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Gov. Ducey of Arizona Signs a Sports Betting Bill into Law
By Jeff Osienya Apr 18, 2021 LegalityArizona is the newest state in the USA to welcome regulated sports betting after the state governor signed a new gaming expansion bill into law. The tribal-state compact has also been amended accordingly, adding two more decades to the agreement.Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona formally okayed the entry of regulated sports betting into The Grand Canyon State after signing a sports betting legalization bill into law on Friday. This bill officially welcomes online sports betting on professional and collegiate sports, fantasy sports betting, and the addition of specific lottery-operated Keno games at social clubs and off-track betting venues in the state.
The bill in question, House Bill 2772 was first tabled in February by Jeff Weninger, a recently elected Republican Representative for District 17. Before heading over to the governor’s office for his signature, it was given the green light by the Senate in a 23-6 majority vote last Monday, April 12th. Likewise, HB 2772 had also received overwhelming support in the House where it passed by a 48-12 vote in its third reading last month. The House Commerce Committee similarly approved the bill by a 9-1 margin back in February when the measure had just been introduced by Rep Weninger.
Some of the most notable provisions in the newly signed law include awarding 10 retail and online mobile sports betting licenses to major league sports teams in Arizona. Teams like the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes and NFL’s Cardinals can thus offer sports betting services at their respective venues, on retail books, and online within a quarter-mile of the gaming facilities.
A Fresh Tribal-State Gaming Compact Inked Alongside the Recently Signed Law
Tribal gaming expansion was also a critical component of Arizona’s new sports betting law. For one, HB 2772 was only able to gain momentum in the House and Senate after the state agreed to extend the current tribal-state gaming compacts by another 20 years.
With an extended compact in place, Arizona tribes will continue enjoying exclusivity rights on gambling, except for the newly legalized sports betting, DFS, and keno games. In turn, the tribes will continue honoring their Class III gaming revenue-sharing agreement to pay for regulatory fees with the net win accrued from the exclusive forms of gambling.
Further, after the new tribal-state compact is formally approved by the federal government, the tribes will be allowed to start operating more than 6,000 new slot machines and can increase the figure by a specific amount every two years. The compact was also amended allowing the tribes to offer the newly introduced forms of gambling at their two-dozen tribal gaming facilities across the state. However, for these new forms of gaming, the tribes will be parting with the same licensing fees and taxes that other approved commercial gaming entities in the Grand Canyon State will be paying.
The law also allows for the construction of 11 more casinos in the Grand Canyon State, with a maximum of four permitted to open their doors between now and 2031. For a start, two new casinos will be built in the metro Phoenix region: one in the southeastern area on Gila River Indian Community holdings and the other west of the metro area on Tohono O’Odham Nation land, but only a maximum of four new casinos will be allowed in the metro region.
Speaking on behalf of the Gila River Indian Community, the tribe’s governor, Stephen Roe Lewis also welcomed the milestone after intense negotiations saying:
Quote“We argued before we agreed. And we fought before we found our middle ground. But here we are today, celebrating the most unique unicorn in political life: a genuine win for us all.”
Major League Teams Already Making Headway
Even before Governor Ducey’s signature on HB 2772, professional sports teams in Arizona had already started making headway to prepare for the launch of sports betting in their home grounds. And right after the governor announced his approval of the bill through his signature, the teams started disclosing their plans.
The NBA’s Phoenix Suns had already joined forces with FanDuel to start operating a sportsbook in the Phoenix Suns Arena and this facility is expected to start taking bets in time for the upcoming NBA season. DraftKings has also announced its entry plan into Arizona via an arrangement with the PGA Tour and will open a sports betting facility at TPC Scottsdale, a famed 36-hole golf complex. The MLB’s Diamondbacks have also confirmed that a sportsbook will be coming to Chase Field but haven’t divulged any information about a partner sports betting brand or a possible debut date.
Upon signing the new bill into law, Gov Ducey voiced his enthusiasm for the long-awaited achievement in the following statement:
Quote“This is a once-in-a-generation milestone for tribal nations, their communities, and the entire state of Arizona — and I’m proud to sign a gaming compact amendment and associated legislation that will benefit people in every corner of our state. I can’t overstate the impact the tribal-state gaming compact amendment and its associated legislation will have on our state.
Today’s signing is a culmination of years of partnership and engagement among many diverse stakeholders — and we did it by bringing everyone to the table, pushing individual agendas aside, and putting Arizona first.”
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