Arizona Governor Doug Ducey says he is open to allowing sports betting at the state’s 55 off-track betting facilities, especially if the state collects more in taxes.
Ducey said he wanted to “maintain the culture and flavor of our state’’ in making that decision. The governor is in the midst of negotiations to modernize the 22 tribal state gaming compacts, which give tribes a monopoly on some forms of gaming in exchange for paying a percentage of casino revenue to the state.
The compacts begin to expire in 2022. As long as the state gets more money, Ducey said he is open to talking about adding sports betting to that monopoly. He told Capitol Media Services, “I do think there’s a significant opportunity with gaming. But I do think we should have the public discourse and debate on where those dollars will be spent and where the highest priority is.’’
He added, “Of course we want to respect that and make sure we’re properly communicating with the tribes. But there’s also other factors we want to take into account.’’
One of those factors is to listen to what racetracks want to add to the discussion. Ducey said, “We want to build out the stakeholder group, look at some best practices around the country, and see how we can maximize this for the citizens of Arizona and for the general fund.”
The tribes are also interested. Attorney Steven Hart, who represents the Navajo Nation told reporters, “I think the Navajo Nation is very interested in sports betting and in finding ways to expand their casino offerings.”
Stephen Roe Lewis, chairman of the Gila River Indian Community, said in a statement, “We are looking forward to discussing with the state how we can go about working together on developing this opportunity, which could be a win-win for the state of Arizona and Arizona tribes.”
