For Arizona gaming, it seems like this year’s March Madness event was a huge hit for not only customers but also state sportsbooks. Per a recent article from a local outlet, sports betting figures in Arizona increased significantly in April, the same month the NCAA Men’s Final Four was held in Glendale at State Farm Stadium. Of course, this brought tens of thousands of people to the Valley to watch the games and increased local revenues in various areas. Moreover, in April, more than $656 million was bet on sporting events in Arizona across all sportsbooks and mobile apps. This was according to the latest monthly report from the Arizona Department of Gaming released June 14th. That monthly total represented a 22.5% increase compared to April 2023.
In this report, SBS will be going over the latest gaming notes coming from the world of Arizona gambling and also share some more thoughts and information about the state of betting there.
According to the same article update, sports bettors in Arizona won nearly $592 million in April, meaning the sportsbooks in aggregate only retained about 9% of what was bet. This is similar to how they performed in April 2023. As noted in one state-based business journal, in-person betting at a retail sportsbook such as the DraftKings location at TPC Scottsdale or the FanDuel location in the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix and including limited-event wagering operators like Turf Paradise, only accounted for $6.4 million in April. This was less than 1% of the total amount bet but saw an increase of more than 40% from the same month a year ago.
Additionally, the state collected just over $4.3 million in taxes from sportsbooks in April, which was the second most the state has collected on a monthly basis since sports betting was legalized in Arizona in September 2021. The most ever collected from the government in a single month was $4.8 million in December 2023. The state’s cut from sports betting in April was up 25.9% from April 2023.
The increase in sports betting in April continues the significant growth the industry is seeing in Arizona in 2024 per the business journal report. So far this year, based on the data provided by the ADG, the amount bet in Arizona is up 15.9% compared to the first third of 2023 and the amount the state has received in taxes is up 33.3%.
Per one report, while the overall betting numbers were up, not all sportsbooks operating in the state are seeing the same kinds of growth. In April, the two sportsbooks with the largest handles – or the amount bet – in Arizona were FanDuel and DraftKings with $232 million and $212 million, respectively. The next two largest sportsbooks in the state by amount bet were BetMGM and Caesars, both of which saw their total April handle decrease year-over-year.
One of the biggest increases in the amount wagered from April 2023 to April 2023 is Penn Entertainment, which went from a handle of $12.4 million in April 2023 to $21.6 million this year. The branding on Penn’s app changed from Barstool in 2023 to ESPN Bet in 2024. Bet365, a British gambling company that started operating in Arizona in February 2024, had its best month yet in the market with a handle of $30.2 million, which was up from $29.3 million in March and $24.5 million in February. April was the first month that the Fanatics sportsbook operated in Arizona and it recorded a handle of $15.7 million.
As noted in one other report, the Final Four games held in Glendale drew in millions of television viewers. While the hometown Arizona Wildcats were unable to make it this far, the ratings were strong for this year’s March Madness. Three of the top four most-watched tournament games were all in Arizona. This includes the two Final Four matchups between NC State and Purdue and also UConn taking on Alabama. The second-most watched game was the National Championship for this year’s tournament which saw UConn blast Purdue, 75-60, and claim the school’s latest national title. On an interesting note though, the contest that drew the most overall viewers (15.14 million) was the Elite Eight showdown between Cinderella NC State and Duke.
After you are all dialed in regarding the latest gambling news coming from Arizona, make sure to check out the awesome array of information available to you only at SBS. Of course, for even more info from the state covered here, check out the sports betting in Arizona guide which goes over all of the latest news and notes coming from the state. Moreover, given the other subject in this report, make sure to also pursue the NCAAB betting sites rundown which goes over all of the latest college basketball betting markets which will be very helpful going into next season. Finally, for even more fantastic information pertaining to the NCAA Tournament, like what was covered here, the March Madness Odds breakdown is a must-bookmark page to make sure you are all dialed in for one of the most exciting sporting events each year.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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