Arizona Sports Betting Bill Heard By House Of Commerce

Arizona may be the next state to legalize sports betting as bill AZ HB 2813 continues to move forward after only a week of being in existence.
The bill would make sportsbooks in Arizona legal at land-based establishments, forgoing mobile and internet platforms.
If passed into law, residents of Arizona would have access to placing legal bets on games beginning in 2021.

PHOENIX – Arizona sports betting bill AZ HB 2813 has swiftly made its way onto the legislative radar and was heard by the House of Commerce on Tuesday. The bill is wasting no time and will be heard by the House of Appropriations on Wednesday.

The latest bill to legalize gambling on sporting events in Arizona made its first appearance last week and has moved quickly ever since. AZ HB 2813 would make retail sports betting legal which means no mobile platforms would be available in Arizona under this proposal.

What The Newest Arizona Sports Betting Bill Entails

The Arizona Indian Gaming Association is against AZ HB 2813. Of the 22 Tribes in Arizona, the bill would allow their businesses to operate sportsbooks, but rules and regulations may clash with existing Tribal-Gaming Compacts.

Historic horse racing is allowed under the bill as a form of sports betting that will be regulated by the Arizona Department of Gaming. Pari-mutuel betting is mentioned as being part of the package as well. The sponsors of the bill are Sen. Sonny Borrelli and Rep. Steve Pierce, the same sponsors for a second sports betting bill in Arizona, AZ SB 1525, which has stalled out after its second reading on the Senate floor February 5.

The Future Of The Bill

The hearing in the House of Commerce was only the first stop for AZ SB 2813, as it’s already been scheduled to be heard by another committee on Wednesday.

While it’s moving at lightning speed despite Tribal opposition, there is hope that Arizona will see the legalization of gambling on sports matchups and horse racing under this bill.

Legal sports betting would help the economy in Arizona immensely. Estimates show that millions in revenue could be generated from the market if it was to become a legalized pastime.

The revenue would then go to the Arizona General Fund. Arizona’s legislative session adjourns on April 25, 2020. Should this bill come to pass, the first bets on sporting events in the Grand Canyon State would happen in 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.