Legislation signed in April by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey sets aside 10 sports betting licenses to be divided among the state’s more than 20 gaming tribes.
However, it contains a provision in which tribes that have licenses share profits with those who do not.
According to Department of Gaming Director Ted Vogt, “Governor Ducey did not want any tribe to be worse off under this amendment compact than they were the previous compact.” He added, “That led to some pretty ingenious things that the tribes came up with.”
The bill mandated the establishment of a trust fund to be shared with tribes in geographically isolated areas. Tribes near metropolitan areas are required to deposit a percentage of their annual revenues in the fund.
Says Vogt, “If there is a rural tribe, one of the tribes kind of on the periphery of the metropolitan areas that sees a decline in their revenue, they can make an application.” Vogt continued, “It will be to the [Department of Gaming], we’ll validate that, and then they’ll get a disbursement from this trust fund to ensure that they’re made whole.”
