Arizona Sports Betting Applicant List Expands with MaximBet
MaximBet is positioned to launch in Arizona after the company announced a market access deal Thursday.
MaximBet, a partnership between Maxim Magazine as well as sportsbook and casino operator Carousel Group, is working with the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona. If approved by state regulators, MaximBet could launch a statewide mobile sportsbook as well as a retail book at the tribe’s Hon-Dah Resort-Casino in Pinetop, Arizona, as early as this September.
“We are thrilled to partner with the White Mountain Apache Tribe to bring MaximBet and the renowned Maxim lifestyle experience to Arizona,” said Carousel Group CEO Daniel Graetzer in a statement. “With some of the best sporting teams in the country and a highly engaged sports community, we are confident Arizona will be drawn to our consumer-friendly app, world-class customer service, and the incredible live events we are planning for the State.”
MaximBet is live in Colorado and has secured sports betting market access in Indiana, Iowa and New Jersey. The company is also targeting Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi sportsbook launches.
"The White Mountain Apache Tribe is excited to be partnered with Carousel Group, MaximBet, and their world-class leadership to launch an exciting and unique sports betting product for Arizonans.” said Brent Kurth, General Manager of Hon-Dah Resort-Casino, in a statement. “This partnership will unlock a very important new revenue stream and is critical to the economic future of the tribe and its 17,000 members."
Crowded Field
The company hopes to stand out in an increasingly competitive Arizona market by offering promotions, odds boosts and “real-life exclusive perks that can only be enjoyed by members of MaximBet,” the company said in a statement.
Arizona’s 2021 sports betting law permitted 10 professional sports teams or organizations as well as 10 Native American gaming tribes to partner with sports betting brands for retail and online sportsbooks. The ADG announced Wednesday it had already received 10 pro sports license applications in addition to 15 tribal applicants.
Professional sports team licensees can offer statewide mobile betting along with retail sportsbooks within or adjacent to their host facilities. Though there are only 10 mobile sports betting licenses for Native American gaming interests, any tribe that signed onto Arizona’s 2021 gaming compact can open a retail sportsbook at their casino properties.
Other announced sports betting applicants include:
- Bally Bet (WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury)
- Barstool Sportsbook (Phoenix Raceway)
- Betfred (Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation)
- BetMGM (Arizona Cardinals; partnered with Gila River Hotels and Casinos for three retail sportsbooks)
- BlueBet (Colorado River Indian Tribes)
- Caesars (MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks)
- DraftKings (TPC Scottsdale; host course for the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open)
- FanDuel (NBA’s Phoenix Suns-)
- PointsBet (Yavapai-Apache Nation)
- TwinSpires (Tonto Apache Tribe)
- Unibet (Quechan Tribe)
- WynnBet (San Carlos Apache Tribe)
The remaining applicants have not been disclosed publicly. None of the aforementioned partnerships are guaranteed to earn a license.
Timeline
The applicant window closed Monday. ADG officials have several more steps before sportsbook licensees go live:
- August 16: Qualified applicants announced by the ADG
- August 27: Deadline to announce winning operators
- August 28: Approved sportsbooks can begin marketing; eligible bettors can download betting apps and register
- September 9: Sportsbooks go live
If Arizona meets its Sept. 9 launch goal it will be among the first states that legalized sports betting in 2021 to launch an online sportsbook this year. Arizona finalized its sports betting legislation in April, and a September launch would be one of the nation’s quickest turnarounds from bill signing to first bet.
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