The start of the NFL season will see legal sports betting go live in the state of Arizona. This move has had a few obstacles along the way but for the most part, Arizona has avoided a lot of the roadblocks faced by other states and have also done very well in securing deals with the in-state-professional franchises.
Arizona Launch Has Happened Swiftly
Back in April, the Arizona Senate amended SB 1797 allowing for mobile sports wagering in the state. It was eventually replaced with HB 2772 which was the bill that originated in the House. One Governor Ducey put pen to paper, it was a matter of time before legal sports betting would launch in Arizona. One look at some of the red tape and legal obstacles other states have had to face, Arizona has to be commended that they managed to get all of the above done so quickly.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing the entire time however and prior to the amendment in April, the original bill, (SB 1797) had been sitting around for months with little to no progress. None of that really matters anymore because they are now days away from becoming part of the legal sports betting landscape. At first glance, one of the obvious advantages they have over some of the other states that have launched is that they have deals in place with several of the local franchises.
Arizona Has Several Professional Teams
The Arizona Diamondbacks are just one of the professional franchises in the state that are in the legal sports business. The Phoenix Suns of the NBA are another in-state franchise that has partnered up with a sportsbook. The third professional entity that is involved in the new Arizona market that opens this week is the PGA. TPC Scottsdale has a deal in place to open a sportsbook with mobile access. That’s not even the only PGA deal in the state.
Players across the country that don’t yet have access to legalized sports betting, can go to OddsTrader once this changes. OddsTrader currently offers betting odds comparison in Illinois, Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Iowa and West Virginia. With this new deal, Steelers fans can expect to have some amazing specials from both a sportsbook and casino perspective.
The crazy thing is, there is still so much more potential in the state with at least one franchise in all of the professional North American leagues. The Arizona Cardinals of the NFL and the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL don’t have deals in place yet but it feels like it’s only a matter of time at this point.
What this means for sports bettors is an entirely new in game experience. Games that were blowouts with no meaning suddenly have huge betting potential which means renewed interest in the outcome of the bet instead of the game. All that means is both entities win; the sportsbooks get access to a wider audience and the franchises get more reasons for that audience to be interested in their product.
