Expect More Tribal Applicants Than Available AZ Sportsbook Licenses

In selecting 10 owners for wireless sports wager certificates among Native American tribes, the Arizona Department of Gaming will have its work cut out for it.

Robert Miguel, tribal committee chairman for the Ak-Chin Indian Community, has informed PlayInAZ that he expects at least 16 applicants from Arizona nations.

Miguel stated, “I believe that everyone is hoping to obtain a license. In my opinion, anyone who has a game center should utilize it.”

The federal government recognizes 22 tribes in Arizona, but only 16 of them operate casinos. Tribes without casinos are urged to apply and they don’t necessarily need a physical casino to offer online gambling.

Starting Monday, the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) started accepting applications. The application period, lasting for 10 business days, will end on Aug. 9. By Aug. 16, the ADG will disclose the licenses that have been granted.

A regulatory body determines ethnic licenses.

Arizona tribes and the governor reached a new agreement, establishing 20 online sports betting licenses, with 10 each dedicated to tribes and professional sports entities in Arizona.

What’s peculiar about that structure is that Arizona houses ten professional sports organizations, yet there are more than ten gaming tribes.

Miguel asserted that the nations did not have a strategy for distributing those permissions among themselves. He stated there was never any talk of a tribal agreement and that license issuance was always intended to be the responsibility of the ADG.

“That’s what causes us some anxiety,” said Miguel. “We definitely want a license to commence this, but the question remains, will we get it? We’re preparing as though we already have it, but we also have fallback plans in case we don’t.”

As per their agreements, all tribal casinos permit financial sports betting, though it may not be beneficial without an online element.

How will the ADG choose the cultural applicants?

How will the ADG decide the winners and losers among skilled game tribes?

The Department mentioned 19 criteria in its final rules that it will take into consideration:

The applicant for tribal and / or management services companies in sports bet has business acumen, experience, and a track record.
1. The precise total gaming experience and performance history.
2. The population size of the culture and the revenue generated from gambling.
3. Excellent reputation in all aspects.
4. Dedication to local investment on ethnic or state-owned land.
5. The custom of participant protection.
6. Participation in local management, flexibility, and responsiveness.
7. Capability to place bets on events, incorporating suggested internal controls and the state’s principle of privilege fees.
8. Capability to initiate functional betting within six months of obtaining a license.
9. Dignity in economics, resources, and security.
10. Compliance with regulations and participation.
11. The inability to profit from betting on events without a license.
12. Whether the license’s release might provide benefits to different qualified applicants through collaborations or other opportunities.
13. Job growth and advancement in the labor market
14. A preference for lovers and candidates who maintain a physical presence in the state.
15. A desire for licenses to be distributed among tribes that do not participate in gaming, those residing in rural areas, and those located near major cities.
16. Regardless of whether the individual introduces a unique brand or affiliate, or targets a niche or untapped market.
17. Can the certificate potentially expand the state’s clientele?
18. Any extra requirements that the Department introduced during the process.

During the application process, tribals are on the border.

Well, that doesn’t quite add up.

Tribes that abstain from gaming actually receive preference for a license and heel, just like tribes in rural and urban areas.

The tribes nearest to Phoenix have had the most significant impact on gambling. However, they might also benefit more from occasional betting without a mobile license.

Several criteria consider a tribe’s management services provider, yet only a few tribes have declared such alliances. The Yavapai-Apache Nation has teamed up with PointsBet, while the San Carlos Apache Tribe has collaborated with Wynnbet Sportsbook.

Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino, situated less than an hour away from Phoenix, has an ongoing partnership with Caesars Entertainment for casino operations. However, whether this partnership will extend to sports betting remains undisclosed by Miguel. It is noteworthy that Caesars Entertainment has already established a partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Miguel commented about obtaining a license, “We are crossing our fingers. I’m sure everyone is confident. It’s basically a roll of the dice. We’ll see what happens.”

Were ethnic alliances crucial to licensure?

Criteria 13, ranked number 1, could substantially affect the distribution of registrations. It re-evaluates if the passport provides benefits to other eligible candidates via partnerships or alternative options.

“Nations that want to issue a passport may need to cooperate with another community to achieve this,” said Miguel. “However, it’s clear that sharing this license would inevitably decrease the income for each tribe.”

Francisco Valencia, the tribal government minister for the Pascua Yaqui, suggested that his Tucson-area community may be considering a partnership while he was on a panel with Miguel at the National Indian Gaming Association convention in Las Vegas last month.

“Valencia asserts that tribes have been significantly innovative with their partners for roughly the past two decades. “We will figure it out,” she says. She believes that even with nations that have formed alliances with some significant figures, it will open up avenues for collaboration. The situation in Tucson is superior to ours; they have more resources. We admittedly lack a specialized team. However, with creativity, I am confident that we can improve our situation.”