Arizona Sports Betting Revenue Soars as Popularity in the Pastime Increases in the State
Just a few short years ago, the idea of being able to enjoy sports betting and casino activity while in the United States would have been unheard of, or at the very least only acceptable in very specific cases and areas.
Now there is barely a month that goes by that doesn’t see a state legalize either sports betting or casino providers from operating legally, offering regulated options for customers who are keen to sign up and make the most of what’s on offer.
Arizona is one such state that is very much enjoying the legalized markets that have opened, especially when it comes to sports betting. Sports betting in the Grand Canyon State drew in a massive $564 million in wagers in the month of January, with much of that coming via online providers that are licensed by the state.
The best casinos in Arizona bring in vast sums but clearly, online sports betting makes placing such bets much easier, and one wonders if and when online casino action will be legal. Sports betting legislation was passed in April 2021, and there are ongoing efforts to expand this to cover casino action.
The operators licensed to offer online sports betting have battled hard for customers in the state, spending large sums on advertising as well as providing a significant number of free bets to entice users. This means that the amount that these brands are making isn’t as high as it might be, but they see the value in such promotions as they are no doubt gambling on the lifetime value of a customer.
The level of wagering in January was a 12.9% increase on the numbers for December and is expected to continue long into 2022, with major sporting events helping to continue that push. The numbers for Super Bowl month, February, are still not collated, but one would expect these to be very high.
The Arizona Department for Gaming believes that the state is one of the biggest markets in the country, with director Ted Vogt commenting;
“With over half a billion dollars wagered in January, it is clear that Arizona has become a top ten event wagering market nationally,” before adding;
“A big thank you to the Arizona Department of Gaming Staff and event wagering & fantasy sports stakeholders, whose work has contributed to the strong start in the state.”
Of the brands operating in Arizona, it’s DraftKings that is pulling in the biggest numbers, leading the way from FanDuel and Bet MGM. 99% of the bets were via mobile devices, which shows just how accustomed the user-base has become to the technology available.
If Arizona’s Phoenix Suns go long into the NBA playoffs, then there could be a severe spike in the betting in the state, especially if Chris Paul and his teammates get to the NBA finals, as they did last time around (when they lost out to the Milwaukee Bucks).
