Arizona has surpassed $11 billion in total wagers placed since the inception of sports betting in 2021, with over $3.2 billion wagered throughout the first six months of 2023.
PHOENIX — The seismic shift in Arizona’s gambling landscape occurred swiftly, and its impact continues to reverberate.
Arizona’s evolution as a gambling hubSeventeen active mobile sports betting operators are licensed by the Arizona Department of Gaming. “Retail establishments only make up about 10 percent of actual betting in a state. It’s online that is the bulk of the betting,” said Bill Bradley, the former editorial lead writer for Action Network. “Now that everything is available on your app, they’re opening the retail sportsbook online to reach a wider audience. Sportbookies just want to get a feel for what people are doing and what the market is like.
The normalization of sports gambling behaviors often leads to gambling addiction because it increases the risk of people ignoring the risks, and amplifying the potential for addictive behavior. “It really can be a personal decision. And we understand that,” Mikkelson said. “We want to make sure that people can remain anonymous, do that at their own discretion, and seek out the help they need. And we want people to know that those resources are available. We do fund those treatment services and offer education and presentations.”
“Typically, it runs at least a million, if not more than a $1 million a year, that we reimburse our treatment providers for,” Mikkelson said. “That’s treating both problem gamblers and what we call ‘persons affected’ by problem gambling, including spouses, family members and co-workers can also seek treatment services.”