State of Play in Arizona
Sports Betting in Arizona
Arizona sports wagering became legal in April 2021. The first wave of sportsbooks in the state went live in September of 2021.
State laws allow both online and retail sports betting in Arizona. Sports betting brands can partner with Arizona sports franchises, sports venues, and tribal casinos to launch products in the Grand Canyon State.
Online sportsbooks are regulated by the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG), and that agency is tasked with approving and granting all sports betting licenses. The ADG is responsible for overseeing Arizona sports betting sites.
Sportsbooks in Arizona
Q&A
- How old do you have to be to bet online in Arizona? The legal sports betting age in the state of Arizona is set at 21 years of age. This is a pretty standard age for the entire US sports betting industry.
- Can I bet on college sports in Arizona? Yes, college sports betting is approved in the state of Arizona. Sportsbooks are able to offer betting on Division I collegiate events, with college basketball and football being the two most popular options available.
- Are there any mobile betting apps in Arizona? Yes, Arizona approved both online and retail sports betting, and that allows sportsbooks the ability to launch a mobile app. Mobile sports betting is the most popular way to bet on sports throughout the US.
- Does DraftKings have a mobile sportsbook app in Arizona? Yes, DraftKings was one of the first sites to launch in Arizona, and it comes with a mobile sports betting app. The DraftKings Sportsbook app is available for both Android and iOS devices and there is a link to download it on the site.
- Can I bet anonymously at Arizona legal online betting sites? No, there are very strict rules about creating an online betting account at an Arizona legal betting site. You will have to provide the sites with specific personal information in order for the sites to verify your identity.
Methodology
Arizona Online Betting
Lawmakers passed Arizona online betting legislation without much fanfare in April 2021, and Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature made House Bill 2772 the law, officially making retail and online sports betting legal in Arizona.
The duty of creating rules for sports betting in the Arizona market was given to the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG). The ADG is in charge of regulating all forms of legal gambling in the state, including sports betting on the internet and land-based casinos.
According to Arizona state law, bettors must be at least 21 years old and physically present in the state in order to place a wager. Arizona does not have any limitations on esports betting or wagering on Arizona collegiate sports teams, in contrast to many other states.
The ADG immediately got to work and drafted regulations. In preparation for the start of the 2021–22 NFL season, both retail sportsbooks and online sportsbooks went open in September 2021.
Examining The Arizona Sports Betting Market
The Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals, and Arizona Diamondbacks are just a few of the professional sports franchises that call Arizona home. The state has seen a rise in the popularity of sports betting, and there are almost infinite ways to bet on the state’s favorite sports franchises throughout the year.
Arizona offers a variety of sports betting options, including both conventional and online sportsbooks. You can place bets on your preferred teams in the Grand Canyon State whether you’re an experienced bettor or a novice. In this article, we’ll examine the many sports betting alternatives that exist in Arizona as well as the rules and legislation that control their operation.
With this knowledge, you’ll be prepared to start placing your bets and taking part in the Arizona online betting scene.
Arizona online betting launched in September 2021 and immediately emerged as a thriving market. Since then, the AZ sportsbook market has grown into a major sports betting hub in the western U.S.
The ADG can issue up to ten event wagering licenses to professional sports teams, organizations, or venues. Currently, eight entities qualify for these licenses.
Another ten licenses were made available to the state’s tribal casino operators. With 18 tribes, some were left on the sidelines in the highly competitive Arizona sports betting market.
Per Arizona’s law, a professional sports team or qualifying sports entities can form partnerships with brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and other established brands to provide online sports betting in the state.
This Props.com review takes a look at both retail and online sportsbooks in Arizona, including Arizona sports betting FAQs, bonus promo code information, and more. Check back with this page often for the latest Arizona sports betting news.
Sports Betting In Arizona: Key Details
- Legalization Date: April 2021
- Retail Launch Date: September 2021
- Arizona Online Sports Betting Launch Date: September 2021
- Age Requirement: 21+
- Retail Sports Betting Tax Rate: 8%
- Mobile Sports Betting Tax Rate: 10%
- College Betting: No Restrictions
The ADG can award up to 20 licenses to online sportsbooks in Arizona under state law. Of that total, ten licenses for sportsbook apps are allocated to pro sports teams, organizations, and venues.
These licenses have produced several high-profile partnerships in Arizona’s sports betting market, including:
- DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona and the PGA Tour (TPC Scottsdale Waste Management Phoenix Open)
- Caesars Sportsbook Arizona and the Arizona Diamondbacks
- FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona and the Phoenix Suns
- BetMGM Arizona and the Arizona Cardinals
- BetRivers Arizona and the Arizona Rattlers
The other ten licenses must go to tribal casino ownership groups per the terms of the Arizona sports betting bill. All ten of these licenses have been claimed, resulting in some of the following partnerships for Arizona online betting sites:
- BetFred Arizona and We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort
- BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona and Gila River Hotel and Casino
- WynnBET Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe
- Unibet Arizona and the Quechan Tribe
- Betway Arizona and the San Juan Southern Paiute
Top brands like DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, Hard Rock Sportsbook, and many others operate as Arizona online sportsbook brands. Here are some of the top AZ sports betting platforms:
Best Sports Betting Apps In Arizona
BetFred Sportsbook Arizona
The internationally-renowned Betfred brand launched a betting app in Arizona via partnership with the Fort McDowell Yavapai tribe. You can bet on sports anywhere within state borders with the Betfred legal online sports betting app.
The Betfred Arizona promo for Props.com readers is the “Bet $50, Get $250” offer. You can make your first deposit, make any $50 bet, and get awarded $250 in free bets.
BetMGM Arizona Sportsbook
Bettors across the U.S. know the BetMGM brand well. The BetMGM Arizona mobile sports betting app brings one of the industry’s most recognizable brands to the Grand Canyon State.
BetMGM offers Arizona bettors a $1,000 risk-free bet as a sign-up bonus.
BetRivers Sportsbook Arizona
Much like BetMGM, BetRivers Sportsbook has rapidly expanded across the U.S. in the past few years. BetRivers operates in Arizona in partnership with the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League.
Props.com readers can sign up for a BetRivers AZ account and get a $500 risk-free bet as a welcome bonus.
Caesars Arizona Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook emerged as one of the fastest-growing online sportsbook apps in the U.S. in 2022. The Caesars AZ app operated through a partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks of MLB.
AZ bettors can sign up for the Caesars Sportsbook app right here at Props.com, and get a $1,250 risk-free bet.
DraftKings Arizona Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook operates as one of the nation’s most popular sports betting apps. You’ll find a comprehensive array of sports and ways to bet on the DraftKings AZ app.
Check out our DraftKings Sportsbook review for the latest information on DraftKings sign-up bonuses for Props.com readers.
FanDuel Arizona Sportsbook
FanDuel stands as the undisputed leader in U.S. mobile sports betting. FanDuel Sportsbook takes more online bets than any other legal sports betting app in the nation.
FanDuel bonus offers include a “$1,000 No Sweat First Bet”, as well as a “Bet $5 Get $150” promo. Check out the table below to see which FanDuel offer is currently available in Arizona.
How To Sign Up For Arizona Betting Apps
Arizona allows remote registration for a new online sports betting account, making it a quick and easy process to get signed up on one of the sites listed above.
The legal betting age is 21 years, but registration is not limited to only residents of Arizona. Anyone can download and create an account on an AZ online sports betting site, but bets can only be placed within the state’s borders.
With so many of the best online sports betting apps available in Arizona, astute bettors can line shop on just about any given bet, and find the sports betting site with the most competitive odds.
Here’s a step-by-step overview of how to open an account at an Arizona sports betting app, and claim the available welcome bonus at each book:
Choosing A Sportsbook
The AZ online betting apps listed in this review present the best new player sign-up offers, hand picked by our experts here at Props.com. You can begin the signup process for your Arizona online betting sites of choice by clicking the “PLAY NOW”, “CLAIM OFFER” or “BET NOW” links in this review.
Downloading Arizona Sports Betting Apps
If you click on the signup link on a mobile device, you’ll be redirected to the App Store or Google Play store to download the mobile app for your chosen sportsbook.
You can also click the links on your desktop device, and sign up with no download required.
Completing The Registration Process
Most AZ online sportsbooks will ask for the following information during the sign-up process:
- Valid email address
- Full name
- Physical Address
- Date of Birth
- Last four digits of your SSN
Keep in mind that you don’t have to live in Arizona to bet on legal AZ sportsbook apps. You do have to be physically located in the state when you bet, however.
Making Your First Deposit
Once your registration details are verified, you can make your first deposit. When you navigate to the cashier (often at the top right of the main lobby on a sports betting app), you’ll likely see some of the following deposit options:
- ACH/eCheck
- PayPal
- Play+
- Credit/Debit Cards
Note that deposits with credit/debit cards come with a fairly high rate of rejection from the issuing bank. The other options on this list are generally more reliable to fund your sportsbook account.
Claim Your Welcome Bonus
Once you’ve made your first deposit, you’re eligible to unlock the welcome bonus offered at your sportsbook of choice. Be sure to understand the terms and conditions you have to meet to earn the bonus.
Be sure to check out the Props.com list of Best Arizona Sportsbook Bonus Offers.
Top Sportsbook Picks in Arizona
Best Arizona Sports Betting Bonuses
Risk-Free Bets
The risk-free bet is one of the most common new player bonuses offered by legal online sportsbooks. A risk-free bet applies to your first bet made after making a deposit.
If that bet loses, the sportsbook will refund the amount of the bet, up to a certain cap. For example, FanDuel Sportsbook often welcomes new players with a $1,000 risk-free bet (aka “No Sweat First Bet”).
With that bonus applied, you could make your first wager at FanDuel Sportsbook risk-free, up to a $1,000. If the bet loses, you’ll see up to $1,000 in free betting credits applied to your account.
BetMGM Sportsbook, PointsBet, Caesars Sportsbook, and several other Arizona betting sites often offer risk-free bets as sign-up bonuses.
Deposit Match
A deposit match bonus matches the amount of your first deposit with an equal amount of bonus betting credits. Some books match 100% of your first deposit (up to a certain cap), while others only match a percentage of your first deposit.
Free Bets
Free bet bonuses award betting credits to players that meet the terms and conditions of the promo.
Betfred Sportsbook, for example, offers new players a Bet $50, Get $250 bonus. If you make your first deposit and your first bet is a minimum of $50, BetFred awards you with $250 in free bets.
Odds Boosts
Odds boosts offer a given bet at more favorable odds to the player. For example, DraftKings Sportsbook sometimes offers a 25% percent odds boost on NFL parlays.
While many Arizona online betting bonuses apply to new players only, odds boosts are readily available to all bettors.
For a detailed look at the best Arizona promos, take a look at the Props.com guide to best Arizona sportsbook bonus offers.
Arizona Retail Sportsbooks
Mobile betting is expected to be the most popular way to make sports bets in the Grand Canyon State, as that is the case throughout the U.S. You can also find several brick and mortar sportsbooks at tribal casinos and prop sports venues throughout the state.
All of the tribal casinos in Arizona and professional sports venues in the state can take sports bets through land-based sportsbooks. In addition, the sportsbooks offered at sports venues are partnered with Arizona’s professional teams.
It’s unclear who will wear the Arizona sportsbook retail crown. However, one contender for Arizona bettors to keep an eye on is BetMGM.
BetMGM has partnered with the Arizona Cardinals and will bring a retail sportsbook to State Farm Stadium (home of the Arizona Cardinals) at some point. As a result, not only will BetMGM be able to offer retail betting to sports fans during Arizona Cardinals home games, but it can also have a sportsbook that is open year-round.
Some retail locations that get approved to operate legal Arizona sportsbooks sports betting might not even have a sportsbook established at all. Instead, these properties might simply set up sports betting kiosks somewhere on the property, and then bettors can take care of making bets themselves.
Here’s a look at some of the retail books where you can place a sports bet in Arizona:
- Betfred Sportsbook – We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort
- BetMGM – Gila River Hotels Casinos (Wild Horse Pass, Vee Quiva, Lone Butte)
- BetMGM – State Farm Stadium
- Caesars Sportsbook – Chase Field
- Caesars Sportsbook – Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino
- Caesars Sportsbook – Arizona Downs
- Desert Diamond Sportsbook – Desert Diamond Casino locations
- FanDuel Sportsbook – Footprint Center
- SolSports – Casino Del Sol
- TwinSpires Sportsbook – Mazatzal Hotel and Casino
- Unibet Sportsbook – Paradise Casino (in partnership with the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation)
- Unibet Sportsbook – Turf Paradise
Are Daily Fantasy Sports Legal In Arizona?
When Arizona started to discuss a possible push to legalize online betting in the state, the topic of fantasy sports was also included. Arizona used to be a state with a very strict ban on fantasy sports sites, which kept operators from accepting customers from the state.
Most states in the U.S. don’t have a strict law regarding fantasy sports, but Arizona was a state that expressly prohibited it from taking place. Daily fantasy sports and other games officially launched on August 28, setting the stage for legal sports betting just a few days later.
Daily Fantasy Sports operators were required to apply for a license similar to sports betting sites, and the ADG also reviewed these. Companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel are leaders in this space, but other companies have also been able to carve out their niche.
Arizona will not see as much money from DFS tax revenue as it will from sports betting, but it will still provide a slight boost. This is another industry that has the potential to grow in Arizona as more and more companies are given the green light to launch.
Our DFS App Recommendation – Underdog Fantasy
DFS Sites In Arizona
When it comes to Daily Fantasy Sports, there are two clear leaders in this industry. DraftKings and FanDuel have been around for nearly a decade, forming quite a rivalry in this space.
DraftKings and FanDuel were approved to launch a DFS site, and they were both ready to go on the first day it was available. Each site allows its customers to flip back and forth between the DFS site and the sportsbook, which makes things extremely easy for the customer.
Not only do both companies have an online site, but there is also a mobile app that is available for download. In addition, these two sites offer similar games requiring players to build a roster to compete against other players from the state and across the country.
The Arizona Cardinals stand as the state’s most popular NFL team, and legal DFS sites offer plenty of opportunities to make plays with the Arizona pro football franchise.
Fantasy Player Prop Games In Arizona
While DFS sites are the most notable or well-known fantasy sports sites in the U.S., those aren’t the only available ones. So when Arizona decided that the state would allow this form of betting, it also gave authorization to some other unique sites.
These fantasy player prop games work a bit differently than DFS sites, and there are also more ways to get involved and play. Instead of simply building a roster based on a budget, these sites provide ways for players to make picks and enter different contests.
The ADG has not yet approved several different sites, but that could always come at a later date. There aren’t as many of these companies around as sports betting sites, but growth is still occurring.
Best Ball In Arizona
Underdog Fantasy is another company that is starting to make a charge in the legal fantasy sports industry, and this site is available to players in the state of Arizona. The most popular game offered by Underdog Fantasy is a game called, “Best Ball,” but there are other options that you can find on the site as well.
Underdog offers a mobile app and an online site, and there is a link to download this available right there on the site. Similar to what takes place in sports betting, Underdog will require you to go through a signup process before you can participate in any of the games offered.
The legal gambling age for someone looking to play Best Ball at Underdog in Arizona is 21. You are not required to be a legal resident of the state to sign up, but geolocation services will have to track your location to the inside of the state before you can bet.
Underdog offers daily, weekly, and season-long contests with several different ways to play and win.
Are Arizona Legal Poker Sites Available?
Arizona online betting laws don’t specifically include rules regarding internet poker. No rule explicitly makes it illegal to play online poker in Arizona, but there also hasn’t been a rule passed that legalizes this industry.
That means there are no legal and regulated online poker sites in the state, and therefore there are no safe or trustworthy options. Poker is legal inside Arizona, but all of the poker must be played at one of the tribal casinos that has a gaming compact with the state.
Legal and regulated online poker is one industry that hasn’t seen a ton of growth in the U.S., and there wasn’t a big push by lawmakers to explore this form of iGaming. In addition, the Native American tribes would assuredly push back if there were a discussion of allowing online poker sites in the state to launch.
This is also an industry that doesn’t yet have many companies offering online poker, but that could be changing soon.
Are Online Casino Sites Legal in Arizona?
Similar to online poker sites in Arizona, the topic of online casino sites hasn’t been discussed enough up to this point by lawmakers. Tribal leaders have made it clear that they are not interested in the thought of online casinos, and they don’t want to launch them.
Some operators provide online sports wagering in Arizona and offer online casino gambling in other markets as well. Brands like Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and others could add online casinos to their current platforms if given that opportunity.
The legalization of online sportsbook sites in Arizona does seem to give lawmakers a bit of momentum if they want to explore more forms of iGaming in the future. Of course, this is a process that could take years before it happens, but there are some of the basic pieces in place.
If Arizona does begin to explore legalizing online casino sites, it will follow a similar process for online sports betting. The only difference is that the Native American tribes would oppose this legislation instead of being in full support as they were of sports betting.
AZ sports betting provides a new revenue source for Native American tribes, but online casino gambling would have the opposite effect. These tribes are worried that approving online casinos would take away from the current in-person action.
For now, platforms like Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM are limited to operating as Arizona sportsbooks.
Top Sportsbook Picks in Arizona
Is Arizona Online Betting Legal And Fair?
If you are doing your sports wagering at a legal and regulated Arizona online betting site, then you should automatically know that it is fair. These sites have to operate under specific rules and regulations, and there is no variance from the law.
Sometimes, some of these online sports betting sites make mistakes, but they are not being done intentionally. Online gambling sites are extremely trustworthy and are always operating under fair practices.
The Arizona Department Of Gaming
The Arizona Department of Gaming regulates online sports wagering sites, and this group approved and granted all sports betting licenses. Most of the state’s sports betting regulations were proposed by lawmakers, but the ADG released the official rules for the Arizona sports betting industry.
Why Trust The Legal Options?
Legal and regulated Arizona online betting sites are much safer than the offshore sportsbooks that are still out there today. These legal options have had to go through a lengthy process to receive Arizona sports betting license. They will continue to be monitored by the Arizona Department of Gaming.
Each site available to Arizona sports bettors also has a proven track record in other parts of the country, and all come with a great reputation. So just because you might not be winning money at these sportsbooks doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have your trust.
How Do I Get My Winnings?
When Arizona sports bettors are lucky enough to win, they can cash out your winnings directly from that site or casino. Each sportsbook will have a banking system with several different withdrawal methods.
Because all the sportsbook operators are legal and regulated by the Arizona Department of Gaming, the banking process is safe and secure. However, you will need to contact the customer service department at each sportsbook if you are having trouble receiving your winnings.
Betting On Arizona Sports Teams
Arizona online betting laws allow wagering on all Arizona sports teams, both professional and collegiate. While some states prohibit betting on in-state college programs, Arizona doesn’t apply any such restrictions.
Some of the most popular home teams to wager upon at an Arizona sports betting site include:
Arizona Professional Sports Teams
- Arizona Cardinals (NFL)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB)
- Phoenix Suns (NBA)
- Arizona Coyotes (NHL)
- Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)
Arizona College Sports Teams
- Arizona Wildcats (NCAA)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (NCAA)