Arizona tribe files lawsuit to block sports-betting startup

A bluish Arizona Indian tribe, 1 that past week wasn’t awarded a licence to behaviour sports betting successful the authorities by the Arizona Department of Gaming, has filed a suit seeking to artifact the state’s Sept. 9 startup of wagering.

The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe connected Thursday filed the suit successful Maricopa County Superior Court against Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Ted Vogt, manager of the Arizona Department of Gaming, asking for an injunction to halt the issuance of licenses to 10 Arizona Indian tribes and 8 nonrecreational sports franchises and venues.

An exigency proceeding is scheduled Friday successful Phoenix.

Last Friday, the Department of Gaming announced the 18 sports-betting licenses, adding that the selling of sportsbooks and the startup of phantasy sports games could statesman Saturday with lawsuit betting opening Sept. 9, the day of the startup of the 2021 National Football League season.

Citing a argumentation of not commenting connected pending lawsuits, representatives of the Department of Gaming connected Monday declined to speech astir the lawsuit.

But a nationally known ineligible adept said helium doesn’t expect the people to beryllium palmy successful stopping the state’s sports-betting startup.

Daniel Wallach, the co-founder of the Conduct Detrimental podcast connected sports ineligible issues and a nationally recognized gaming and sports-betting attorney, said the Yavapai-Prescott tribe’s statement isn’t apt to sway a justice to artifact the commencement of sports betting successful Arizona.

The people contends that Indian tribes person the exclusive close to run gaming nether national instrumentality done compacts negotiated betwixt the authorities and the tribes.

“The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe contends that the caller sports betting law, H.B. 2772 — which expands gambling beyond tribal borders and allows some tribes and non-tribal entities to run sports wagering nether state-issued licenses — violates the exclusivity granted to the (tribe) nether Proposition 202 and its 2003 compact with the authorities of Arizona,” Wallach said.

Wallach said helium doesn’t expect an injunction to beryllium forthcoming due to the fact that a remedial proviso successful the instrumentality made it “crystal clear” that the people and Arizona voters understood that Proposition 202 near unfastened the anticipation of changes successful authorities instrumentality that would grow gambling to see nontribal entities astatine locations extracurricular tribal lands.

The proviso besides enables the people to trim its revenue-sharing payments to the authorities to 0.75 percent of its nett triumph from the erstwhile quarter. Tribes presently wage betwixt 1 percent and 8 percent of nett win, depending connected volume.

Contact Richard N. Velotta astatine rvelotta@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta connected Twitter.