LSB Feature: The New Faces Of The Sports Betting Market

Arizona, Florida, North Dakota, Louisiana, and Washington are all launching legal sports betting in 2021.
Florida will be the largest state to offer sports betting.
Arizona has done deals with major sports leagues.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Sports betting in the US is going to expand even further in 2021 as new major markets are all expected to launch this year.

Arizona, Florida, North Dakota, Louisiana, and Washington have passed legislation to bring legal sports betting to their respective lawbooks and will be launching their new markets.

With these new states with legal sports betting coming soon, now is a good time to examine the new faces of the sports betting market.

The Legal Process

The current state of all these soon-to-launch sports betting markets is progressing.

Arizona has signed HB 2772, the sports betting bill, into law and gained federal approval. The aim for Arizona is to launch its market in time for the 2021 NFL season.

“Gaming creates thousands of jobs for Arizonans, it generates tax revenue that benefits key areas of our communities, and it draws visitors to our state,” said Doug Ducey, Governor of Arizona. “The tribal-state gaming compact amendment, along with its associated legislation, was the culmination of a multi-year process and I was proud to work with all the stakeholders on this historic accomplishment. The tribal-state gaming compact and its associated legislation now is officially in effect — thank you to everyone who worked to make this happen!”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed off on its sports betting bill SB 2-A and is currently awaiting federal approval from the Department of the Interior.

North Dakota passed no legislation, but the local tribes will be offering sports betting at the tribal casinos starting December.

Louisiana has seen three sports betting bills all needed to build the framework of the market pass in the Senate and the House, with just two of them awaiting Governor signatures.

Washington has 15 tribal gaming compacts awaiting signature from their governor, which if signed would launch the local market.

What Will They Look Like?

Looking at the markets, they all will be bringing something new to the table. Each state has varying regulations for sports betting.

Starting with the Arizona sports betting market, residents and fans will see a heavy presence of local professional teams.

Arizona will have a regulated sports betting split between the local tribes and commercial sportsbooks. Tribes and sports teams will be working together to launch sportsbooks across the state.

Local teams have already curated deals. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Caesars Sports are launching an in-stadium sportsbook at Chase Field. DraftKings and the PGA Tour will launch a sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale, home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. And the Phoenix Suns have partnered with FanDuel granting the sportsbook market access.

There will be statewide mobile and retail betting in Arizona, with an unlimited number of potential licenses the state can dish out.

This makes Arizona more open than markets like North Dakota who will launch with very limited sports betting options.

ND will only have retail sports betting at its tribal casino operations. No statewide regulated mobile sportsbooks can operate.

This is mainly because of how sports betting is launching in North Dakota. There will need to be a state constitutional amendment to offer commercial sports betting, but no bill has passed. Instead, local tribes are offering betting lines on their own.

Florida’s market is another interesting one as it is not confirmed how mobile betting will work. What is certain is that lawmakers want mobile betting and that retail sportsbooks will launch at tribal casinos.

Not quite at the finish line yet, but Florida just became closer to being a state that allows sports betting.

Even if the compact is killed by the federal government or courts, this is a good sign for sports betting eventually coming to the Sunshine State. https://t.co/4lfNwbFJED

— Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) May 19, 2021

Florida will become the largest state to offer sports betting and is estimated to see $500 million annually in sports betting revenue. There should be optimism for mobile betting coming to the Sunshine State.

Sports betting in Washington will see both retail betting as well as statewide mobile betting. All 15 tribes will be able to offer mobile sportsbooks to residents.

Louisiana will have both retail and mobile betting, but these operations will only be accessible in select parishes. Residents voted in favor of Louisiana sports betting at 55 of the 64 total parishes. The state regulations only allow sportsbooks to operate in the parishes that voted in favor.

When Will They Launch?

Arizona is aiming for a September 9 launch. This would start the market in time for the 2021 NFL season. Louisiana is aiming for a similar timeframe, though no set date has been made.

Florida is aiming to launch its market in October, giving them enough time to be available during the NFL season as well as ahead of the NBA season. North Dakota is aiming for a December launch, wanting to have an active market before the year is over.

Washington has no official date or timeframe to launch, but lawmakers want the market before the end of 2021. Once the governor signs the 15 compacts there might be an official launch date announced.

The overall US sports betting market is expanding heavily in 2021. Sports betting fans in these markets can rejoice, as their time is soon to come.

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Giovanni Shorter

Coming from a background in narrative-based writing, Giovanni strives to write stories that will keep the reader engaged. Although he does pride himself in being accurate, how the story is told is also very important to him. When he’s not keeping readers up to date on sports betting laws and legislation, you can find him writing and recording music, playing videogames, or engaged in heated sports debates with his friends.