Arizona Tribe Re-Files Complaint To Challenge Sports Betting

The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe this week filed an amended complaint to stop Arizona sports betting.

The Yavapai-Prescott Indian tribe had to resubmit the complaint at the request of Maricopa County Superior Court Judge James Smith. On Sept. 20, Smith said the tribe’s initial amended complaint, which was filed on Sept. 9, failed to meet protocols the judge had put in place and asked for it to be re-filed.

The complaint is against Gov. Doug Ducey and Ted Vogt, Arizona’s Department of Gaming director, arguing that the expansion of gaming through legislation within the state was unconstitutional.

CHECK OUT: Q&A With Arizona Rep. Alma Hernandez On Sports Betting

However, two other tribes – Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona and the Quechan Tribe of the Ft. Yuma Indian Reservation – are trying to get the case thrown out.

Arizona sports betting launched Sept. 9, in time for the start of NFL betting. By all accounts, Arizona sportsbooks and sports betting apps have had a strong start in the first three weeks.

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First Request Denied

After an early hearing on Labor Day, Smith denied the tribe’s request for an injunction to stop sports betting going live on Sept. 9.

The tribe’s original amended complaint, filed on Aug. 26 just before the state handed out sports licenses, challenged the legality of the 2021 gaming compact. The complaint said the compact was a violation of Proposition 202, which legalized gaming activities on state tribal lands.

10 Sportsbooks Still Need to Launch

The Arizona Department of Gaming has licensed 18 operators. Ten with operator licenses haven’t launched yet, but have been submitting required information to the department, according to the ADG. The sportsbooks will be approved on a rolling basis once the ADG receives what it needs to complete the licensing process.

The state’s gaming compact allocated a maximum of 20 licenses, with 18 being released initially, with 10 going to Arizona tribes and eight more to professional sports teams in the state.

Three that received licenses have yet to announce sportsbook partners – the Tohono O’odham and Navajo Nation tribes and the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL.