Delay in Sports Betting Rules for Arizona

The Arizona Department of Gaming announced on Monday that there was a slight delay in releasing the first draft of the sports betting rules. That release was supposed to come on Monday, but there are still rules that need to be ironed out.

The ADG did not want to release a first draft of rules until everything was as accurate as possible, and it just hasn’t had enough time. The U.S. Department of Interior made a quick decision in approving the gaming compacts, and the ADG was simply not prepared.

These rules will soon be posted on the ADG website, and public comments will be accepted for a period of time. This will allow the ADG to make any appropriate changes to the rules before they become official prior to launch.

The public review period was supposed to end on June 21, but a new date will be announced after this delay. There is hope that a few amendments or changes will need to be made, and that was the purpose of this delay.

The ADG has taken a look at other sports betting markets to help craft its own rules, but it also has to use the language that was included in the compacts.

Launch Date Not Affected

Also included in this message from the ADG was that the expected launch date of legal sports betting was not affected. The state has set a target date as the start of the 2021 NFL season, and that will remain in place.

The NFL is the biggest betting market in the United States, and this will give the state a chance to get off to a good start in the industry. The Arizona Cardinals have a massive following in the state and should be a popular team to bet on.

There are still a number of other steps that need to happen, but there is enough time to get the industry up and running by September.

Plenty of Licenses Available

Arizona is a large state, and it could turn into a large sports betting market as well. There will be 20 sports betting licenses available, and plenty of competition is expected when trying to obtain one of them.

10 of the licenses will go to the Native American tribes in the state, and the other 10 will be reserved for professional sports teams and stadiums. Both retail and online sports betting will be offered, and some of the biggest names in the industry are already lining up for access.

Partnerships Still Being Formed

Operators and sports betting companies will be forced to partner with professional sports teams or stadiums for access, and several of these deals have already been inked. DraftKings was the first to reach a deal of this kind, partnering with the PGA Tour in Arizona.

Just one day later, FanDuel made a splash in Arizona by partnering with the Phoenix Suns. This deal will allow FanDuel to open up a retail location at Phoenix Suns Arena.

Caesars Entertainment has partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks in a move that was announced last month. Look for similar deals to be signed in the months leading up to the launch.