SportsBettingInArizona.com

Arizona Senate Postpones Sports Betting Bill Debate

Michael Molter — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 16:39:16 +0000

Phoenix – The debate for Senate Bill 1158, the one that would authorize sports wagering in Arizona, has been postponed by the Senate. On Thursday, the legislators determined revisions and amendments were needed on the bill before any vote could be held.

The bill was sponsored by Republican Senator Sonny Borrelli who gave his bill 80% odds of becoming law. But the next date of review has yet to be determined. As written, it would allow for sports gambling at local bars, tribal casinos, and other businesses, including off-track locations.

“I have to take the emergency clause off the bill to give the Department of Gaming enough time to come up with the rules to implement this game”

The emergency clause was put on the bill with the hopes of expediting the legalization process. It would have required a two-thirds vote from both the Senate and House as well as the governor’s signature. Upon Governor Doug Ducey agreeing to the terms, the bill would have become immediately effective.

Now, the vote only requires a majority in both houses but would have to wait 90 days after the end of the session to be enacted.

The two dozen tribal casinos in the state, operated by 16 different Arizona tribes, would see that same tax rate and agreements in their current compact. Borrelli’s bill does not modify the tribal compact but would count sports betting kiosks the same as the slot machine.

According to the Arizona Department of Gaming, the tribes currently have 15,000 machines in operation but are granted the ability to operate 18,158. The extra near 3,000 sports betting kiosks would allow for the tribes to provide many more tax contributions to the state. They are currently taxed at 1-8% on gaming revenue and the bill would keep everything status quo, as sports betting in Arizona would be taxed at 6.75%.

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Cardinals Casino Named Stadium

Dillon Appleman — Mon, 15 May 2017 16:41:05 +0000

Scottsdale, AZ - The NFL’s sports betting policy has yet to change, as its very public stance on their opposition to gambling on football has been reiterated and made clear by Commissioner Roger Goodell. That being said, they sure don’t mind taking money from gambling businesses and profiting from activities that they deem harmful to the “integrity” of the league.

It has been reported that Gila River Gaming Enterprises are meeting with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals to discuss a possible naming rights deal for their stadium. The GRGE operates several casinos in the Gila River Indian community and are the biggest casino business in the entire state of Arizona.

There is nothing set in stone but with the idea even being proposed to the league and not being immediately rejected points to where the NFL’s true priorities are, even though the NFL’s Commissioner, Roger Goodell, is still adamant that the league has not changed its views. That being said, with all of the recent news linking the league to casinos, daily fantasy sports sites, and obviously, the Raiders move to Las Vegas, don’t be surprised if there is a sudden change as far as the league’s views on the subject are concerned.

Again, it’s not a done deal and the deal could easily not happen but with the possibility of yet another casino having naming rights of an NFL stadium, it’s clear that the same scenario could be in play for the Raiders new stadium in Vegas. Back in August of 2016, the Miami Dolphins naming rights were bought by the Hard Rock Casino. It seems like a ripple effect of sorts is forming so we could see some significant changes in the NFL’s sports gambling policy going forward.

Other Sports Leagues Views On Sports Betting

The NFL isn’t the only pro sports league out there where this topic is relevant, other sports leagues views on sports betting have been vocalized often lately. Specifically, the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver have been arguing for the legalization of sports gambling. Back in March, the NBA’s senior vice president, Dan Spillane, said “There is definitely forward motion,” in regards to there one day being regulated gaming opportunities in the NBA. The NHL has also been in the forefront of the argument after they launched a new franchise in Las Vegas called the Las Vegas Golden Knights. You would think that means they are for the activity right? Wrong! The NHL’s commissioner was quoted as saying “The NHL doesn’t lend itself to sports betting”. Just like the NFL though, it’s only a matter of time before the NHL can’t help but to accept the benefits associated with allowing for gambling opportunities like sports betting in Arizona.

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NFL’s Stance On Sports Betting

Dillon Appleman — Thu, 11 May 2017 16:45:44 +0000

New York, NY - The NFL’s stance on sports betting has been set in stone for years now but with the announcement that the Oakland Raiders will be moving to Las Vegas, has people wondering if they are going to change that stance. Other leagues like the NBA and NHL, who just launched a new franchise in Vegas called the Las Vegas Golden Knights, have really loosened up on the gambling topic but the NFL has yet to give any other indicators that it is warming up to the idea.

An interesting fact about the NFL and gambling on sports that most may not know is that the league actually fines league personnel that make paid appearances at casinos. This is still the case even though the owners of NFL teams make millions of dollars from sponsorships from casinos, or lotteries, and don’t forget about their deals with daily fantasy sports sites. Not to mention the new trend of providing NFL games overseas in London, where sports gambling is legal.

NFL Arm Wrestling Update

This topic has picked up even more juice as of late after several NFL athletes were discovered to have played part in an arm wrestling competition at the MGM Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The leagues are currently reviewing the situation and considering whether or not said players will receive a fine or not.

Scott Rosner, a professor of sports law and business at the University of Pennsylvania, touched on the subject asking “How can you have a franchise there and not allow players to participate in arm wrestling contests?” He then went on to explain “When you get into the weeds, the policies may not be as inconsistent as they seem, but the optics are that the league is very inconsistent on this.”

Future of Sports Betting in the NFL

While many are questioning what the NFL’s real intentions are with sports betting, the fact of the matter is that the league has until 2019 to revise their rules before the Raiders are actually in Vegas. They should take that time to understand that the times are changing and allowing gambling in sports isn’t as dangerous as it once was thought to be.

The NFL doesn’t have to rush with their decisions but there is no debating the money that could be brought in if they do change their mind on the matter. If this does happen the smartest move for the NFL would be to push congress to implement a sports wagering policy that applies to not only to Arizona sports betting but to the entire country, as opposed to the current state by state laws.

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Inaugural Draft Betting Allowed In Nevada

Dillon Appleman — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 14:51:32 +0000

Nevada sportsbooks allowed bettors to wager on NFL Draft props leading up to the opening of the 2017 draft, raising a number of questions among sports bettors in the US.

Does This Mean Legal Sports Betting In Arizona Is Coming?

Will We Be able To Bet On Drafts In The Future?

Wait, You Can Bet On The NFL Draft? How?

We all know that if someone is willing to bet on it, Vegas will put odds on it. And this year, quite a few someones wanted to bet on the NFL draft. So the Nevada Gaming Control board finally gave in and allowed for Draft prop bets to be offered at Nevada sportsbooks.

While betting on a specific player was still prohibited, you were offered a number of prop style bets, based on how many players from a single school or conference would be taken, what position would be most popular, things like that. This has never been allowed before, so we’ve got to wonder, does this mean that the Nevada gaming commission thinks that bets like this on the NFL and other professional sporting events are going to become legal soon? Or was this just something that they finally wanted to push through?

Roger Goodell Still Super Against Sports Betting

As far as the commissioners go, there haven’t been any changes. In fact, Goodell has only just reconfirmed his position on sports betting at the Draft on April 27th. When speaking with Mike Greenberg prior to the start of the Draft, Goodell said “Where we draw the line is when anything can impact the Integrity of the game. And legalized sports betting is something that we’re concerned about on that level.”

So, the same ol’ song and dance from good ol’ Goodell.

He may have approved a move for an organization to Sin City, but he’s still steadfastly against sports betting in the US. The commissioner is supposed to represent the interests of the owners, but that might not be the case anymore, at least in part. At the owner’s meeting, a number of owners voiced their support for the move to Vegas and legal sports betting but asked to be kept anonymous.

One owner in the AFC stated “From a gambling standpoint? That’s a joke to even say that’d be a problem. Sports gambling is going to be legal. We might as well embrace it and become part of the solution, rather than fight it. It’s in everyone’s best interests for it to be above-board.” Others said the matter should be put to bed. Despite owners voicing their opinion in favor of regulation, Goodell stands firm in his decision that the league opposes any sort of legal sports betting outside of Nevada.

Does This mean we are closer to legal sports betting, or further away from it?

Honestly, it’s hard to tell. Some people say yes, others say no. No one really knows who to believe. But actions speak louder than words, and the fact that the NFL hasn’t tried to put a moratorium on gambling on Draft props or Oakland (soon to be Vegas) Raiders even though a team has been scheduled to move there kind of says that the NFL is much more friendly towards sports betting than they let on.

“We’re obviously recognizing what’s going on in society and we’re going to have to adapt policies from time to time,” Goodell stated about making the move to Las Vegas. But in regards to sports betting, he simply said: “But we’ll remain opposed to that.”

The Commissioner is a confusing figure and probably won’t change his official position until it’s clear that there’s no way to stop it. But his actions clearly show something else. Most NFL teams already have deals in place with Daily Fantasy Sports sites. A team has just moved to Vegas, and there are no plans in place to get rid of betting on the Vegas-based team. With betting on the draft happening for the first time just a few weeks after Sin City got a professional football team, it can only lead to one assumption – the NFL seems to slowly but surely be coming around to the idea of legal sports betting.

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