Fanatics Betting & Gaming (Fanatics) partnered with the Tonto Apache Tribe, owner and operator of the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino, to officially enter the Arizona sports betting market.
The online Fanatics Sportsbook is now available in 18 states around the US, and sports fans living and visiting Arizona can now download the app on iOS and Android.
The partnership intends to open a Fanatics Sportsbook retail location inside the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino this summer too.
“Arizona is a state with tons of options for sports fans, from baseball, to hockey, to golf to football to racing, making it the ideal destination for the most rewarding online sportsbook,” said Ari Borod, Chief Business Officer of Fanatics.
Fanatics received approval from the Arizona Department of Gaming in March to leverage one of the 20 event wagering operator licenses in Arizona sports betting. Of the 20 event wagering operator licenses, 10 licenses were designated for Arizona Tribes and 10 more for Arizona sports franchises. Fanatics’ license falls under the first category as a designee for the Tonto Apache Tribe.
“The Tribe’s partnering with Fanatics Betting & Gaming, a national leader in the sports betting space, will allow the Tribe to provide for the general welfare of our tribal members but will also benefit all Arizona citizens,” commented Tonto Apache Chairman Calvin Johnson.
Big Year for Fanatics
This isn’t the only new state expansion that Fanatics announced this week. The operator also closed on its acquisition of PointsBet in the Illinois sports betting market on Wednesday.
Fanatics Sportsbook officially went live in Kansas just last week too, and in the new North Carolina sports betting market earlier in March as well.
On top of these new state launches, Fanatics also entered New York, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Vermont in 2024.
Competition in Arizona Sports Betting
Arizona sports betting ended 2023 with a $6.5 billion betting handle and started the new year off with a $706.4 million handle in January.
Online sportsbooks in Arizona are driving the lion’s share of wagering, collecting $698 million in wagers in January while just over $6 million was wagered at the state’s retail sportsbooks.
FanDuel and DraftKings dominate nearly 70% of the online sports betting in Arizona, so Fanatics will likely start competing with BetMGM, Caesars, and ESPN Bet before it can play with the big dogs.
Having both an online and retail presence in the Grand Canyon State should help with their new entry into this prolific new market.
