Arizona Coyotes targets stadium sportsbook

Sports Betting

The Arizona Coyotes want a new state law that legalizes sports betting changed to allow them to keep running their mobile sports gambling operation when they move from Glendale to Arizona State University’s hockey arena next season.

But the Arizona Indian Gaming Association and multiple Native American tribes oppose the last-minute measure approved by the Arizona Senate’s appropriations committee on Tuesday. They argue that the 2021 law that legalized sports betting was part of a complex deal they negotiated with Gov. Doug Ducey that updated the tribal gaming compact.

The Coyotes say the change is needed because ASU’s arena only holds 5,000 people, and the law that allowed professional sports team to run retail sports books and mobile gambling operations requires facilities to seat at least 10,000.

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