Arizona Gambling Regulator Continues Discussions on Sports Wagering Rules

The Arizona Department of Gaming initiated a discussion on event wagering rules last week. The consultation with stakeholders started on Friday and continues today. By launching the discussion, the regulator aims at finalizing the rules with the help of feedback from stakeholders.

Arizona Gambling Regulator Launches Discussion on Event Wagering with Stakeholders

Last month, legal sports wagering in Arizona moved one step closer, after the Department of Interior approved a tribal-state gambling compact. Back in April, Governor Doug Ducey signed the compact which proposes tribal operators offer sports gambling and expand their operations. After that, the ball was left in the hands of the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG).

The ADG has announced that it is “on track” to meet the target date of September 9 for launching event wagering in the state. However, based on the received input, before releasing a formal version of the rules for sports wagering, the regulator launched four stakeholder consultations. The first consultations took place on Friday last week, while the second run is planned to launch today.

The first virtual open comment session for Arizona's draft Event Wagering rules was completed today. Follow the link to view the recorded meeting: https://t.co/JAjEVBtw3f

— Arizona Department of Gaming (@AzGaming) June 18, 2021

Rules on Deposits, Withdrawals, and Official League Data Are Yet to Be Finalized

One of the many topics as a part of Friday’s online meeting was funding and withdrawals. Stakeholders who participated in the meeting wanted more details on whether credit cards are going to be a valid method for funding player accounts. On the other hand, the discussion also involved withdrawals. In particular, rules are yet to be finalized on how withdrawals will be paused in case the regulator is looking into suspicious transactions.

Besides the financial aspect, the discussion also involved official league data. While in most states where sports wagering is legalized, official league data must be used for settling wagers. With that in mind, the ADG is yet to decide on whether to affirm this rule or propose an alternative.

Discussion Sports Wagering Legalization Continues

By organizing the online meetings with stakeholders, the ADG announced that it plans to further revise the rules based on valuable input by the operators and the public on the topic. At the start of Friday’s meeting, ADG Director Ted Vogt assured that “significant changes to the rules” can be expected based on collected feedback from the consultations.

Furthermore, the ADG has launched a public consultation on June 15 which will also end today. However, the regulator assured that the public will have more opportunities for input. Once the regulator has reviewed and incorporated the input, it vowed to post a “revised timeline.”

Undoubtedly, the legalization process in Arizona is going faster than in most states. Now, if all goes as planned, sports fans in the state may be able to enjoy legal wagering just in time for the NFL season kick-off this September.