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By now, Arizona sports fans have seen the billboards all over the Valley. The ads keep popping up on social media and in TV commercials while watching sports.
The sportsbook operators are here, and they’ve struck deals with area pro sports teams and Native American tribes since Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed the amended tribal-state gaming compact and sports betting legislation into law in April.
As of Aug. 28, players can register as bettors on their preferred sports betting app, and there are plenty of promotions those sports books are offering first-time registrants. On Sept. 9, all state-regulated sports betting is scheduled to become legal online and in person.
The new gaming laws allow for up to 20 Arizona sports betting sites, which gives fans options.
At present, 10 betting licenses for tribal casinos and 10 for professional sports teams have been awarded. Among those teams that have forged partnerships with sports books, the Phoenix Suns have linked up with FanDuel, the Arizona Cardinals with BetMGM, the Diamondbacks with Caesar’s Sportsbook, the Mercury with Bally’s and TPC Scottsdale/PGA Tour with DraftKings.
“I know from experience that the Arizona patrons do drive to Vegas to make a bet, and now they won’t have to do that any longer,” said Johnny Avello, director of Race and Sportsbook Operations for DraftKings. “I tell you what’s going to make Arizona different then Nevada for instance. It’s that you don’t have to go into a bricks-and-mortar location to sign up. You can remotely download the app and fund it and you’re off and running.”
The Arizona Coyotes have yet to announce a partnership but are finalizing their sports betting details. The Arizona Rattlers were granted a mobile sportsbook license and have announced a partnership, but soccer’s Phoenix Rising FC was not.
The Suns and more recently the Diamondbacks have already released renderings of what their onsite sportsbooks will look like on the property of Footprint Center and Chase Field.
“Operators, they’re trying to get you in the front door, and so they’ve got the pre-registration offers, they’re trying to hit the ground and trying to gobble up as much of the market share as they can,” said Christopher Boan, Arizona analyst and sports betting writer for BetArizona.com.
“The whole vision for this is it’s going to be mobile sportsbooks, and then retail sportsbooks, and then you have daily fantasy sports and you can do whichever ones you want to play with the most,” Boan said.
Boan has learned that the state of Arizona can expect upwards of $30 to $35 million in taxable revenue from the legalization of sports betting by fiscal year 2024, and more than $200 million in economic impact.
“Sports betting is a lot more socially accepted now than it was even five, 10 years ago,” said William Labanowski, CEO of WagerLab, an outfit that provides an app for more social and casual betting among friends. “A lot of polling is showing that people are just, especially the younger generation, sports betting is just another form of entertainment. On top of that, a lot of these bodies like the NCAA, the NFL, are just seeing the opportunity in sports betting.”
Betting guide
Arizona, with its many professional teams, major college sports and high-profile sporting events, is a new market ripe for sports book operators offering so many wagers.
Once a fan downloads his or her app of choice, the next step is to pick a sporting event, pick an individual or team and check the odds and betting lines.
Also, fans must make sure to have funded the account so as to be able to place bets. Each app shows users how to do so, as well as how to collect payouts.
Next comes deciding how much money to wager and factor in the odds. For example, if $50 is placed on the Cardinals to win and they are listed as three-point underdogs, the bettor gets whatever payout the odds stipulate at the time the bet is placed if the Cardinals either win or cover the point spread.
If the opponent wins by three, the bet is a called a “push” and money is returned to the better. The money is lost if the opponent wins by more than three points.
Labanowski said that odds and spreads and moneylines can be daunting to the new bettor, but that it’s all easy to pick up.
There are many different kinds of bets so a player has to make certain he or she knows what type of bet is being placed, whether it be to win or lose based on the spread, the total points (or runs or goals, etc.) scored in the game or even prop bets, which are more detailed.
“It’s like a Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper situation, whichever one they want to go with. It’s called odds shopping,” Boan said. “You download all three of the big ones. You get whatever the best odds are for what you want to bet on. A lot of people are just going to go with the one they like best.”
Many people want convenience in placing bets, while some prefer the live sportsbook scene with comfortable seats, TV screens and an atmosphere far different from the comforts of home.
“A lot of people don’t want to have to go to a casino to obviously go and place a bet on a game. They want to be able to sit down on the couch, open up their phone and just place their bets,” Labanowski said.
For the most part, expect a lot of straight bets on outcomes of games from Arizona customers in the early going, starting Sept. 9, as it will take time for new users to become familiar with the process.
“We welcome competition. We know those other players do a good job, but we feel we’re the best because we have the best app. It’s easy to use,” DraftKings’ Avello said. “We have more content. There’s more things for you to wager on, and we feel our customer service is second to none.”
Get in touch with Jose Romero at [email protected]. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM.
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