Rush Street Interactive was not able to launch in Arizona on September 9, when sports betting began, but it has finally made its way into the state. RSI announced the launch of BetRivers Sportsbook last week, and it is now the 9th available sportsbook in Arizona.
In order to gain access into the state, BetRivers partnered with the Arizona Rattlers, an Indoor Football League franchise. BetRivers might be a new name to the state of Arizona, but it is one of the leaders in the growing and thriving US sports betting industry.
In an effort to attract new customers in Arizona, BetRivers was offering a $250 first deposit match. The site also had a number of other bonuses and promotions available, mostly centered around the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL.
Even though BetRivers is a proven name in the industry, it will have to work hard to catch up to the competition in the state. Operators such as BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and WynnBET have been live for more than a month.
The Arizona Cardinals entered Week 8 with the best record in the National Football League at 7-0, and that has created a huge surge in the betting action. Arizona is now one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl, a bet that has become popular in the state.
No September Update Yet
States all across the United States have announced September sports betting numbers, but that isn’t the case with Arizona. The Arizona Department of Gaming is not expected to announce the totals until near the end of November, and that is the first time we will get a true glance at how the state is performing.
There has been one report released from GeoComply, which shows that Arizona could be one of the US sports betting leaders for the month. GeoComply tracked all of the sports betting transactions in September and Arizona had nearly 37 million of them.
According to this report, only New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan had more action during the month. That doesn’t take into account all of the money that was wagered, but Arizona could set a new industry record for the biggest opening month.
Still Plenty of Sportsbooks Coming
The Arizona Department of Gaming has already handed out 18 sports betting licenses, but Rush Street Interactive was just the ninth to officially launch. The total number of available sports betting options is set to double at some point, and that could occur by the end of 2021 or early 2022.
Fubo Gaming has already announced that it plans to launch in Arizona at some point during the fourth quarter, but a firm date has not been set. Bally’s, Betfred, and Golden Nugget are three other big names in the industry that are waiting to set an official launch date.
Sports betting should really take off in Arizona next year as that is when professional sports stadiums should all have retail betting up and running. It didn’t take long for sportsbook operators to begin partnering with these franchises.
