Best sites for Arizona sports betting in 2024
IT'S been a big half-decade or so for sports betting in the US. It all kicked off in 2018, when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA, which had been in place since 1992, was struck down by the Supreme Court.
PASPA essentially acted as a federal ban on almost all types of sports betting in every state in the US, with Nevada the only exception. Once it was gone, each state was free to legislate for legal sports betting as they wished. And wish many of them did.
The process wasn’t instantaneous, but by 2023 well over half of US states had introduced legal and regulated sports betting. More are expected to follow in the coming months and years too.
Arizona is one of them, with legal sports gambling available in the Grand Canyon State since September 2021 and an extremely healthy selection of sportsbooks available for residents. We’ve got everything you need to know about sports betting in Arizona right here - the legal stuff, the history of legalization, the best sports betting sites, betting bonuses, and lots more.
Top Arizona sports betting sites
There are some great options for sports betting fans in Arizona. Here are some of our top picks:
The state of sports betting in Arizona
Sports betting is legal in Arizona and has been since September 2021. More than half a dozen sportsbooks have launched in the state since that date, offering both mobile betting and in-person betting for anyone over the age of 21.
The key moment came in April 2021, when Gov. Doug Ducey signed HB2772, the bill which officially legalized sports betting in the state. HB2772 allows for 20 mobile sports betting licenses in total, 10 for tribal casinos and 10 for professional sports venues. Sports wagering revenue is taxed at 8% in retail books and 10% online.
Of those 20 available licenses, at least 16 have been issued. A variety of top US and international sportsbooks have launched in the state, operating via partnerships with the license holders. They include the likes of DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers, and Unibet.
In just a few short years, the sports betting scene in the state has exploded. The sheer variety of sportsbooks on offer can only be a good thing for gamblers, as they compete to attract attention with unique offers and promotions.
Legal sports bet types at Arizona online sportsbooks
Arizona basically offers full scale legal sports betting to anyone physically located in the state and over 21 years old. That goes for US sports, international sports, point spreads, parlays, props - whatever.
There are a couple of exceptions. Betting on high school sports is not legal. While betting on college sports is allowed, prop betting (effectively wagering on specific in-game instances or aspects of a player’s performance) is not allowed on college games.
History of sports betting in Arizona
As with many states, interest in legal sports betting in Arizona began to gather speed once PASPA was removed in 2018. The moment was a truly historic one. It meant that each state was free to decide its own sports betting laws and effectively decide exactly how legal sports betting should look inside its borders.
In 2019, one year after PASPA fell, two Arizona lawmakers named Sen. Sonny Borrelli and Rep. Steve Pierce both introduced separate bills to legalize sports betting in the state. It was far from an easy sell. However, even after being revamped the following year, neither makes it to a vote in the legislature.
Thereafter things moved fast. Many of the holdups centered around the rights of tribal casinos under any prospective new laws. Once new compacts were agreed upon and the tribes backed the newly introduced bill HB2772, support quickly picked up.
Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill into law in April 2021, and legal sports betting officially launched the following month. Since then, the only way has been up for Arizona sports betting, becoming the fastest state in the US to book $1 billion in bets.
A closer look at the top Arizona sportsbooks
1. BetMGM
BetMGM is the most easily recognizable sports betting brand in the US and it's for a good reason. The online platform is an extension of MGM Resorts and any perk points you earn from betting online are eligible for real-life offers at locations in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. The sportsbook has a great offer for first time users, while offering a variety of betting markets, great odds, and top user experience on their web platform and mobile app.
2. DraftKings
DraftKings is similarly impressive and really feels like the complete sportsbook. It is consistently among the industry leaders for both the range of bets available (including some pretty out-there props) and the depth of sports (including more niche options like darts, table tennis, and Aussie rules football). The site has tons of other great resources too, from betting guides and blogs to a special social platform for its users. DraftKings is consistently pushing the envelope for a sportsbook, in Arizona and around the US.
3. Unibet
Unibet is one of the most well designed and beginner friendly sportsbooks in the state. Everything about it feels like it has been created with the user in mind, from the clean white and green layout on the home screen to the detail of the number of active bets displayed beside each sport in the menu. The Betslip hides when not in use, and placing bets is extremely simple and intuitive. Unibet has been active in Europe and the UK since 1997, and that depth of industry experience feels evident across the entire site.
4. BetRivers
BetRivers has its roots in the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, but the online platform has steadily become one of the most popular and widely available online sportsbooks across the US. New users get a risk-free bet worth up to $500, which is a solid offer. BetRivers also has some nice software touches that help it stand out from the competition. The parlay building tool is a lot of fun, and you can stream live sports from around the world right on the platform.
Which online sportsbooks are legal in Arizona?
Check out our list below of all the online sportsbooks currently available in Arizona. It’s worth calling out that the industry moves fast, and you can expect this list to grow as more licenses are handed out.
- BetRivers
- Desert Diamond Sports
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- Unibet
- Bally Bet
- Barstool
- Betfred
- BetMGM
- Betway
- Caesars
- Golden Nugget
- Hard Rock
- SaharaBets
- SuperBook
- TwinSpires
Living in Iowa? Check what sportsbooks are available in Hawkeye State.
How to recognize a good AZ betting site
First things first, you need to make sure you’re choosing a safe and legal sportsbook, and avoiding any offshore sites that may be accepting players from Arizona. The shortcut for this is simply choosing one of the sites on our list above. All of them are fully legal and regulated in Arizona, and entirely legal to bet with provided you are over 21 years old and physically located inside state lines,
Once you’re confident you’re safe, you can start digging a little deeper.
There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a sportsbook. If you’re new to the betting world, you’ll probably want a platform that’s simple and beginner friendly. If you’re interested in a particularly niche sport, you obviously want to make sure that it’s available.
Check out our list of factors below. We can give you a helping hand with our reviews, but it’s up to you to decide what you really value the most in a sportsbook, and what are your deal breakers.
- Welcome bonus
- On-running bonuses and promos
- Sports available
- Bets available
- Live betting platform
- Banking methods
- Customer support / live chat support
- Software and user experience
- Beginner friendly
- Innovations and unique features
- Mobile betting / mobile app
- Safety, security, and reputation
What sports can you bet on in Arizona in 2023?
The short answer here is that the vast majority of popular sports are available to bet on in Arizona, as well as plenty of niche options.
Sportsbooks also routinely add and remove betting markets depending on what’s popular with the general public, so it’s hard to provide a truly definitive list. For example, you’ll find plenty of bets on sports around the time of the Olympics that aren’t available for the rest of the year.
Some one-time events like boxing matches or UFC bouts are also very popular among residents of the Grand Canyon State.
With that in mind, our list of the sports you bet on in Arizona is below. As we said, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
- NFL
- NCAA Football
- NBA
- NCAA Football
- NHL
- NCAA Hockey
- MLB
- NCAA Baseball
- Soccer (Premier League, MLS, International, Champions League, etc.)
- Golf
- Tennis
- Boxing
- UFC/MMA
- Motorsports
- Table Tennis
- Lacrosse
- Australian Rules
- Badminton
- Billiards
- Bowling
- Chess
- Cricket
- Curling
- Cycling
- Darts
- Esports
- Field Hockey
- Floorball
- Handball
- Horse Racing
- Netball
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Snooker
- Volleyball
- Winter Sports
- Entertainment / Current Events
What leagues are available for Arizona sports betting?
It’s a similar story here. You’re likely to find all the major leagues for top sports as well as plenty of less well known competitions too.
We’ve listed some of the top leagues below:
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- NCAA
- MLS
- Premier League Soccer
- La Liga Soccer
- Serie A Soccer
- Bundesliga Soccer
- Liga MX Soccer
- Champions League Soccer
- CFL
- Indian Premier League (Cricket)
- Golf Majors
- Tennis Grand Slams
- F1
See what leagues are offered at betting sites in Indiana.
Sports events to bet on in AZ
The sports betting options also change a lot depending on the sporting calendar. Any time there is a big event coming up that is attracting a lot of public interest, you can expect a shiny new corresponding section in AZ sportsbooks.
Things like the FIFA World Cup dominate the betting landscape for a month or so and then disappear for another four years. Check out some of the high points on the betting calendar below:
- Playoffs
- Final Four
- World Series
- March Madness
- Super Bowl
- Stanley Cup
- Olympics
- Winter Olympics
- FIFA World Cup
- Masters Tournament
- Kentucky Derby
Signing up with an Arizona online sportsbook
Signing up for a sportsbook account in Arizona is extremely easy. In fact, the process tends to be largely similar for every sportsbook, since they all require the same information from a legal perspective.
Sometimes you’ll have to fill out a single form of information, or at other sites, it might be split into a few different steps. Either, this is what you’ll likely need to provide:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Username
- Password
- Address
- Phone number
- SSN
You’ll also have to check some boxes to confirm your age and identity, and that you agree to the site’s privacy policy and terms and conditions. The whole process generally only takes a minute or two, tops.
There is a final step to complete, which is the verification of your identity. You’ll have to send the sportsbook some personal information to confirm your details are real and accurate - normally in the form of a copy of your passport or driver’s license.
Until this is complete, you won’t have full access to all the features of your account.
Don’t forget that the registration process is also often the moment you can type in a bonus code or promo code, which unlocks a specific welcome bonus for new players.
Placing a sports bet in Arizona
Modern US sportsbooks have made it exceptionally simple to place bets online. If you’re totally new to online betting, here’s what it looks like.
- The first step is to choose the bet you want to place. You can cycle through the list of bets, filter them by sport and click into specific matches to find the full menu of bets available for each. The most popular bets - moneylines, spreads and totals - are typically the most visible at any sportsbook.
- Click your bet. It will be added to the Betslip.
- The Betslip is where you can tweak and confirm your bet or bets. Many sportsbooks have it set up so that the Betslip is hidden until you actually select a bet, but sometimes it lives permanently on the right hand side of the screen. Once you click your bet, it should pop open.
- You can type in your stake, at which point the Betslip shows you your potential winnings. You can also experiment with different stakes to see the different outcomes.
- Once you’re happy, click the button to confirm and your bet is in place.
- You can also add multiple bets to the same Betslip, which will open up new possibilities including different types of parlays. Really you should think of the Betslip not just as the functional tool for placing bets, but also as a great place to learn about different types of bets and odds.
Our top 5 tips for sports betting in Arizona
Whether you’re brand new to sports betting or a grizzled veteran, we’ve got a few tips to keep you on the right track in Arizona.
- Line shopping - Arizona is closing in on 20 different sportsbooks, among the highest numbers of any US state, which means loads of opportunities for line shopping. Line shopping simply means checking around different sites for the best odds, and you’d be amazed how much it can save you in the medium and long term. It takes a little bit of work, but it’s a no brainer.
- Get your bonuses - Multiple sportsbooks also means multiple bonus opportunities. Some people might be turned off by the idea of creating several accounts with different books, but every time you do you’ll get a new welcome bonus. Again, it’s a little more effort but it can pay off.
- Bet with your head, not your heart - The tendency for Arizonans to blindly bet on the Phoenix Suns or the Arizona Cardinals is understandable, but it’s rarely a good strategy. When a couple of popular teams attract the majority of bets, it means the odds get tilted in the other direction as the book tries to balance the action. Don’t let emotion cloud your judgment, and look for value instead.
- Bankroll management - Absolutely everyone, from professional bettors to first timers, need to have a separate and carefully managed bankroll for betting. Set aside a certain amount of money for bets and never bet more than you can afford.
- Diversify - If you’ve got a $100 betting budget for the week, four $25 bets is generally a better idea than a single $100 bet. Spreading your action reduces variance and helps avoid big swings. Plus, you get four separate games to root for!
Arizona sports betting FAQ
We’re gonna finish with some Frequently Asked Questions about sports betting in Arizona, to recap what we’ve covered on this page. It's a great time to get involved if you live in the Grand Canyon State. Good luck out there!
Which apps can you use for mobile sports betting in Arizona?
Most sportsbooks in AZ have mobile apps, but we recommend the following:
What payment methods can you use to bet online in AZ?
The following payment methods are all popular in AZ:
- Credit cards / debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover etc)
- Bank transfers (ACH Transfers, E-checks, online banking etc)
- E-wallets (PayPal, Skrill, Venmo etc)
- Prepaid cards (paysafecard, Play+ card etc)
- Cash at casino cage
- Wire Transfer
- PayNearMe
What bonuses and promotions do Arizona sportsbooks offer?
There are loads of offers up for grabs at Arizona sportsbooks:
- Deposit Match Bonuses
- No Deposit Bonuses
- Free Bets
- Risk Free Bets
- Odds Boosts
- Parlay Boost
- Reload Bonuses
- Money Back Offers
Check out Michigan sportsbook promos and bonuses here.
What is the legal age for sports betting in AZ?
You need to be at least 21 to bet on sports in Arizona.
Are daily fantasy sports legal in AZ?
Yes, DFS is legal in Arizona.
Coming from Colorful Colorado? Find our recommended bookmakers here.
Responsible gambling
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
- National Council on Problem Gambling – https://www.ncpgambling.org/
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 1-800-522-4700 or go to ncpgambling.org/chat
