The data is trickling in from 2021, and it’s clear gaming and fantasy sports are a hit with Arizona residents and visitors. According to the Arizona Department of Gaming, tribal gaming, event wagering, and fantasy sports contributed more than $129 million to the Arizona Benefits Fund.
The Arizona Benefits Fund earmarks shared revenues from Tribal Gaming “to improve education, health care, conservation and the economies of local communities throughout the state.”
In April 2021, Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation that allowed state tribal casinos to offer Las Vegas-style games, while also permitting event wagering and fantasy sports. The numbers reveal that casino gaming brought in more than $113 million in revenue for the state, with event wagering and fantasy sports bringing in more than $15 million. All of that reported revenue is from September and October, the first two months of operation for those activities. Tribal Gaming contributed $21 million in the last quarter of 2021 alone.
“Without a doubt, newly legalized casino games, event wagering & fantasy sports have already increased revenues to the state and will continue to do so for years to come,” Director of the Arizona Department of Gaming Ted Vogt said in a press release. “I am proud of the continued partnership between the state, Arizona Tribes, and event wagering & fantasy sports stakeholders that benefits all of Arizona.”
In addition to the tax revenue contributions, Tribal Gaming operators in Arizona have also paid more than $14 million in licensing and operator fees to the state.
Arizona Sports Betting Will Contribute, Too
Sports betting is expected to bring a lot of money to the state, too.
In early September just in time for the start of the NFL season, mobile sports betting apps launched in Arizona. By October, Arizona sports bettors had six mobile sportsbooks to choose from. Since the launch, sportsbook apps in the state have seen keen interest. Popular brands like Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM are operating mobile sportsbooks in Arizona.
Previously, ArizonaCasinons.com projected that mobile sports betting could produce $252 million in annual revenue for the state of Arizona. Just before the calendar changed from 2021 to 2022, the Arizona Department of Gaming finally revealed their first report on sports betting revenue in the state, after nearly four months of operation.
The ADG reported in excess of $777 million in wagers in Arizona combined for September and October. The $291.2 million in sports betting that Arizona reported for September is the highest first-month figure for a state that debuted on the market in 2021.
At the top of the list of sportsbooks for September and October in Arizona were DraftKings and FanDuel, followed by BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook. All four of those industry giants topped $100 million in handle in the first seven weeks of sports betting in Arizona.
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