More sports betting could soon come to Arizona, and one sports team is hoping the second time’s the charm when applying for a betting license.
Phoenix Rising FC is applying for a sports team sports betting license in Arizona, where it failed the first time in 2021. One of the potential causes it failed had to do with the highest level clause, like playing in Major League Soccer.
“We have solved or corrected a few of the issues that we had with our first application,” Bill Kraus, club governor for Phoenix Rising, told the Arizona Republic.
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) will award three new event wagering licenses, two for Arizona sports franchises and one for an Arizona tribe. The state has 20 total licenses, 10 for each level.
A new women’s soccer league, the USL Super League, will feature a team from Phoenix. Both teams have the same owner.
“There is some overlap, of course, there are general sports fans, but both soccer and women’s sports are underrepresented now,” Kraus told the Republic .
Max Hartgraves, spokesperson for the ADG, said any Arizona entity that believes it meets the requirements for a professional sports franchise is welcome to apply for the licenses. The licenses allow teams to have a physical sportsbook location, as well as a partnership on the mobile betting app.
The application window for the new licenses will open August 1 and close August 15.
