When Arizona tribes in 2021 agreed to a sports betting framework that allowed an equal number of sportsbooks at professional sporting venues, there were rumblings throughout the nation from tribes who felt that their Arizona counterparts were giving up their monopoly on gaming. At the time, Arizona tribes said they were comfortable with the arrangement that allots 10 wagering licenses each to tribes and pro franchises, even though that left at least six gaming tribes out of the mix.
But 15 months after retail and digital betting went live, some tribal members are having second thoughts.
Most of the major operators in Arizona — including the three biggest by market share, BetMGM (Arizona Cardinals), DraftKings (TPC-Scottsdale), and FanDuel (Phoenix Suns) — partnered with professional sports venues.
