1. Residents of Arizona can place their online sports wagers without worrying about facing prosecution under state or federal gaming laws. Without land-based sports betting options in the state, online sportsbooks are the only viable legal sports betting option in Arizona.
2. You can bet on Super Bowl online from Arizona. Many international websites accept bets over the Web from Arizona residents. Las Vegas sportsbooks do not allow those living in Arizona to place bets.
3. The best part about online sportsbooks? You never have to leave the comfort of your home! You can bet from anywhere that has an internet connection. Most online sportsbooks are mobile-friendly and allow you to bet on live games and events. Betting on Arizona Teams. Arizona hosts a team from each major sport, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB.

These sites allow players from all over the state to bet on their favorite horses. It doesn’t matter if you’re betting on races taking place in Arizona, or if you’re betting on a race taking place halfway across the world. With an online racebook, you can do it legally from the comfort of your own home.

What better way is there in 2021 to get away from the scorching desert heat in Arizona than by playing a game of Texas Hold’em Internet poker or live real money poker? Thankfully, players from Arizona have a multitude of legal live poker betting options, primarily through its range of tribal casinos. On the down side, the state’s gambling laws essentially prohibit Internet gambling websites. That, and Arizona is one of only five states that dissuade players in AZ from gambling real cash on fantasy sports.

Yes, Arizona’s lawful gambling stance appears to be at odds with itself, evident by former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl’s decision to back a Federal Internet gambling bill a mere six years after supporting the UIGEA. So, whether or not Arizona throws its sand covered hat into the real money Internet poker and gambling arena in 2021 or at a later stage remains a big question mark – a mystery that may not be deciphered anytime soon and leaves residents of The Grand Canyon state staring into an abyss of legit Texas Hold’em uncertainty.

We’ve found real money US poker sites that accept Arizona gamblers. Creating an account couldn’t be easier, and it’s free.

Can You Sports Bet Online In Arizona

Arizona Lawmaker Looks To Legalize Fantasy Sports Wagering

Quick Jump

• 4 The Facts

Apparently, other members of legislature share Driggs’ sentiments, as SB 1468 received no opposition from the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Energy and Military. The bill is slated to be brought before the Senate floor shortly and it could pave the way for legal poker.

Arizona’s residents, along with inhabitants of Arkansas,Louisiana, Iowa and Tennessee, are currently prohibited from participating in real-money fantasy sports betting on websites such as DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo Sports.

The UIGEA of 2006 ^[2] introduced a clause exempting fantasy sports real cash gambling, in so long as providers adhered to certain guidelines. Yet, states with a clause relating to games of chance technically violate the parameters of the Act.

Should SB 1468 pass, fantasy sports would be deemed a game of skill and hopefully that could clear the way for real money poker Internet betting.

Can Players From Arizona Play Online Poker?

Yes. While not all US-facing 2015 real cash poker websites accept players from the Grand Canyon state, AZ’s poker gambling brethren shouldn’t experience any trouble signing up via one of our top, most recommended,international Internet poker websites for 2021 on our homepage.

Not since the pre-Black Friday days that doomed lawful real money poker websites has creating an account, making a deposit and finding an Internet poker game been so easy. So why drive through the desert heat, when the best poker betting action is only a mouse click away?

Is Online Poker Legal In Arizona?

Arizona’s general legal gambling statues are moderate in nature as they stand now in 2021. Well, mostly.
The state takes a firm stance against online poker websites, one it would have to amend should legislators ever consider legalizing Internet gambling within the state. For now, it appears that all forms of unregulated real money Internet betting are against the law, although it is unclear how widely enforced AZ State’s anti-real cash gambling provisions actually are in 2021.

As always, it’s best to talk to a lawyer or other professional versed in lawful Internet poker gambling law before making a presumption regarding the legality of online poker. For now, let’s take a look at AZ’s real money betting law’s finer points, kicking things off with how the state of Arizona defines the act of gambling:

“Gambling means one act of risking or giving something of value for the opportunity to obtain a benefit from a game or contest of chance or skill or a future contingent event…” Section 13-3301.

Notice the usage of the term skill. Arizona makes no allowances for skill games, rendering the argument as to whether winning real cash during betting on poker play requires more skill or luck irrelevant.

A player who knowingly obtains any benefit from gambling is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. Illicit online gambling and land-based betting operators face more severe charges. Anyone who conducts, organizes, manages, directs, supervises or finances real cash poker gambling or betting of any other kind in Arizona is guilty of a class 5 felony.

The law makes exceptions for regulated, legal gambling, amusement gambling and most notably social gambling, such as playing real money poker with friends. Social gambling is defined as:

Gambling that is not conducted as a business and that involves players who compete on equal terms with each other in a gamble. This includes real money poker games like Texas Hold’em. If no player receives, or becomes entitled to receive, any benefit, directly or indirectly, other than the player’s winnings from the gambling, then the act constitutes social gambling, in so long as the player in AZ is at least 21 years of age and no player enjoys an advantage over any other player in the gamble under the conditions of rules of the game or contest. Section 13-3301(7).

In other words, Arizonans are free to hold home poker games, in so long as a house fee or rake isn’t being charged on the real cash poker gambling.

In regards to Internet gambling and poker betting websites specifically, the law states that Indian tribes and state committees are banned from opening or conducting Internet betting operations. That being said, the law does not explicitly prohibit real cash poker players in AZ from playing at poker websites online in 2021, although the definition of gambling could easily be interpreted to imply that lawful Internet poker can’t exist.

There are no accounts of Texas Hold’em real money players in Arizona being charged for playing and betting on poker websites online. To read the AZ state’s full code ^[3], please refer to the “References” section. Tip: search for the term gambling.

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The Facts

The History Of Gambling In Arizona

1912

Arizona became a state and one of their first laws was to ban all forms of gambling where the house makes a profit, which is an incredible law in comparison to the present day. This law did not apply to any form of social gambling (e.g. home games).

1980

Legislature approves a State lottery, proving to be one of the most popular gambling forms for people throughout the state of Arizona.

1987

Indian gaming was introduced to the state after pushing through the “Cabazon Court Case”

1990

A number of tribes in Arizona installed slots on their land, which caused a backlash with the governor of the state and ultimately led to legal challenges. The tribes were under the impression that regulation of other gambling formats implied that permission for slots to be installed was granted. These legal complications would last for 10 years.

Can You Gamble Online In The State Of Arizona

1993

After years of tension, ‘compacts’ were signed by the tribes and agreements were met with the state.

1994

Following these agreements, sixteen tribes had signed compacts. This ultimately led to more casinos in operation, approximately 10 by the end of 1994. These compacts last for 10 years and then terms would have to be re-negotiated.

2000

The Governor starts negotiation for the renewal of the tribal-state compacts.

2003

Compacts were renewed and 5 more tribes were added. This brought the total to approximately 21 and potential for more casinos to be built.

2012

The Tribal-State Gaming compacts were about to be renewed for an additional 10 years for the tribes that signed them.

2013

Two new casinos were opened in 2013 after construction had finally been completed. In May, the Navajo Nation opened its first Arizona Casino which was called Twin Arrows. Also, in July the grand opening of the Vee Quiva Casino was launched.

Arizona was the last of the lower 48 states to be accepted into the Union. Given the general anti-gambling sentiment of the early 1900s, Arizona was required to take a firm stance against real cash poker rooms and casinos in order for government to accept its application for statehood. Arizona’s officials obliged, and Arizona became a state in 1912.

Before that time, betting on what can’t strictly be called legit poker games and other gambling games was prevalent throughout AZ. And just like prohibition did little to quell the spread of alcohol, even when it was deemed not to be legal poker gambling remained a staple of Arizona’s underground scene for years to come.

In 1950, voters chose not to legalize casinos or real money poker. However, that decade horse and dog races as well as some forms of charitable betting were approved.

By the 1980s, charitable gambling houses were making use of slot machines but still not offering legit real cash poker to Arizona residents.

In fact, the manufacturers were also selling said slot machines to organizations located through Nevada. Social gambling received an exemption from the law in the late 80s. Bars and other public institutions quickly took advantage of the state’s leniency, eventually leading law enforcement agencies to crackdown on what people thought were lawful poker games.

In 1991, a statewide lottery was implemented in Arizona, followed by the launch of an influx of tribal casinos and real cash poker betting rooms. However, because the proper compacts were not in place, AZ State’s tribes were forced to fight a long and drawn out battle with Arizona’s state officials before receiving sovereignty over the casino industry. The first compacts were signed in 1992, and many more were forged in the years that followed. Voters chose to renew existing tribal compacts in 2002, and to date nearly all of the state’s 22 tribes enjoy the freedom to operate casinos and legal poker games.

Regulated Gambling Options In Arizona

There is no shortage of regulated gambling and betting options in Arizona in 2021. Charitable gambling is permissible in all forms, poker included. Pari-mutuel wagering and various forms of the lottery are also legal; the latter including popular multi-jurisdiction formats such as Mega Millions and Powerball.

The state’s Indian tribes operate 22 casinos, the largest of which are operated by the Gila River Indian Community ^[4]. Most tribal casinos operate full-scale poker rooms that let Arizona residents enjoy legit real money poker at their convenience.

The Future Of Regulated Online Gambling In Arizona

There’s a multitude of opposing factors at play when it comes to regulating Internet poker gambling in Arizona this year or in the future. The state’s politicians are generally conservative by nature, and have yet to seriously broach the issue of legal real cash poker betting websites. Compounding matters further, Arizona’s many tribes seem content to stay away from online Internet poker, fearing that its presence will have a negative impact on their brick and mortar poker gambling casino revenues. And let’s not forget that former Senator Jon Kyl was a major proponent of the UIGEA and that currently, Arizona does not permit fantasy sports wagering.

Oh, and Arizona is one of the only states to feature anti-iGaming clauses against lawful real money Internet poker and casino gambling in its statues.

Yet, there are also firm indicators that Arizona could be entering the legit betting websites mix sooner rather than later. Let’s not forget that two of its closest neighbors are California and Nevada; states that have either already legalized online poker websites or are close to doing so. And then there’s the fact that Mr. Kyl worked with Sen. Harry Reid on a Federal Internet poker bill ^[5]. That particular iteration of the lawful real cash Internet poker bill failed, but since working with Kyl, Reid’s battle has continued to gain momentum and it started off 2015 in a strong position. Thus, it seems unlikely that Arizona would opt out of a Federal act involving legal poker websites, should one be passed in 2021 or later years.

Fun Fact

2012 WSOP Main Event 3rd place finisher Jake Balsiger hails from Tempe, Arizona ^[6]. At the time of his real cash poker score, the fearsome 21-year-old was still attending Arizona State University. Pocketing nearly $3.8 for his astonishing run, Jake would recently prove that his high poker betting finish was no fluke by placing third in the 2014 Aussie Millions AUD$10,600 No-Limit Texas Hold’em event. His finish down under was good for over $582k in real money poker winnings.

The Bottom Line

Arizona’s future, at least with regards to regulated online poker websites and Internet Texas Hold’em games, is marked by uncertainty. In order to host gambling operations, state officials would first have to amend the state’s current Internet gambling laws. It’s exceedingly unlikely that this will happen in AZ before an interstate compact relating to legit real cash poker websites with Nevada and California is in place.

If we had to categorize Arizona’s chance of entering the Internet poker betting market, we’d placed them somewhere between unlikely and wait and see.

There are certainly states far less likely to make legal Internet poker for real money happen in 2021. But while Arizona’s population of 6.55 million could support a thriving Internet poker gambling industry, it just doesn’t feel like Arizona will be compelled to do anything about it before others take the lead on lawful real cash poker websites.

References

[1] ↑Lawmaker: Make playing fantasy sports legal under state law

[2] ↑Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006

[3] ↑Arizona State Legislature

[4] ↑Gila River Gaming Enterprises

[5] ↑Reid, Kyl join forces on Internet gambling, pen letter to AG

[6] Jacob Balsiger

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The great state of Arizona has a long and storied history of gambling in partnership with the state’s Native American tribes. Over the last 30 years, the expansion of land-based casinos has turned Arizona into one of America’s gambling hot spots. Things are quite different online, however.

Arizonans have some of the strictest regulations around online betting. Although progress is slow, there is a push to get casino-style games, as well as online sports betting legalized.

In this article, we will explain the landscape of online gambling in Arizona, help you evaluate which online betting sites in Arizona work best for you, and provide you with the tools to place your first bets.

Top Arizona Online Betting Sites for 2021

At TheSportsGeek, we have spent countless hours evaluating dozens of online betting websites, including Arizona sports betting sites. Below are our picks for the best places to sports bet online in Arizona. These recommendations are guaranteed to provide you with well-priced odds, the most bets, and the best overall online gambling experience. Below you will see some of the rigorous criteria we looked for in making our selections.

Critical Elements of the Best Arizona Betting Sites

Arizona Sports Betting Sites Promos

Promotions can be one of the best tools Arizona online sportsbooks have to keep players betting. Promos can also drive tons of value for players and should always be a significant consideration when deciding which Arizona betting sites to use. With everything from free play credits to mega giveaways, these perks can make a huge difference in your bankroll, and since they are generally free to players, there’s no reason not to take advantage of them.

New Player Bonuses

Almost all online betting sites, as well as Arizona sports betting sites, have programs specifically designed to entice new players to choose their website over the others. These new player signup bonuses are a special type of perk that only players who are new to the site can use. Most often, these bonuses will take the form of deposit matching for the players’ initial deposit. Again, since this is free real money, it should be taken advantage of as much as possible. The amount each Arizona betting site will match varies, but the value of the bonuses can easily be massive like they are in the online sportsbook BetOnline.ag.

Betting With Bitcoin

One of the hottest new trends in the last decade has been the rapid growth of cryptocurrency out of relative obscurity. Bitcoin used to be almost entirely unknown, but with the value of the coin peaking at nearly $20,000 in recent years, it has emerged as a legitimate currency. Lots of Arizona betting sites will now let you use Bitcoin to fund your account. Support for other altcoins has been slow to catch up, so for players wanting to use other cryptocurrencies, they will need to convert to Bitcoin before making their deposit.

Variety of Betting Options

They say variety is the spice of life, and that’s just as true when gambling online in Arizona as it is in life. When choosing your Arizona sports betting site or gambling website, pay attention to the breadth of gaming and betting options they offer. Some sports betting sites in Arizona will specialize in specific types of betting or will not have certain games. While your betting site doesn’t need to have every bet and every game known to man, make sure they can cover what you’re interested in and have enough options so you can mix it up every once in a while.

Play Live Dealer Games

If you don’t happen to be near a casino but want that same casino experience, today’s online betting websites have you covered there, too. Many Arizona betting sites will offer live gaming via live stream. Just like it sounds, this type of gaming puts the player right at the table with a live dealer in real-time. By having a more social and personal experience, these Arizona betting sites have been able to make it feel like you are right there on the floor, even if you’re thousands of miles away.

Security at Online Sportsbooks in Arizona

One of everyone’s biggest concerns, when they get into online gambling, is security. Sometimes, it feels like a giant trust fall when depositing thousands of your hard-earned dollars into Arizona sports betting sites with which you have no experience. Thankfully, we’re here to help. Every site we evaluate has to be verified secure and have long track records of putting player safety first. You can rest assured any real online sportsbooks in Arizona we recommend will have you and your money’s security as their number one priority.

Real Money Betting Limits

When you get more advanced in your betting, one of the factors that can start to make it feel like you’re outgrowing your betting site is betting limits. Some sites put caps on how much a player can wager, which can be particularly frustrating if you are a pro. The best Arizona betting sites will offer a wide range of betting options with limits that work for even the most advanced player. If you are a newbie, keep in mind we always suggest starting small and working your way up.

Payout Processing

Hitting a massive jackpot is the dream of millions of online gamblers. Just imagine finally having all the stars align, playing your hand perfectly, and seeing your account value skyrocket. As magical as that would be, it can swiftly turn into a nightmare if you run into issues trying to get your payout. Any real money Arizona betting sites or Arizona sports betting sites that we recommend must pay out players as fast as possible. In most cases, the sites on our list can get cash in your bank account in less than 24 hours.

How to Get Started Betting Online in Arizona

Legal Gambling in Arizona

The legal landscape of Arizona is unique. While some types of gambling are widespread and extremely popular, others are entirely illegal. Here’s a look at how the state treats a few of the more common types of betting.

Land-Based Real Money Casinos in Arizona

Land-based casinos are king in the state of Arizona, and there are dozens of them across the state. The tribal-owned casinos can range anywhere from tiny slot machine floors to mega-resorts that look like they were plucked right off the Vegas strip. Gaming options run the gambit, with the only major exception being the lack of legal sports betting.

Online Casino-Style Games

While land-based gambling is wildly popular in Arizona, online gambling remains illegal. While this means that no Arizona-based casinos are operating online, it does not mean residents are out of luck. State law focuses on operators of casinos rather than players, which means that players are free to play on any out of state or offshore site without consequences. Because of this distinction, Arizona residents can take advantage of a plethora of options when picking an online betting site.

Sports Betting Online in Arizona

Similar to the casino-style games, there are no legal Arizona online sports betting sites. Unlike the casino-style games, sports betting is also illegal in the land-based casinos in Arizona. There have been pushed in recent years to legalize sports betting to create a new source of tax revenue for the state. While legislation continues to be introduced in the wake of the US Supreme Court ruling legalizing sports betting, chances of passage in Arizona are low. There are significant concerns around how widespread legalization would mesh with current tribal gaming law, which stipulates that betting can only happen on tribal land. Only time will tell if that puzzle can be solved.

DFS at Arizona Betting Sites

Arizona is notably one of the last remaining holdouts when it comes to daily fantasy sports. Daily fantasy sports betting sites like FanDuel and DraftKings block residents from Arizona, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Hawaii, and a few others that vary by site. But there is an interesting twist.

DFS is not expressly illegal in all of these states. While it is technically banned in some of them as DFS gets roped into the definition of “gambling,” the actual determinations on which states are not allowed have been made by the operators themselves in deciding where to offer their services.

In other areas of real money online gambling, betting sites may face minimal repercussions but these major US-based corporations are much more conscientious of following US law. As a result, they have decided to make determinations themselves rather than asking for trouble and letting players participate in a proverbial “gray area.”

Horse and Dog Racing

Betting on both horse racing and dog racing continues to be extremely popular at real money online sportsbooks in Arizona. With multiple tracks around the state, this is a common type of betting for many residents. However, just like other types of online gambling, off-track betting is illegal, leaving residents to play on an offshore site. Likely, more comprehensive changes to online gambling would also include horse and dog racing sites, paving the way for an influx of additional legal Arizona sports betting sites.

FAQ About Arizona Betting Sites

Summary on Sports Betting Sites in Arizona

Gambling in the state of Arizona is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you have the booming land-based tribal casinos which are massively popular and can offer a Vegas-like experience. On the other hand, you have regulations clamping down on online gambling and sports betting. While there’s hope for the legalization of online betting and sports betting, complex entanglements with the tribal agreements that built Arizona’s land-based casino business make the prospect of wholesale legalization weak.

Be sure to check back on TheSportsGeek.com regularly, as state regulations are always changing. Thankfully, Arizona residents have a wide variety of offshore online betting websites where they will still be able to play. Hopefully, we have helped you to better understand the legal environment of gambling and helped you determine which betting sites or real money online sportsbooks in Arizona is best for you. Using this guide, you now have the tools to get started and place your first bets. Have fun, gamble responsibly, and good luck!