The Arizona sports betting market seems small when compared to neighboring Nevada, but the state almost certainly benefits from a certain amount of spillover.
Online poker remains unregulated and so exists in a grey area. However, Arizona law takes the position that unless explicitly regulated and legal, all forms of gambling are de facto illegal.
Overseas poker and casino sites will still often accept Arizona-based players, and law enforcement in the state have shown little interest in pursuing individual gamblers. However, players should be aware of the legal and financial risks that using unregulated sites exposes them to.
Poker players who want to play live can go to one of eleven poker rooms in the state, the largest of which is the 47 table room at the Talking Stick Resort.
Arizona Online Gambling: Key Facts
- Arizona Legal Online Gambling Verticals – Online sports betting is legal throughout the state. Online casinos and online poker are not regulated or legal.
- Arizona Online Gambling Revenue Tax Rates – Online gambling winnings are taxed as income at a rate between 2.59% and 4.50% depending on your personal tax bracket.
- Arizona Available Online Sports Betting Licenses – Arizona allows up to twenty online sports betting licenses. Ten are earmarked for professional sports teams and ten for the state’s tribal casinos.
- Arizona College Sports Wagering Policy – Arizona is one of eleven states with legal college sports betting.
- Arizona iGaming Legalization and Launch Dates – Online sports betting was legalized in effective April 15, 2021. Other forms remain illegal.
Arizona’s regulatory agency, the Arizona Department of Gaming, is in charge of issuing and monitoring the 23 brick-and-mortar casino licenses, 20 online sportsbook licenses, and any additional gambling verticals relating to things like horse races and dog tracks.
Forms of gambling that are not explicitly rendered legal in Arizona’s laws are outlawed in the state. However, many online sites will still accept customers from Arizona, and convictions for individual online gamblers are almost unheard of.
Unusually, the otherwise fairly conservative gambling laws in Arizona allow for betting on college sports. However, most offline betting is limited to a small selection of licensed establishments.
Arizona Sports Betting
Arizona’s history with gambling has been a somewhat chaotic one. Initially, local Native American tribes were granted casino licenses in 1988. In 1992, the Federal Government passed a law that rendered slot machines illegal unless specifically allowed by state law. Overnight, slot machines became illegal. When the Arizona governor had the FBI move to seize every slot machine in every Arizona casino. The tribes grouped to resist.
A standoff developed and by the time it was resolved, Arizona had an agreement in place that allowed slot machines.
These agreements also allowed horse and dog racing (though not on the same day), but did not allow sports betting. Charitable gambling events and some skill-based gambling were exempt.
Online sportsbooks were finally put on the docket on April 15, 2021, when the state legislature signed a bill legalizing online sportsbooks and allowing up to 20 licenses to be issued. The first of these sportsbooks came online (in both senses) on September 9, 2021. Since then, nine online sportsbooks and two brick-and-mortar stores (both located in Phoenix) have come about, with more to follow.
Arizona’s Online Sports Betting Market
To gamble in Arizona, you must be at least 21 years old. So far, only Kentucky, Wyoming, and New Hampshire have the decidedly European gambling age of 18.
The Arizona Department of Gaming does not maintain a public list of all licensed online sportsbooks, but among the more popular sites are:
Up to twenty companies can be licensed to operate online sportsbooks. Not all those licenses have been given out. Ten are earmarked for tribal casinos, with ten being issued to other operators.
Online sportsbooks in Arizona use your device’s location to determine if you are in the state. You must be physically in the state at the time of placing the bet to place that bet with a company licensed in AZ, not just a resident there.
Signing up with an Arizona sportsbook is fairly straightforward with the usual sign-up forms and KYC checks (proof of identity, proof of address). One of the upsides of betting in Arizona is that you are allowed to bet on college games and there are a wide variety of deposit options.
Brick And Mortar Sportsbooks In Arizona
Since the legalization of sportsbooks is relatively recent, there is no great number of retail sportsbooks just yet.
Some of the more notable ones are located at sports arenas or inside casinos.
The larger brick-and-mortar betting shops in AZ are:
- The FanDuel Sportsbook at Footprint Center (Phoenix)
- Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field (Phoenix)
- Caesars Sportsbook at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino (Maricopa)
- BetMGM at Gila River Hotel and Casino (Laveen Village)
- SolSports at Casino Del Sol (Tucson)
However, there are several more sites. Local racinos will also take bets on the events running on their properties.
Arizona Legal Online Fantasy Sports Sites
Arizona’s Salary Cap DFS Sites
As of August 28, 2021, Arizona-based players have been able to partake in daily fantasy sports.
Unlike other forms of gambling, the minimum age to sign up for DFS is 18 (rather than 21). Players must be located in the state. To withdraw funds, all players will have to provide proof of their identity and if they withdraw more than 600 dollars in a year, they will have to provide some tax forms.
Sign-up is a simple form that you will only need an email address to complete.
Accounts can be funded by a variety of methods which vary from site to site. For example, FanDuel AZ accepts PayPal, prepaid cards, check, Venmo, and online bank transfer.
Fantasy Player Prop Games In Arizona
Fantasy player prop games are a little harder to come by in Arizona. For example, PrizePicks is not available in Arizona, nor is Betcha.
Fantasy prop players are better off looking at switching to more conventional forms of sports betting and DFS in Arizona.
Best Ball Games In Arizona
Underdog Best Ball is available to Arizona players. As with all Underdog customers, players must be over-18 and located in Arizona.
Legal Online Poker Sites in Arizona
Online poker is not yet legal in Arizona. The default position in U.S. states is that if online poker is not explicitly outlawed then it is legal. However, Arizona law takes the opposite stance, all gambling is illegal until explicitly brought inside the law. As a result, online poker is illegal in Arizona.
However, many overseas sites will accept Arizona players and Arizona law enforcement has made few moves to enforce these rules against Arizona players.
If you choose to play online poker in Arizona, it behooves you to be aware that you are taking on some legal risk. Playing on unregulated or international sites also exposes you to possible data and financial risks.
Given the recent legalization of sports betting, it is reasonable to think that legal online poker could be part of the legislative agenda soon.
Legal Online Casino Sites In Arizona
So far, online casinos remain illegal in Arizona. With 23 brick-and-mortar casinos in the state, any legalization is likely to be tied up in negotiations with the various tribes that own and operate the physical casinos. The most likely compromise — used in several other states — is to require online operators to partner with a brick-and-mortar casino.
If such a compromise can be struck, there’s no reason to think online casinos are likely to be subject to long delays now that online sportsbooks have been legalized in Arizona.
How Do I Know That Arizona Sports Betting Is Fair?
Who is the online gambling regulator in Arizona?
At the state level, the Arizona Department of Gaming regulates all online and retail gambling in the state.
Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact, in cases where the site or casino is operated by a Tribe, many of the regulatory powers of the ADG are devolved to the Tribal Gaming Authority. However, these casinos and sites are still subject to inspections from the state regulator.
Why should I trust legal online sportsbooks?
The high levels of regulation and competition ensure that regulated sportsbooks are unlikely to act in untrustworthy ways.
Concerns about site integrity or difficulties with withdrawals can do irreparable damage to a company’s reputation with customers. In turn, this has an impact on the company’s bottom line.
Regulatory breaches can be even more serious with fines, revocation of licenses, and potentially even criminal consequences for the individuals and companies involved.
As a result, the market ensures that online sportsbooks in Arizona are highly motivated to give customers a fair and transparent experience.
How do I get paid if I win?
Most sites in Arizona allow a wide range of deposit and withdrawal options. Prepaid cards, debit and credit cards, and online bank transfers are the fastest and most secure methods. However, many sites also provide the option to cash out via check or through an online payment service like Paypal or Venmo.
It is worth noting that before withdrawing cash, the sites will require proof of your identification and in some cases tax forms. More stringent checks may also require proof of address. These can all be submitted online by email or, sometimes, through the company’s website.
Arizona Sports Betting FAQ
How old do you have to be to bet online in Arizona?
To gamble online at a sportsbook in Arizona, players must be at least 21 years old.
Can I bet on college sports in Arizona?
Yes. Online sportsbooks are allowed to take bets on college sports in Arizona.
Does DraftKings offer fantasy games in Arizona?
Yes. DraftKings provides several services in Arizona. Daily fantasy sports is among them.
Can I bet using BetMGM in Arizona?
Yes. BetMGM was one of the first online sportsbooks to launch in Arizona. It remains one of the biggest providers of online gambling in the state.