Arizona Gambling
What types of gambling are legal in Arizona?
Arizona allows several forms of legalized gambling. This includes tribal casinos, sports betting, horse racing, a state lottery, and charitable gaming.
Legal online gambling in Arizona includes online sports betting, horse betting, daily fantasy sports, and online casinos (sweepstakes/social only).
Live casinos have game and bet restrictions. Table games must require skill. Games like craps and roulette are not spread in Arizona tribal casinos. The bet limit is $500 to $1,000, depending on the game.
Legal Arizona Gambling Sites
21+ and present in AZ. T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342.
Most gambling, including the state lottery, require players to be at least 21 years old. The only exception is charitable gaming.
This list shows the types of gambling found in Arizona and where to find it:
- Horseracing (off-track and by phone)
- Lottery (scratch-offs, keno and lotto sales at retailers)
- Slots, video poker and table games (at the state’s tribal casinos)
- Bingo and raffles (only at registered charities)
Arizona Online Gambling
All forms of online gambling are illegal in Arizona. Horse bettors cannot access apps in Arizona. There are no legal poker, casino or sports betting sites. Even daily fantasy sports contests are against Arizona law.
Arizona Online Gambling Laws
ARS 13-3301 outlaws all forms of gambling that are not regulated. This includes online. There are no licensed forms of online gambling in Arizona.
Arizona Casinos
The only form of casinos in Arizona are on tribal lands. Reservation casinos may offer slots, video poker, keno, bingo and table games that use cards and have some element of skill. Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Pai Gow Poker and Let it Ride are among the tables you will find in an Arizona casino. You will not find games like baccarat, Casino War, craps or roulette.
Arizona Casino Laws
All forms of gambling are illegal in Arizona. Any game found in a casino qualifies as an illegal gambling scheme under state law. Tribal casinos are exempted from state gambling laws through compacts with the state. This started in 1992 through an agreement between the governor and tribes.
In 2002, Arizona voters affirmed tribal gaming compacts through Proposition 202. It passed by a 51-49 margin. Gaming compacts last 10 years with renewal options. The maximum bet in an Arizona casino is $1,000, except poker, which is $500. Players must be at least 21 years of age.
Arizona Sports Betting
Sports betting is legal in Arizona, both in-person at retail sportsbooks and via online sports betting sites and mobile apps.
Arizona Sports Betting Laws
ARS 13-3301 outlaws wagers on future contingent events, games and contests. Sports betting falls under this. Serious gambling offenses like promoting gambling are felonies in Arizona. Minor ones are misdemeanors.
Arizona Daily Fantasy Sports
There are no commercial fantasy sport contests in Arizona. The games are considered illegal in the state. No companies service the state.
Arizona Fantasy Sports Laws
Fantasy sports contests are only legal in Arizona if it is among friends. Otherwise, contests of skill for the purposes of gambling are illegal in Arizona as the bettors are no participating in the actual sporting event.
Arizona Horse Racing Betting
There are three horse racing tracks in Arizona. The locations are Arizona Downs, Rillito Park and Turf Paradise. There are race days year-round. Each offers an off-track betting parlor. There are also off-track betting stations at dozens of taverns in Arizona. Bets may not be made on mobile apps or websites. Horseracing wagers may be made over a telephone.
Arizona Horse Racing Laws
Arizona horse racing is permitted under Title 5 Chapter 1 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. It is regulated by the Arizona Department of Gaming. Arizona Administrative Code Title 19 Chapter 2 covers the regulations of pari-mutuel betting pools and off-track betting. Wagers must be made in-person or over the phone. Horse bets made on the internet or mobile apps are illegal. Horseracing players must be at least 21 years old.
Greyhound racing dates to Arizona’s early days. Voters banned it in 2016.
Arizona Esports Betting
eSports are not mentioned anywhere in the Arizona Revised Statutes. Like all other gaming, participants may make wagers, as well as friends watching the event. Commercial bookmaking on eSports is unlawful.
Arizona Poker
Poker is only legal in Arizona at tribal casinos. All games are legal. Players may choose between cash games and tournaments.
Arizona Poker Laws
Poker is a part of all tribal gaming compacts in Arizona. There are a dozen licensed card rooms in the state. The maximum wager at a poker table in Arizona is $500. Poker players must be at least 21 years old.
Home poker games fall under Arizona amusement gambling exemption. These games are legal if the house does not take a cut of the action and the game is fair.
Arizona Lottery
The Arizona Lottery offers two types of games. There are lotto drawings and instant games, which are in the form of scratch-off and FastPlay. Lotto games include major interstate drawings and intrastate ones. Lottery tickets must be purchased at retailers or from vending machines. There are no online sales.
Arizona Interstate Lotto Games
- Mega Millions
- Powerball
Arizona Intrastate Lotto Games
- Fantasy 5
- Pick 3
- The Pick
- Triple Twist
Arizona Lottery Laws
The Arizona Lottery was created through a November 1980 referendum. It was the first state lottery west of the Mississippi River. The lottery permitted those 18 and older to buy tickets until 2003. That is when the minimum age was raised to 21. Attempts to lower the age back to 18 failed to make a 2020 ballot in Arizona.
Arizona Skill Games
Arizona’s skill exemption is very narrow. That is why daily fantasy sports are illegal. A contest where money is wagered must include all participants in the pool. If outside a circle of friends in a social environment, any level of luck makes the game illegal. Players, even ones that do not know each other, can make wagers on all sorts of contests and games. However, any other instance is illegal.
Skill gaming sites like Worldwinner and apps with entry fees are legal in Arizona. That is because the wagers are being made among participants in the games.
Skill-based gaming machines are found in Arizona arcades and taverns. Players may not win cash. However, small prizes and free credits for more play is permitted.
Arizona Charity Gambling Laws
ARS 4-244 clarifies that charities may offer some forms of gambling with permission from the state. This includes selling lottery pull-tabs and holding bingo games and raffles. The drawings must be done using an approved method or by hand. Charity gaming players must be at least 18 years old. It is the only form of gambling permitted to those under 21 in Arizona.