There’s another new potential player aiming to join the increasingly crowded sports betting market in Arizona.
MaximBet, an affiliate of the Maxim men’s lifestyle brand, announced a plan to partner with the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
The deal provides a path for MaximBet to offer sports betting in Arizona, should the tribe receive a license to do so. The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) is currently reviewing license applications. The ADG’s goal is for sports betting to go live by Sept. 9, in time for the start of the 2021 NFL season.
MaximBet hopes to bring ‘lifestyle brand’ to Arizona sports bettors
According to the announcement, the tribe and MaximBet have jointly applied to the ADG to secure a sports betting license.
Maxim’s parent company is ZK International Group Co., Ltd., a China-based engineering company. Earlier this year, Maxim partnered with the Carousel Group to launch the “online sports betting lifestyle brand” MaximBet.
MaximBet currently seeks to launch sportsbooks in four other states besides Arizona. In Colorado, a plan is already in place for the SportsBetting.com sportsbook to rebrand as MaximBet in September. Other states where MaximBet hopes to launch include Indiana, New Jersey and Iowa.
“We are confident Arizona will be drawn to our consumer-friendly app, world-class customer service, and the incredible live events we are planning for the State,” said MaximBet CEO Daniel Graetzner.
MaximBet further hopes to distinguish itself from other sportsbooks by highlighting its association with what it calls “Maxim’s highly-regarded and ultra-sophisticated brand identity.” That identity is best known as promulgated by the Maxim international men’s magazine first launched in the mid-1990s.
Brent Kurth, general manager of the tribe’s Hon-Dah Resort Casino, expressed similar enthusiasm regarding the new alliance.
“This partnership will unlock an important new revenue stream and is critical to the economic future of the tribe and its 17,000 members,” said Kurth.
ADG reviewing applications, winners determined this month
The news comes just a day after the ADG announced it had received 25 applicants for AZ sports betting licenses. Of those, 15 of the applications have come from the state’s federally recognized tribes. However only 10 licenses will go to the tribes, with another 10 licenses available to Arizona professional sports franchises and venues.
In other words, when it comes to the tribes, there are more applicants than licenses to give.
Other announced partnerships between sportsbooks operators and Arizona tribes include:
- Betfred and the Fort McDowall Yavapai Nation
- BetMGM and the Gila River Indian Community
- BlueBet and the Colorado River Indian Tribes
- Kindred Group and the Quechan Tribe
- PointsBet and the Yavapi-Apache Nation
- TwinSpires and the Tonto Apache Tribe
- WynnBet and the San Carlos Apache Tribe
Those are in addition to partnerships announced between operators and several Arizona pro sports organizations. Thus far Bally Bet Arizona (partnering with the Phoenix Mercury), Barstool Sportsbook (Phoenix Raceway), Caesars (Arizona Diamondbacks), DraftKings (TPC Scottsdale), and FanDuel (Phoenix Suns) are all positioned potentially to launch pending regulatory approval.
According to the ADG’s timeline, applicants who qualify for licensure will be notified Aug. 16. Should more than 10 tribes be judged as qualified, the ADG will follow a set of guidelines to make allocation decisions.
That “Allocation Evaluation Period” will last eight business days, with the ADG set to determine license allocation by Aug. 27. That said, the ADG could take until the following Monday if needed.
With the license thus issued, operators will need to move quickly to be ready for the “Go-Live date” for event wagering on Sept. 9.
