The Arizona Department of Gaming will open a new application window for limited event wagering licences on August 13th, creating opportunities for additional retail sportsbooks linked to racetracks and off track betting facilities.
Applications will be accepted for two weeks. Eligible businesses must plan to offer in person sports wagering through a partnership with a racetrack enclosure or an additional wagering facility holding a permit from the state’s Division of Racing.
Arizona law allows the regulator to issue up to 10 limited event wagering operator licences. Unlike the state’s full event wagering licences, the permits do not authorise statewide mobile betting and are restricted to approved retail locations.
Cliff Holden, Assistant Director of Certification & Licensing at the Arizona Department of Gaming, says: “Applicants for limited event wagering operator licences will undergo a thorough licensing evaluation process structured to ensure consumer protection.”
“We look forward to receiving new applications for limited event wagering within the state of Arizona.”
Applicants must pay a $1,000 submission fee. Successful operators face an initial licence fee of $10,000, followed by an annual renewal payment of $5,000.
Retail wagering revenue generated under the limited licences is taxed at 8%, compared with the 10% rate applied to online sports betting.
The new application period is separate from the process opened earlier this year for Arizona tribes and professional sports organisations seeking full event wagering licences. The state’s framework reserves 10 full licences for tribes and 10 for professional sports organisations, while the limited category supports physical betting at racing related locations.
Arizona launched regulated sports betting in September 2021 and has since developed one of the larger US mobile wagering markets. Retail betting represents a smaller share of activity, but the limited licences provide racetracks and off track facilities with an additional revenue stream and a route into regulated sports wagering.
The August application process follows renewed enforcement by the regulator against businesses accused of offering unlicensed gambling products in the state.
