Two more national sports betting operators announced market-access deals in Arizona this week when Penn National Gaming on Wednesday morning announced a deal with Phoenix Raceway and PointsBet on Tuesday shared details of its partnership with the Yavapai-Apache Nation (Cliff Castle Casino Hotel).
The announcements mean that BetMGM remains the only major national operator without an announced partner in Arizona, and that the only two professional sports leagues that haven’t announced partners are the NFL Cardinals and NHL Coyotes. On the tribal side, PointsBet is the fourth operator to partner with a tribe. Caesars, through an existing relationship through its Harrah’s brand, has access through the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Kindred earlier this year announced a deal with the Quechan Tribe, and WynnBet announced market access via the San Carlos Apache Tribe July 2.
It’s not certain which of the operators partnered with tribes will get licensed, as there are more gaming tribes than available sports betting licenses in Arizona.
Arizona regulators are currently in the rule-making process and aiming toward a Sept. 9 launch. The new law allows for 10 retail and statewide mobile event wagering operator licenses for professional sports franchises and 10 for tribes. The latest round of draft rules details how those licenses will be allocated, as there are more than 10 gaming tribes in the state.
Arizonans will have access to Barstool Sportsbook
Penn National has plans to open a retail sportsbook at Phoenix Raceway and to offer its Barstool Sportsbook mobile platform. The company has an existing partnership with NASCAR that it leveraged for access, making Phoenix Raceway the third auto-racing venue in the nation that will have a sportsbook. WynnBet is live with its mobile platform in Virginia via a partnership with NASCAR and has plans to open retail sportsbooks at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway.
“Barstool Sportsbook has proven itself to be a market leader in the jurisdictions where it has launched due to a combination of unique offers and a leading mobile experience,” said Jon Kaplowitz, senior vice president of Penn Interactive, via press release. “This new partnership will allow us to engage a passionate sports fan base in Arizona while having access to a best-in-class sports entertainment facility in Phoenix Raceway.”
Penn National is the country’s biggest regional gaming operator and has 42 casinos in 20 states. The company’s Barstool sports betting app is available in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The deal will allow Penn National and Barstool to have signage around the track and a presence on NASCAR’s social media and digital channels. Penn National became NASCAR’s first gaming partner in 2020.
“As our first authorized gaming operator, Penn National has been invested in engaging NASCAR fans since we began building our position in the sports betting space,” said Tim Clark, NASCAR chief digital officer, in a press release. “We couldn’t be more excited to provide our partners with access to our passionate fan base in the greater Phoenix market.”
PointsBet has market access in 16 states
Arizona is the 16th U.S. state in which Australian-based PointsBet has secured market access for sports betting.
RELEASE: PointsBet and Cliff Castle Casino Hotel Partner to Pursue Online Sports Betting License in Arizonahttps://t.co/6iR3aJEgvc
— PointsBet Communications (@PB_Comms) July 20, 2021
“PointsBet and our partners at Cliff Castle are proud to begin the process toward offering our differentiated sports betting product and world-class technology to fans all over Arizona,” PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken said via press release. “We welcome the opportunity to quickly and responsibly introduce prospective sports bettors to the customer-focused, market-leading PointsBet experience, where our proprietary technology platform, unrivaled speed, ease of use, and deep slate of the most betting options in the world will disrupt the market for the better.”
The Cliff Castle Casino is located about 90 minutes north of Phoenix and 45 minutes south of Flagstaff.
