The Arizona Department of Gaming has set a provisional launch date of September 9 for legal sports betting in the US state, following the passage of a new tribal-state gaming compact.
The US Department of Interior (DoI) last week gave its approval to a bill that formalized an amended compact that set out measures allowing players to bet on sports at tribal casinos and sites owned by major league sports teams in Arizona.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, who signed the bill in April, said the amended agreement would “modernize” gambling in the state.
Subject to the formation of rules and regulations for sports betting in Arizona, the state’s Department of Gaming is aiming to open the regulated market on September 9 this year.
The Department began drafting rules in April and has until June 14 to publish a first draft of these regulations before they are made available for public comment during a seven-day period ending June 21.
An amendment period will follow, with the Department to make any necessary changes, before preparing for the tentative launch date in September.
A number of major operators have already secured market access deals in Arizona ahead of the launch, including DraftKings, which expanded its partnership with golf’s PGA Tour in order to launch in the state with the Scottsdale golf course.