Tonto Apache Tribe pens deal with TwinSpires to launch Arizona sportsbook

Both hope to secure a license for the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino.

TwinSpires has announced a deal with the Tonto Apache Tribe to enter the Arizona sports betting market. The mobile sports and horse racing betting platform will aim to launch a sportsbook in partnership with the Tribe’s Mazatzal Hotel & Casino.  

This agreement will grant TwinSpires the right to open a land-based sportsbook within the Tonto Apache Tribe’s Mazatzal casino and also allow the company to operate an online sports betting platform in the newly regulated state of Arizona.   

For the agreement to go ahead the company must first gain the relevant gaming license within the state.   

“The team behind the most exciting two minutes in sports is thrilled to partner with the Tonto Apache Tribe and pursue offering our leading sportsbook product and promotions to sports fans throughout Arizona,” said TwinSpires president Ian Williams.  

Tonto Apache chairman Calvin Johnson said: “In conjunction with our world-class partner, we look forward to supporting the local community and bringing more visitors to the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino and our beautiful county.” 

TwinSpires, which is owned by Churchill Downs, currently operates in six states. The company can be found in Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Tennessee. It is also the official sports betting partner for the Kentucky Derby. 

Arizona is one of the most recent states to legalize sports wagering. April 12, 2021 saw the Arizona state senate pass HB 2772 by 23-6, approving both online and retail sports betting in the state. 

Henry Moore

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