can in-state bettors wager on their favorite local pro organizations, but they also have the freedom to legally bet on in-state colleges. The only restriction with betting on college sports that AZ bettors have is they cannot wager on individual player props.

The Grand Canyon State also allows residents and tourists to bet on horse racing and use daily fantasy sports apps. There are a few in-person races and countless off-track betting facilities throughout the state, or horse racing fans can use online racebooks.

Online sports betting in The Grand Canyon State

If asked to pick a saying that would best describe the process of legalizing sports betting in Arizona, the easy answer would be, “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.” Arizona’s first “try” at legalizing sports betting came in 2019 when Sen. Sonny Borrelli and Rep. Steve Pierce introduced their own respective sports betting bills during the state’s legislative session.

Neither of those bills made any real headway that year, which forced Borrelli and Pierce to try again during the 2020 legislative session. Success would not be found that year either, as both bills would eventually die. Governor Doug Ducey took matters into his own hands in 2021 by renegotiating gaming compacts with the local Native American tribes.

These new gaming compacts gave the topic the jumpstart it needed, leading to HB2772 being signed into law in April 2021. By signing this bill, Gov. Ducey welcomed online and retail sports betting to the Grand Canyon State. The law gives the Arizona Department of Gaming clearance to hand out 20 licenses, and each provider that receives a license can partner with two online operators.

Even with the revolving door occurring in AZ due to multiple shops ceasing operations, the big-name operators have a strong presence in the state. These operators include Bet365, Caesars, BetMGM, FanDuel, and BetRivers. Some of the lesser-known or up-and-coming apps include Hard Rock Sportsbook, Sahara Bets, SuperBook, and Desert Diamond Sports.

As of August 2023, the Arizona Department of Gaming has granted all ten licenses available for local gaming tribes. This means two licenses are still available for pro sports organizations. The Phoenix Rising FC has expressed interest in one of those licenses and was one of the few organizations to apply during the latest application window.

All legal AZ sports betting apps in 2024 (from newest to oldest):

Sports betting & gambling legislation in AZ

According to HB2772, which legalized sports betting in Arizona both online and in retail form, bettors must be at least 21 years old to place a legal wager. Sports betting in AZ isn’t limited to residents, but anyone trying to place a legal bet in the state must be within state lines. These rules are enforced are enforced by the Arizona Department of Gaming.

One of the nicest aspects of Arizona’s sports betting law is remote registration. While mobile operators need to partner with retail facilities to gain access to the state, bettors do not need to be physically located at those facilities to create an account or make a bet on the partner sportsbook app.

If you win with your sports bets or in any other form of gambling in Arizona, your winnings will be taxable. Arizona's income tax rate ranges from 2.59% to 4.50%, depending on your personal income level. The higher the income, the more taxes you pay for your gambling winnings. Also, the federal tax applies if the winning amount exceeds $5,000.

Speaking of other forms of gambling, even though online casinos are still illegal in Arizona, the locals can find 24 tribal casinos scattered throughout the state’s lines.

Most recent updates from the AZ sports betting scene

• May 11, 2024: Following their first-round exit from the NBA Playoffs, the Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Frank Vogel and have hired former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.

• April 29, 2024: The Phoenix Suns have been eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs after being swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

• April 25, 2024: With their first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. He is currently (+700) to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

• April 17, 2024: The Arizona Coyotes have played their final NHL game in Arizona, as the franchise will be relocating to Salt Lake City.

• February 5, 2024: Bet365 Sportsbook has officially launched in Arizona.

• December 21, 2023: In October 2023, Arizona saw a 4.8% year-over-year increase in sports betting, totaling $648.2 million in wagers. Mobile betting dominated, accounting for nearly 99% of the total betting activity, while retail betting contributed only $5.4 million. This growth also represented a 6.2% increase from September.

• August 30, 2023: The Arizona Gaming Commission has granted a license to the Bet365 Sportsbook, making them the 17th sports betting operator in the state.

• July 7, 2023: The Arizona Gaming Commission is reopening the license application process for one tribal license and two sports venue licenses. By doing this, operators that had previously been able to operate in the state could soon be joining the market.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Currently, there are 17 retail betting facilities spread across Arizona. These facilities include tribal casinos, pro sports arenas or stadiums, and racetracks. Of the 20 sports betting licenses allowed in AZ, 10 are set for pro teams or organizations, and the other 10 are for Native American tribes.

Some tribes that did not receive licenses despite having a gaming compact from the state have pursued legal action against AZ. This means if a ruling goes in their favor or lawmakers adjust the current sports betting bill, more retail sports betting facilities could arise in AZ over time.

• Wild Horse Pass Casino (BetMGM), 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd, Chandler

• Lone Butte Casino (BetMGM), 1077 S Kyrene Rd, Chandler

• Vee Quiva (BetMGM), 15091 S Komatke Ln, Laveen Village

• Santan Mountain (BetMGM), 7101 S Gilbert Rd, Chandler

• State Farm Stadium (BetMGM), 9591 W Sportsman Pk N, Glendale

• Arizona Downs Racetrack (Caesars), 10501 E, AZ-89A, Prescott Valley

• Chase Field (Caesars), 401 E Jefferson St, Phoenix

• Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino (Caesars), 15406 N Maricopa Rd, Maricopa

• Paradise Casino (Unibet), 450 Quechan Dr, Yuma

• Turf Paradise (Unibet), 1501 W Bell Rd, Phoenix

• Desert Diamond Casino - Tucson, 7350 S Nogales Hwy, Tucson

• Desert Diamond Casino - Sahuarita, 1100 W Pima Mine Rd, Sahuarita

• Desert Diamond Casino - West Valley, 9431 W Northern Ave, Glendale

• We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort (Betfred), 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell

• TPC Scottsdale (DraftKings), 17020 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale

• Footprint Center (FanDuel), 201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix

• Casino Del Sol (SolSports), 5655 W Valencia Rd, Tucson

• Mazatzal Hotel & Casino (TwinSpires), Highway 87, Mile Marker 251, Payson

• Twin Arrows (Hard Rock), 22181 Resort Boulevard, Flagstaff

Sports betting in neighboring states

Two of Arizona’s neighboring states share a similar gambling layout in the sense that everything is legal. At the same time, the remaining three states that border AZ do not have legal mobile betting, and out of the three, only New Mexico has legal retail sports betting.

To read more about why Utah, New Mexico, and California don’t have legalized online sports betting, you can click on them in the box below.

Sports betting revenue impact on Arizona’s economy

Since launching sports betting in 2021, Arizona has made over $1.19 billion in sports betting revenue, making it one of ten states to surpass the billion-dollar mark in that statistic. With a layout that includes over 15 mobile betting apps and retail facilities, it is not much of a shock to see Arizona report a lot of betting volume on a consistent basis.

Arizona's licensing structure is similar to that of many other states with legal sports betting. The state has 20 sports betting licenses, each of which grants the ability to partner with two online skins. The initial fee for each license is $750,000, and the yearly renewal fee is $150,000.

For taxes, Arizona has two separate tax rates for operators concerning online wagers vs retail wagers. All online wagers are subject to a 10% tax rate, while retail wagers are subject to an 8% tax rate. Both rates are slightly below average compared to other states with sports betting legislation.

In September, October, and November 2023, the Grand Canyon State reported over $610 million in handle each month. In January 2024, the state set a new sports betting revenue record again, as sportsbook operators generated a total of $69.3m, which was $3.2m more than the previous record ($66.1m) set in December 2023.

Top 3 sportsbooks in the state in January 2024:

1. FanDuel (Handle: $228.2m, Revenue: $31.2m) 

2. DraftKings (Handle: $258.1m, Revenue: $22.5m) 

3. BetMGM (Handle: $84.7m, Revenue: $9.7m)

Arizona sports betting record months:

• Sports betting handle: November 2023 ($713,586,704)

• Revenue: January 2024 ($70,943,718)

• Tax income: December 2023 ($4,817,325)

AZ sports betting revenue in 2024