AZ Sports Betting Bill Taking More Steps Toward Legalization

Bill AZ HB 2813 to legalize sports betting in Arizona was passed by the House Rules Committee.
The bill would make wagering on sporting events legal by way of retail sportsbooks.
The Arizona Department of Gaming would oversee all rules and regulations for the sports betting market in the Grand Canyon State.

PHOENIX – Arizona sports betting bill, AZ HB 2813, has taken another step in the right direction in the eyes of sports bettors on Thursday.

The bill went before the House Rules Committee where it passed. Now it will continue to move through the House with the final goal being turning this bill into law.

The Sports Betting Bill On The Table

Bill AZ HB 2813 would make land-based locations in the state of Arizona legal to operate sportsbooks. These businesses would include horse racetracks which would be allowed to open up their own sports betting venues in an expansion of the facility.

No mobile or internet wagering on sporting events would be permitted in the state as this specific bill does not call for its legalization. Tribal casinos would be eligible to open sports betting lounges at their establishments with the permission of the state.

Despite the opposition by the Arizona Indian Gaming Association, (AIGA) this has remained part of the bill. Tribes do not want to seek permission to open sportsbooks at their businesses.

Doing so could cause issues within their gaming compacts as they would have to follow rules stipulated in the law rather than compact rules.

The Progress Of AZ HB 2813

Legalization of sports betting under AZ HB 2813 passed through the House Appropriations Committee on Monday by a single vote. From there, it moved on to the House Rules Committee.

The House Rules Committee listened to what AZ HB 2813 entailed and put it to a vote on Thursday. The vote was HELD which means there was not an individual vote but a voice vote. The Committee ruled in favor of passing AZ HB 2813 and move it along for further consideration.

April 25 marks the final day for any more to be done regarding legalizing sports betting in Arizona for 2020. There are a lot more hurdles for AZ HB 2813 to jump over before it will be able to land on Governor Doug Ducey’s desk for signature.

Should the bill become law, sports bettors in the Grand Canyon State will see the first legal bets on sporting events occur in late 2020 to early 2021.

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Christina Monroe

Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.