The Arizona Department of Gaming will issue three new event wagering licenses, according to a local report in Azcentral. One Arizona Tribe and two state sports franchises will receive licensing once the application process is completed.
The state currently has 20 licenses that are split between 10 Tribes and 10 sports teams. Eight of those licenses were awarded to local sports teams, while all Tribal licenses were issued.
One Tribal license is now available due to lack of use by one Arizona Tribe. A spokesperson for the Department of Gaming did not name which Tribe has not been using its current license, according to the local report.
However, the Ak-Chin Indian Community is not listed on the department’s site, through the group had previously been awarded a license, the report said.
Phoenix Rising FC told Azcentral that the team will “absolutely apply” for licensing. The team’s previous application was denied in 2021.
Phoenix Rising Club Governor Bill Kraus told local news that he is confident the group will gain approval this time, although the soccer team has not yet selected a betting partner. The team said that it will soon choose a partner for its sportsbook.
He commented, “We have solved or corrected a few of the issues that we had with our first application.”
He went on to note that a lack of soccer representation could potentially increase the team’s chance of approval and said that he “does not think the license should depend on the team becoming a major league team.”
“There is some overlap, of course, there are general sports fans, but both soccer and women’s sports are underrepresented now,” Kraus said.
