Arizona Wants Gambling Expansion With Sports Betting

Arizona are seriously moving towards agreeing a gambling expansion bill that could see more casinos and sports betting.

According to reports in the state Governor Doug Ducey is keen to inject more taxes into state coffers following the huge impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and gambling is one way the governor believes can help.

House Bill 2772 sponsored by Republican Jeff Weninger allows for increasing of casinos along with new table games and sportsbook, however the bill does not include online gaming.

At present Arizona has 25 run by 16 state tribes and the current compact allowing tribes to have a vote allowing for any expansion is due to expire in the next couple of years.

With that in mind lawmakers are offering tribes the option to be included in sports betting expansion along with increasing their casino portfolio.

At present tribal casinos are only allowed to offer some card games such as Blackjack and poker along with slot machines, but under the new expansion bill that could expand to table games.

Sports betting is the big deal however, so far twenty states in the US offer sports betting along with Washington D.C. This along with another five other states passing legislation to allow sports betting but not yet operational. With another fourteen states having sports betting bills on their slate to discuss and take further.

The Arizona plan is to offer 10 sports betting licenses in or around sporting stadiums and another 10 licenses offered to tribal casinos.

Should no opposition come to the bill it is hoped that legislation for gambling expansion could be passed this year followed by licensing and early 2022 operational.