Friday marks first anniversary of legal sports gambling in Arizona
Sep 9, 2022, 4:35 AM | Updated: 7:16 am
A customer looks over daily sheets inside FanDuel Sportsbook inside Footprint Center, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in Phoenix. Arizona's first sports betting operations are now open in time for the start of the NFL season with live wagers allowed on college and professional sports. Betting began Thursday online and at the FanDuel Sportsbook at the downtown Phoenix arena where the Phoenix Suns play and at temporary betting windows at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
PHOENIX — Friday marks the first anniversary of legal sports gambling being in Arizona.
Arizonans wagered over $5 billion on sports in the first year of its legality, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming.
The state, which usually lags behind by a couple months in reporting, have released reports through July.
“With Arizona already a top-ten sports betting market in the U.S., I am excited to see the positive impact these new games will make on the state as we move past our first year of legal wagering,” Director of ADG Ted Vogt said in a press release.
Currently, Arizona has 18 mobile sports betting operators and 25 different authorized retail sports betting facilities scattered around the state.
Thursday marked the start of the National Football League regular season, and just in time for the kickoff of the NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals opened a new BetMGM Sportsbook on Thursday, the first ever at an NFL stadium.
“Sports betting gives another opportunity for tourists to visit our state, particularly for major sporting events. For example, ADG is preparing for the Super Bowl LVII next February, which will be the first time the event is held in a state with legal sports betting,” Vogt said.
