AZ Betting Guide
Arizona got to the party a little later than other states once sports betting became legal across the county.
Arizona sports fans have the Suns and Mercury for basketball, Coyotes for hockey, Cardinals, and the Diamondbacks for baseball. While the Suns are the only team to see much success, Arizona still has some passionate fans for their teams.
One thing that brings some attraction to Arizona sports fans is MLB Spring Training bringing teams from across the country to play and get ready for their regular season. Spring Training creates more fans of the sports, which can bring in more betting options for the residents of Arizona.
Move on to the next sections to learn more about sports betting in Arizona.
Is Sports Betting Legal In Arizona?
Arizona’s first legal sports bets were placed on September 9, 2021.
Beginning in 2017, and in preparation for the Supreme Court’s ruling that each individual state could set its own sports gaming laws, legislation in Arizona was being worked on. In 2018 SCOTUS gave each state the green light, and by April 2021, a sports betting law had been passed and signed by the governor.
Unique to Arizona, the brick-and-mortar sportsbooks located in the state are affiliated directly with sports venues, and that first-ever legal wager was placed at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
How To Start Betting In Arizona
It takes only a few minutes to go from deciding to place legal sports bets in Arizona to actually placing those bets.
Once you choose one of the sportsbooks licensed to operate in Arizona, create an account. You can do it through their website, or on your phone through their mobile app. Just fill in the requested information, and the sportsbook will handle the rest, including verifying your identity and age.
After your account has been created, make your first deposit. Most betting sites in Arizona allow deposits with a credit or debit card, online bill pay, ACH bank transfer, PayPal, a prepared gaming card, or cash at an in-person sportsbook.
Then you’re ready to place your first bet.
The Best Licensed Sportsbooks In Arizona
There are several excellent choices when it comes to creating a sports betting account and placing legal bets in Arizona. All of the biggest and best names have come to The Grand Canyon State.
DraftKings
DraftKings is partnered with the TPC Scottsdale, the home of the Phoenix Open. A huge new brick-and-mortar sportsbook is coming to the course, to go along with the DraftKings website and mobile app. Daily fantasy sports is also now legal in Arizona, and DraftKings covers both your DFS plays and all of your sports betting needs.
Caesars
The Diamondbacks and Caesars signed a 10-year partnership with one another, and the state-of-the-art sportsbook at Chase Field is where the very first sports bet was placed in Arizona. The sportsbook is the first to be opened inside an MLB stadium, and it’s open 365 days a year. Caesars also offers one of the top sportsbook mobile apps in the industry.
FanDuel
FanDuel is available online, on IOS and Android, and at a retail sportsbook at the Footprint Center, the home of the Phoenix Suns. Even before Arizona had legalized sports betting, FanDuel and the Suns agreed to their partnership. Along with a full complement of sports betting, FanDuel also offers daily fantasy sports.
BetMGM
A large BetMGM retail sportsbook is coming to Glendale, the home of the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are the NFL partner with BetMGM, which offers complete and dynamic sports betting mobile app, and is one of the biggest names in gaming anywhere in the world.
BetRivers
A partnership with the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League may not be the biggest of the sports betting duos in the state, but BetRivers is one of the best in the business as a sportsbook. They offer sports betting online and through their mobile app.
Arizona Gambling Restrictions & Rules
Arizona betting laws allow anyone at least 21 years old to place sports bets, both in-person and online. Bets can be placed on all sporting events, with the exception of high school sports. It’s also not legal to place proposition bets on individual college athletes. You can place prop bets on college teams, just not individual player performances.
Unlike some states that restrict college bets on events taking place in their state or involving teams from their home state, Arizona has no such restriction. You can place wagers on Arizona and Arizona State, and any event within the state’s borders.
When placing bets with an Arizona-based sportsbook, all bets must be placed within Arizona borders. You don’t need to be a resident of Arizona, but you must be physically inside the state to use any of its online and mobile sportsbooks.
Licenses Recognized In Arizona
Arizona betting laws allow for 20 sportsbook licenses, with 10 awarded to Native American tribes in Arizona, and 10 to professional sports teams or venues. However, efforts are underway to increase the number of Native American sports betting licenses.
The 10 licensed tribes and their partner sportsbook operators are:
- Ak-Chin Indian Community – Fubo Gaming
- Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation – Betfred
- Fort Mojave Indian Tribe – SuperBook
- Hualapai Tribe – Golden Nugget
- Navajo Nation – Hard Rock Sportsbook
- Quechan Tribe – Unibet
- San Carlos Apache Tribe – WynnBet
- San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe – Betway
- Tohono O’odham Nation – Desert Diamond
- Tonto Apache Tribe – TwinSpires
Three tribes with agreements with sportsbook operating partners weren’t given one of the 10 awarded licenses, prompting the call to expand the number of available licenses. Those tribes and partners are – Colorado River Indian Tribes (BlueBet), White Mountain Apache Tribe (MaximBet), and Yavapai-Apache Nation (PointsBet).
So far, eight licenses have been awarded to professional sports teams and venues based in Arizona, and seven of those licenses have been paired with a sportsbook operating partner:
- Arizona Cardinals – BetMGM
- Arizona Diamondbacks – Caesars
- Arizona Rattlers – BetRivers
- Phoenix Mercury – Bally’s
- Phoenix Suns – FanDuel
- Phoenix International Raceway – Barstool
- TPC Scottsdale – DraftKings
- Arizona Coyotes – The NHL team in Arizona is yet to name a sportsbook operating partner
Application for a sports betting license costs $100,000, a $750,000 fee is required to get the license, and a $150,000 annual renewal fee.
Responsible Gaming Organizations That Operate In Arizona
As sports betting expands across Arizona, so does the risk of gambling problems and the need for an expanded community of responsible gaming organizations.
The Arizona Department of Gaming’s Division of Problem Gambling offers free services to all residents of Arizona.
The Arizona Council on Compulsive Gambling has a toll-free helpline and provides resources and support to combat gambling addiction. Gamblers Anonymous also operates in Arizona and offers a wide range of in-person and virtual support groups.
All sportsbooks that operate in Arizona are also required by the state to honor self-exclusion lists. Registration for that list can be done through the Arizona Department of Gaming.
How To Know A Sportsbook Is Safe
If a sportsbook has been licensed by the state of Arizona, it’s safe. There’s oversight by the Arizona Department of Gaming, and there’s a rigorous review process before licenses are awarded.
If, however, you still aren’t certain, research the sportsbook. Find it on the state’s gaming website to confirm it does have a license, and then research its history. You can quickly find out the history of complaints against a sportsbook, as well as read customers’ reviews.
Untrustworthy sportsbooks don’t last very long, so if it’s been around for a while, chances are very good it’s safe to use.
What To Do If You Encounter Any Problems
In the event you do happen to have an issue with a licensed sportsbook operating in Arizona, the Arizona Department of Gaming is your resource. You can call them to file a complaint or fill out a complaint form through their website.
They investigate complaints on various issues, including technical problems with payouts, suspicious sports betting activity, in-person teller complaints, and all other issues with a sports betting venue that may require mediation.
If your problem involves a tribal casino or sportsbook, those disputes are handled by the corresponding Tribal Gaming Office. Those offices can be found through the Arizona Department of Gaming’s website.
AZ – Available Sports
We provide betting picks for free and from professional handicappers on Basketball, Soccer, Ice Hockey, Baseball, and Soccer, including MLS and international leagues and tournaments. Of course, we cover all major leagues in the U.S., NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB. Don’t forget to compare the odds between the different sportsbooks we’re partnered with before you place your bets.
