Add Arizona to the growing lists of states where WynnBet will likely offer sports betting. On Friday, Wynn Resorts announced a new partnership with the San Carlos Apache Tribe for access to online sports wagering in the state.
WynnBet will collaborate with the San Carlos Apache Tribal Gaming Enterprise who operate the tribe’s two casinos, the Apache Gold Casino in San Carlos and Apache Sky Casino in Winkelman. The partnership gives WynnBet access to obtain a license in the state, pending eligibility requirements being met and regulatory approvals.
WynnBet enters Arizona with state’s first tribe-operator partnership
The deal represents the first such partnership between a sportsbook operator and Arizona tribe. It follows an announcement earlier this week of a similar deal between Bally’s and the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.
Other partnerships already announced include the Phoenix Suns with FanDuel sports betting, the Arizona Diamondbacks with Caesars Entertainment, and TPC Scottsdale with DraftKings.
According to the new sports betting law, up to 10 licenses are available for professional sports teams and venues. Meanwhile 10 more licenses have been allotted for the state’s federally recognized tribes. Each license will permit the operation of both a retail and an online sportsbook.
Arizona is one of several states that have lately passed sports betting legislation hoping to launch in time for the 2021 NFL regular season which starts September 9.
Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill into law in April and the amended tribal-state compacts received federal approval in May. The Arizona Department of Gaming has drafted its first set of rules and in June accepted public comment on them, with the process of reviewing and issuing licenses still to come.
Latest in a series of sports-related deals for WynnBet
WynnBet has already launched sportsbooks in six states:
- Colorado
- Indiana
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Tennessee
- Virginia
Meanwhile Arizona marks the 10th additional state where WynnBet now also has potential access.
WynnBet has been busy creating other sports-related partnerships, including with the Cincinnati Reds of the MLB and both the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons of the NBA. WynnBet is also an authorized gaming operator for NASCAR and operates online sportsbooks for multiple racetracks.
In May, Wynn Resorts announced that Wynn Interactive, the online subsidiary that operates WynnBet, had merged with Vegas Golden Knights‘ owner Bill Foley‘s special purpose acquisition company Austerlitz Acquisition Corporation I in order to go public. Following the deal, Wynn Resorts continues to have a majority share (58%) in the company.
