Arizona Department of Gaming releases draft rules for sports betting

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Gaming released draft rules for sports betting on Tuesday and reaffirmed it remains on track to begin by the start of the NFL season in September.

Draft rules for event wagering and fantasy sports were released ahead of a series of public comment sessions on Friday and Monday.

Gaming officials said public comments, which end Monday, will be considered before the draft rules are officially submitted to the Arizona secretary of state.

The draft rules are likely to change based on feedback from the public and stakeholders, officials said.

The U.S. Department of the Interior approved an updated tribal gaming compact with the state on May 24.

Rep. Jeff Weninger, who sponsored the bill that, along with the tribal deal, authorized a wide-ranging expansion of legal gambling in Arizona, said that approval was quicker than expected. It also increased the possibility of sports betting being up and running by the September target date.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed the new compact and associated legislation on April 15. In addition to legalizing sports betting, the deal allows the state’s Native American tribes to expand their casino gambling offerings and offer sports and fantasy betting.

Outside of the reservation casinos, major professional sports groups will be able to offer wagering on sporting events. And online fantasy sports operations like DraftKings can piggyback on the licenses.

Two Arizona teams have announced gambling partnerships so far, the Arizona Diamondbacks with Caesars Entertainment and the Phoenix Suns with FanDuel. Additionally, the PGA Tour and DraftKings have plans to open a sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale.

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