Tonto Apache Tribe launches retail sports betting at Mazatzal Hotel & Casino
This week, the Tonto Apache Tribe announced the launch of its retail sportsbook in Arizona. The physical location is available at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino. The venue is located in Payson and offers sports betting via a partnership with Churchill Downs.
Details of the New Sportsbook
The Mazatzal Hotel & Casino will offer retail sports betting onsite via a TwinSpires branded sportsbook. TwinSpires is the betting brand of Churchill Downs. Fans will be able to access betting lines on professional and college teams in the United States as well as international sports.
Yesterday, the tribe launched mobile sports betting in Arizona via the TwinSpires app. Online services will be yet another way that players will be able to access sports bets. The Tonto Apache tribe is one of ten that applied and receive licensing to offer services in the state after the passage of HB 2772.
Calvin Johnson, the Chairman of the Tonto Apache, commented on the new launch stating that the tribe has worked for the past few years to secure licensing. The tribe looks forward to offering a ‘dynamic sportsbook’ while also supporting the community and bring more sports fans to the casino.
On Sunday, the casino will offer a Sportsbook Kickoff Party and are inviting sports fans to join in on the fun. There will be dining specials at The Grille as well as cash prizes on offer.
Prime Market
Arizona is a prime market for sports betting. There has been big anticipation for the industry to begin and the opening weekend of the NFL season was the starting point for the state. GeoComply, the geolocation service provider in the US for online operations, reported that Arizona finished in 4th place during the opening weekend when it comes to online transactions.
The state saw over 270,000 new accounts created in a four-day time frame. This paired with the number of wagers placed shows that there is a demand for sports betting in that area of the country. Several online sites and apps opened on September 9 as well as retail sites. Major names like Barstool, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel are in the mix.
It is expected that even more online accounts will be opened in the weeks ahead in Arizona as well as more bets placed as other operators get in on the action. The market is set up to be quite large and it will be interesting to see just how the state performs compared to other states in the US within the months ahead.
