In a partnership with Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise, Hard Rock Digital will be launching a mobile sportsbook in Arizona in the coming weeks. The app, which is currently available in New Jersey and Iowa, features a clean design and interface clear of unnecessary clutter.
In addition to its mobile apps in Iowa and New Jersey, Hard Rock also has retail sportsbooks in each state so it makes sense that NNGE will add sports betting in some capacity to its Arizona casino. Navajo Gaming operates the Twin Arrows Casino Resort in Flagstaff and has three casinos in New Mexico.
If you visit the Hard Rock Digital website, its plans of becoming a fixture of the sports betting industry are clear. At the very top of the site, it advertises its hiring efforts. In its press releases, you will come across the word “global,” as Hard Rock has properties outside of the US.
No more football: What’s next for Arizona sports betting after the Super Bowl?
Expansion Of Arizona Sports Betting
When the original AZ sports betting bill passed, 20 licenses were awarded across the state. Half of the licenses were reserved for the state’s tribal operators (like the Navajo Nation) and the other 10 for Arizona’s professional sports teams and sports venues.
A new bill introduced on Feb. 14, however, looks to expand Arizona’s sports betting footprint for the state’s federally recognized tribes. This could add 13 sports betting apps as well as more retail sportsbooks. Senator Sally Ann Gonzales, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, proposed the bill.
As Arizona law currently stands, any state tribe can operate a retail sportsbook without legislative approval as long as it is located on Indian land. Sen. Gonzales argues this is potentially limiting the amount of revenue some tribes could generate. SB 1674 would allow retail locations to be built outside of tribal reservations in close proximity to major sports stadiums. By doing so, it would give tribes access to more highly-populated areas, such as Phoenix, Tucson, and Scottdale.
Sports betting in Arizona has taken off, as total wagers surpassed $1 billion in the first three months alone. With major teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns having retail sportsbooks in addition to venues like TPC Scottdale building brand new facilities, Arizona is quickly becoming a mature betting state despite launching relatively recently.
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