The expansion of gambling has arrived in Arizona. Following the passing of new laws and the approval of fresh tribal-state compacts in the recent spring, the gambling scene in the state is set to broaden on a scale similar to the Grand Canyon.
After years of negotiations with Arizona lawmakers and tribal leaders, Governor Doug Ducey signed both gambling legislation and new tribal-state compacts in April. The following month, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs granted federal approval to these compacts.
The Arizona Department of Gaming has started creating regulations for sports betting and daily fantasy sports in June. The aim is to launch the first physical and mobile sportsbooks before the 2021 NFL season commences.
Many of the state’s tribes are keen to start taking their first sports bets, but there is also a lot of anticipation about the new casinos and casino games that have been approved by the new agreements.
AZ is set to have an increase in casinos, slots, and table games.
In Arizona, there are 22 federally recognized tribes, out of which 16 operate at least one of the state’s 25 tribal casinos.
The new agreements allow tribes to obtain up to 10 licenses for both retail and mobile sports betting. The state’s professional sports franchises and facilities can also secure up to 10 more licenses. Furthermore, the state’s horse racing tracks are eligible to apply for retail sports betting licenses.
Moreover, these compacts lay the groundwork for additional tribal casinos in Arizona. The previous compacts provided for a maximum of 44 casinos, while the new agreements increase this number to 55 properties. However, it is anticipated that only four more casinos will be established, two near Phoenix, one close to Tucson, and potentially another near Flagstaff.
The total number of slot machines that the tribes can offer collectively has also seen an increase. Previously, they were permitted to have up to 20,500 slots, with approximately 13,500 in operation. The recent agreements have elevated the overall total by close to 6,300 slots. Additionally, there is a provision to add 550 more slots every two years.
This also applies to table games. Prior to the change, the tribes were allowed to run up to about 3,600 table games collectively, but in reality, only roughly 430 are currently being used.
The revised agreements allow each tribal casino to host a maximum of 100 table games, while those situated closer to bigger cities can have up to 150. These represent an increase in the allowed number of games, hence, the total quantity of permitted table games has also risen.
Casinos may indeed desire to provide more table games, given that the variety of games they can offer has expanded. This could potentially increase the chances of additional tables being utilized.
The new table games include games such as craps, roulette, baccarat, Sic Bo, and Pai Gow.
Previously, the tribes could only offer blackjack and poker in terms of table games, along with keno and bingo. Hence, the approximately 430 table games currently available in Arizona casinos all feature either blackjack or poker.
The new compacts permit the casinos to incorporate the following games into their offerings:
- (at least eight craps tables per facility)
- (at a minimum, each facility should have eight roulette tables)
- (at least eight baccarat tables per facility)
- Each facility offers a minimum of four Sic Bo games.
- Each facility offers at least four Pai Gow games.
Craps
Craps, a widely popular dice game, enables players to place bets against the house on either a single roll or a series of rolls. Players alternate roles as the “shooter,” who rolls the dice, while others place various bets such as pass line and don’t pass wagers, come and don’t come bets, odds bets, among others.
Roulette
Roulette, the quintessential casino game, involves spinning a wheel and allows for multiple players to join at a time. Players have the option to place bets on single numbers, colors such as red or black, odd or even numbers, or various other outcomes.
Baccarat
Baccarat, a card game widely favored in Europe and Asia, is particularly popular among high rollers globally. The game is notably featured in the original Casino Royale novel and film where James Bond plays baccarat. Upon first impression, it might look similar to blackjack, with players congregated around a dealer at a semi-circular table. However, the game rules of baccarat are markedly different.
Sic Bo
Sic Bo, a game that has gained significant popularity in Asia, particularly in Macau, is another dice game similar to craps. However, unlike craps, which may require some strategy, Sic Bo is purely a game of chance, akin to roulette.
Pai Gow
Pai Gow, a fun poker-based game where players aim to beat a dealer by creating superior hands similar to blackjack, also has Asian roots. Despite its origins, it enjoys significant popularity in the United States.
Gamblers from Arizona may recognize some or all of these games. However, none of them would have ever been played in an Arizona tribal casino before.
To put it differently, we can not only expect an increase in the number of casinos in Arizona, but they will also evolve to resemble Vegas-style casinos, with the introduction of new games and the inclusion of sports betting. It remains to be seen which new table games will become popular among Arizonans once they are introduced.
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