The state’s first sports betting operations began Thursday, the result of a new law enacted by the Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey last spring. Before that, Arizona was one of the few U.S. states where it was still banned. Earlier this month, a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge denied a request by the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe to delay the launch of the state’s online sportsbooks. As reported by the Navajo Times, the tribe filed a lawsuit against the Governor and the director of the state Department of Gaming, alleging passage of the new law was illegal. According to the tribe’s attorneys, the law violates the state’s Voter Protection Act by allowing non-tribal gaming operators to conduct gambling off tribal land. They also say it overreaches the original intent of Proposition 202, which passed in 2002. It authorizes tribes in Arizona to operate limited gambling ventures in tribal-owned casinos. Only voters can decide on making changes to it.
