Deadline closes for Arizona gaming license applications

PHOENIX — The deadline closed Monday for Arizona Department of Gaming license applications, about a month before event wagering is set to go live in the state.

The gaming department said it received 10 applications seeking licensure as a professional sports team/organization and 15 applications seeking licensure as an Arizona tribe.

Starting Tuesday, ADG has up to five business days to determine if applicants qualify for licensure as an event wagering operator.

If there are more qualified applicants than available licenses, the department will have up to eight business days to allocate the licenses to qualified applicants.

The application period closure comes two weeks after ADG said it submitted its final rules for event betting and fantasy sports to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, setting the stage for a groundbreaking sports gambling expansion to be implemented less than five months after it was authorized by lawmakers.

Event wagering is set to go live Sept. 9 — the opening day of the NFL season — but teams and organizations have already announced partnerships.

In April, DraftKings announced that it will partner with the PGA Tour to open a sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale, the home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Soon after, FanDuel announced just after Gov. Doug Ducey’s signing to legalize sports betting that it would open a year-round retail sportsbook at then-Phoenix Suns Arena, which has since rebranded as Footprint Center.

The Arizona Diamondbacks partnered with Caesar’s to open a sportsbook just outside of Chase Field in May.

In June, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and Bally’s Corporation announced a 15-year partnership. It was the first gaming access contract with a professional women’s sports team, according to a press release.

The Arizona Cardinals on Monday announced a partnership with BetMGM with plans to offer a sports gambling experience inside their home, State Farm Stadium.

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