Hot on the heels of the Arizona sports betting bill passed by the state’s legislature this week, DraftKings and the PGA Tour have announced a market access partnership.
DraftKings is already an official sports betting operator for the PGA Tour. This expands the relationship to bring retail and mobile sports betting to The Grand Canyon State.
The partnership includes online sports betting and a planned retail sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale.
“When DraftKings became the first Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR last summer, a number of possibilities opened up to innovate together,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer at DraftKings. “This momentous effort to pursue a first-of-its-kind sportsbook with the PGA TOUR is a testament to the vision of both organizations that we believe will ultimately benefit Arizona sports fans who want to legally bet on sports.”
PGA And DraftKings’ Arizona Sportsbook
According to the press release announcing the partnership, DraftKings and the PGA Tour will create a “visually stunning ‘19th hole’ experience at TPC Scottsdale.” The space will allow fans to place wagers, watch sports, and enjoy food and drink.
“The PGA TOUR commends the State of Arizona and Governor Ducey for their forward-thinking approach to legal sports betting.” said Norb Gambuzza, Senior Vice President of Media and Gaming at the PGA TOUR. “We are thrilled to work with DraftKings – along with the City of Scottsdale and the Thunderbirds – to explore a one-of-a-kind sportsbook experience at TPC Scottsdale and the world-class Waste Management Phoenix Open. ‘The People’s Open’ is one of the most attended events in golf and with this announcement we look forward to taking the fan experience to another level.”
Arizona Sports Betting
On April 12, 2021, Arizona’s state senate passed House Bill 2772 by a vote of 23-6-1. Next stop: Governor Doug Ducey. He needs to sign the bill, but there’s one more obstacle. The federal government needs to approve renegotiated compacts with Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes.
Once these two contingencies are handled, Arizona will open the floodgates to the regulatory and licensing process. That, of course, takes time. But if things move quickly, the Copper State could see sports betting live by the end of 2021.
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