The Arizona Department of Gaming it is on track to accept sports wagers starting September 9, the first day of NFL season.
Rules are finalized and were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office, say officials. The legislature authorized sports betting five months ago, and Governor Doug Ducey signed the updated tribal state gaming compacts on April 15.
Daily fantasy sports will unroll on August 28. Providers must submit applications by August 4 and sports betting by August 9. Those who qualify will be announced August 16.
A total of 20 event wagering licenses are authorized, with 10 going to tribes and 10 to professional sports organizations. Ten limited event wagering licenses will go to racetracks and off-track betting operations. Such licenses are forbidden on the reservation. It will cost $750,000 for the first license and $150,000 for a renewal.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Diamondbacks have announced a partnership with Caesars Entertainment; the Phoenix Suns with FanDuel; and the Phoenix Mercury with Bally’s. The PGA Tour and TPC Scottsdale are partnering with DraftKings. Penn National and Barstool Sportsbook are going with NASCAR and the Phoenix Raceway. The San Carlos Apache Tribe is partnering with WynnBET, and Cliff Castle Casinos Hotel with the Yavapai-Apache Nation. PointsBet Holdings has made a sponsorship deal with the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe and Kindred Group/Unibet.
That leaves BetMGM the odd man out, without an announced partner. The only sports franchises without matches are the NFL Cardinals and NHL Coyotes.
Penn National plans to open a retail sportsbook at the raceway and offer Barstool Sportsbook as a mobile platform. Jon Kaplowitz, senior vice president of Penn Interactive said, “Barstool Sportsbook has proven itself to be a market leader in the jurisdictions where it has launched due to a combination of unique offers and a leading mobile experience.” He added, “This new partnership will allow us to engage a passionate sports fan base in Arizona while having access to a best-in-class sports entertainment facility in Phoenix Raceway.”
Since available licenses available, there will be competition and Department of Gaming officials will decide who wins or loses. The competition would likely be between tribes of which there are 22, although only 16 have casinos. The Department created 19 criteria it will consider when awarding licenses. Including such things as experience, financial stability and employment enhancement. For tribal licenses it will lean towards funds being distributed among non-gaming tribes.
It is asking applicants to answer which criteria they fit. If “we end up having more than 10 qualified applicants on either the sports side or tribal side or limited event wagering operator side,” said Arizona Department of Gaming Director Ted Vogt. “We are asking that all of that be submitted during this 10-day period so … we will have the additional information there to move into that supplemental allocation decision if necessary.”
Fantasy sports will be played online, administered by licensed operators. Racetracks and veterans and fraternal organizations can host kiosks for betting on fantasy games. Individuals, limited to 15, can hold licenses to host fantasy sports.
Competition for off-track betting sites will likely be as hot, if not hotter than for tribal licenses, as there are many times more than 10 such operations. They must partner with Event Wagering Operators, tribes or sports organizations.
In a related development, and indicative of the highly competitive atmosphere anticipated in Arizona, Barstool Sports announced it would be the title sponsor and broadcast rights holder to college football’s Arizona Bowl. This gives it the right to broadcast the December 31 football game—with teams from the Mountain West and Mid-American Conferences— over its platform, formerly offered by CBS Sports.
Barstool founder Dave Portnoy said on his Twitter account: “We’re not just sponsoring a bowl game. We are, but we’re not. Because we have exclusive broadcast rights. CBS used to own it—see ya! Smell ya later! We control everything: the bowl, the broadcast, the halftime show, the national anthem. We are getting into the live sports broadcast game.”
Barstool has also launched Barstool Athletics Inc., which will retail Barstool merchandise and events for college athletes. Penn National Gaming owns a 36 percent share of Barstool Sports.
