Arizona Looks to Expand Sports Betting Market by Opening Up Final Four Licenses

The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) has announced they will re-open the application process for the state’s remaining betting operating licenses. Operators will be able to begin applying for the licenses starting on February 16 and must apply by March 4. The state currently has four of its 20 operating licenses open.

The Copper State offers two different types of licenses, allowing both Arizona tribes and pro sports franchises to partner with online operators. The ADG will have one of the four remaining licenses for one of the tribes and at least one reserved for a pro sports organization. 

All operators will be required to pay $100,000 to apply for the license and another $750,000 if approved. All operators that are approved must begin accepting bets within six months.

Any new operators will join the following sportsbooks that are currently live in Arizona:

• Bally Bet

• Betfred

• BetMGM

• BetRivers

• Betway

• Caesars

• Desert Diamond

• DraftKings

• FanDuel

• ESPN Bet

• Golden Nugget

• Hard Rock

• Sahara Bets

• SuperBook

• Unibet

• Wynnbet

More Arizona Licenses Could Soon Be Available

The ADG is reopening the application process because several small operators have been pulling out over the last couple of years. FanDuel and DraftKings dominate the market share, leaving a small area for the other 14 operators to battle over.

TwinSpires was the most recent sportsbook to close operations in the state, but two others could soon follow. Unibet has announced it will be exiting the US market, while WynnBet has scaled back operations to just four states.

While the failures of smaller sportsbooks in the states may scare some operators away, Fanatics seems to be an early favorite to snag one of the licenses. The sportsbook took over PointsBet’s US business but was denied access to Arizona. They can now find a partnership and launch their growing platform in the state.