Arizona Regulators Target Start Of NFL Season For Sports Betting Kickoff

Written By Martin Harris on June 4, 2021Last Updated on February 28, 2022
The NFL's opening day on Sept. 9 is the target for sports betting to go live in Arizona.

The NFL Kickoff Game, featuring a competition between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the defending Super Bowl champions, will mark the commencement of the 2021 National Football League regular season on Thursday, Sept. 9.

Arizona aims to usher in a new era of sports betting by then, as indicated by the Arizona Department of Gaming’s announced timeline. Their goal is to have sports betting go live in the state by the NFL’s opening day.

While legislation has been passed and agglomerates have been approved, there remains more work to be done.

While there are still hurdles to clear before sports betting becomes lawful in Arizona, significant progress has already been made. That being said, the most significant and challenging hurdle has already been surmounted.

On April 15, Governor Doug Ducey ratified the amended agreements with the nations and the innovative gambling development policy.

Under the new laws, nations have the ability to secure up to 10 sports betting licenses, applicable to both offline and online mediums. The law allocates an extra 10 licenses to the state’s professional sports franchises and venues. Tribes operating multiple casinos are allowed to operate several sportsbooks using a single license. Moreover, horse lines can apply for licenses restricted to on-site financial sports betting.

The recently amended compacts also required national approval. To achieve this, they were submitted to the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Federal Register was given 90 days to establish the newly published particles, after which the Bureau of Indian Affairs had a 45-day window for review and approval. This process was expedited and concluded with the release of the revised particles on May 24.

The released schedule includes the commencement date for functional operations and the period for public feedback.

Officials in Arizona are currently formulating rules and regulations. These are necessary for both traditional sports betting (also referred to as event wagering and & ldquo, etc.) and fantasy sports.

Gov. Ducey’s ratification of the new gambling legislation initiated a 60-day period for regulators to complete drafting their rules. This period, ending on June 14, is swiftly drawing to a close.

Subsequently, a public comment period will be initiated where all Arizonans can express their disagreements with the regulations. The comment period will conclude on June 21, giving individuals one week to respond.

At that point, regulators will have the chance to revise and finalize the rules. The opening of the second casinos is still desired to coincide with the start of the NFL season, proposing Sept. 9 as the potential commencement date for operations.

Providers hurry to prepare for the start of AZ as partnerships begin to form.

Naturally, all potential operators betting on sports in Arizona must obtain licenses to sell. Consequently, the license application and approval process must be completed before any betting activity can occur.

When the commencement of sports betting in Arizona is announced, partnerships are already in place to suggest which technicians may be ready.

The Phoenix Suns have entered into a partnership with FanDuel Sportsbook, while the Arizona Diamondbacks have teamed up with Caesars. DraftKings has also struck a deal with the TPC Scottsdale golf complex. In a similar vein, tribes looking to incorporate sportsbooks into their casinos have started initiating comparable partnerships.

Other potential candidates to expand sports betting into Arizona include BetMGM Sportsbook, WynnBet, theScore, William Hill Sportsbook, FOX Bet, Barstool, and PointBet.

To put it differently, preparation for this year’s NFL Kickoff Game between the Cowboys and the Bucs isn’t solely undertaken by the NFL teams themselves.

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