Arizona puts off sports betting until 2021

Despite other states including sports betting on their November ballots, Arizona will put the topic on hold until next year.

US.- Lawmakers in Arizona have decided to put back a bill on sports betting until 2021, having originally planned to return to the topic this year.

A bill that would have legalised land-based sports betting in commercial and tribal casinos was introduced in March and received significant attention. After the pandemic hit, lawmakers agreed to return to the discussion later this year, but they say that other bills have taken up more time.

Despite other states across the US including sports betting on the November ballot in a bit to replenish pandemic-related budget losses, Arizona has decided to put the bill back until 2021.

Co-sponsor of the bill, Senator Sonny Borrelli, highlighted some of the complications it faced.

He said: “You have to have all the tribes in the gaming compact agree and sign off on to anything additional or expansion in the compact, they all have to agree.

“It comes down to the gaming compact and how flexible it is. The first step is getting the tribes to be on board with it, and then you have to go through the state side of it.”

Both Louisiana and Maryland are giving voters a chance to have their say on legalising sports betting this November.