Can You Join an Online Casino from Arizona?

Despite the lack of legislation surrounding Arizona online casinos – the answer to this is yes. Just like Texas and Alabama, there are no regulations in place to license or oversee online casinos, and there doesn’t appear to be any legislators pushing for it either. While the state has a rather active live gaming scene (more on that below), when it comes to the virtual world, there isn’t much going on locally. 

But what you might not know is that it’s not actually illegal for Arizonians to play slots or other casino games online. Arizona is often referred to as a “grey market” jurisdiction – one where there is no regulatory framework in place. Currently all laws concerning Arizona online casino gambling are aimed at operators. If an online casino sets up in Arizona and is caught, then that operator could face heavy penalties. But players are at no risk at all.

So, while there may not be any government-approved AZ online casinos in the state, there are still plenty of gambling sites in other countries which are happy to take players from here. In fact, there are lots of safe and fully licensed online casinos that will gladly accept players from Arizona. These sites have an abundance of games and bonuses for you to choose from.

Huge Live Market with Tribal Casinos and Resort Casinos

While you might not find a dedicated online casino in Arizona, this state is actually a massive hotbed for land-based gambling. Since the 1990s, there have been multiple rounds of gaming expansion for Arizona’s Native American tribal groups. Today, there are more than 20 different casinos operated by 16 Indian tribes in the state, with various operations ranging from small venues that are mostly slots-focused to major resorts that include hotels and entertainment options and wouldn’t look out of place in a major market like Las Vegas.

There are few restrictions on these resorts, with many of them including the complete range of gambling options, including poker rooms. Some of the most the best casinos in Arizona include the following:

• Vee Quiva Hotel and Casino
• Talking Stick Resort
• Harrah’s Ak-Chin
• Casino del Soul
• Mazatzal Casino

And there may be more casinos to come. There are still battles being fought over whether certain casinos can be built by Native American tribes. The Tohono O’odham Nation has been engaged in a legal fight with the state of Arizona, as well as two rival tribes, over plans to build a resort casino just west of Phoenix.

At issue is a 2002 ballot measure and the most current compact between the state and the tribes that are based there. State officials say that the agreement doesn’t allow the Tohono O’odham Nation from building where it has proposed, and Congressman Trent Franks even pushed legislation in the House of Representatives that would alter a law to clearly prevent the building of a resort there until at least 2027, when the current compact expires. The tribe, meanwhile, cites a 1986 law that give them the reservation to replace land that they had previously lost near the city of Tucson.

Racetracks and the Arizona State Lottery

Both horse racing and dog racing are hugely popular in Arizona. Both activities are fully legal, with the caveat being that there can’t be clashing events between the two on the same day. The horse racing industry still has a rather strong presence here, with Turf Paradise in Phoenix being the most notable track in the state. Gambling is considered to be a massive economic driver for the racing industry in Arizona.

There’s also a full state lottery, which participates in many of the major interstate jackpot games such as Mega Millions and Powerball. Both gamers can reach millions in prize pool making them an easy and fun gambling option.

Poker and Sportsbetting: The Next for Arizona Gambling?

While there is already plenty of gaming available in Arizona, there are still a variety of issues that are being debated or have yet to be settled in the Grand Canyon State.

Poker has in fact been the subject of much debate for Arizona in recent years. Just like online casino gambling, poker falls into a gray area where it is not entirely clear whether it is legal or not. There have been a number of poker rooms that have sprung up throughout the state, particularly in the Phoenix area. The legality of these locations has been called into question on many occasions, however, with some having been shut down by law enforcement over the years – though police say that closing these venues are, at best, a low priority for them. More attention was paid to so-called “sweepstakes cafes,” which authorities deemed to be a clear violation of state gaming law. Many such venues, where players enjoyed slot machine-like games, were closed by police raids in 2015. Currently your best bet if you want to play poker of any form is to take a drive to Nevada or hit the virtual poker room at an online casino where Arizona players are accepted.

Both in 2019 and 2020, discussion began by specific senators to try and legalize sportsbetting. The bill which has been drafted in an attempt to rally lawmakers, would allow sportsbetting through kiosks and similar machines that would be available at premises with a license to run a bar or club. But this bill has already been receiving pushback for two main reasons. The first is that tribes can only offer gambling on their own land whereas this bill has a wider scope. The second is that it’s not likely that the state will approve a law where gambling is permitted at locations where punters have access to copious amounts of alcohol.

Whether sportsbetting will be next thing to be legalised and regulated in Arizona remains to be seen. At this point in time, it seems unlikely – but at least the discourse is happening which is always a positive sign for hopeful punters.

Fantasy Sports: A Way into AZ Online Gambling?

Arizona has also been in an interesting position during debates over the legality of daily fantasy sports sites. The state has been one of just five that the major DFS companies have stayed away from, due to laws that seemed to clearly prohibit all fantasy sports contests from being offered there. However, in 2014, state legislators considered a bill to legalize fantasy sports in general. The bill failed, but brought up some important issues, such as the fact that fantasy sports aren’t specifically defined under state law. 

Then there is the always looming question of online casinos. Despite a thriving casino industry, Arizona has shown little interest in promoting real money internet gambling, and that may not change in the near future. While one could imagine that at least some of the Native American tribes in the state would like to benefit from offering poker or other games over the internet, very little noise has been made on the topic, leading us to believe that regulation isn’t coming in the foreseeable future. Legislators have brought up time and again that they are not interested in paving the way for more lenient laws unless very carefully considered, but who knows. Fantasy Sports, or possibly poker, could be what it takes to get some movement towards Arizona online gambling.

Links and Sources

• State Gaming Department
• Arizona Indian Gaming Association
• Gambling Statutes in Arizona