A bill to allow fans 21 and older to bet on professional sports teams, NASCAR and pro golfing events at venues on and off reservations statewide is advancing with bipartisan support at the Arizona Legislature. 

The bill also could allow electronic keno machines in some fraternal and veterans organizations, fantasy sports league betting, and mobile and online betting, all currently illegal in the state. 

The main sponsor, Rep. Jeff Weninger (R-Chandler), said the measure could generate revenue for the state and tribes and lower the tax burden on citizens and businesses. 

“It helps with the engagement of the game and with the teams here,” said Rep. Weninger, chair of the House Commerce Committee. “If people are making bets, it helps our revenue in the state and helps businesses in the state with people going out to bars and restaurants.”  

About 20 states now allow sports betting 

A companion bill is now moving through the Senate. If the bill can pass muster there, Arizona would join about 20 states that allow sports betting. 

Revenue generated by sports betting in the U.S. racks up in the billions of dollars on a monthly basis, according to , a betting industry news site. A betting tracker on the site shows that the nationwide record for betting wagers in a single month was $3.3 billion in October.  

Arizona cannot afford to be left out, representatives from Arizona’s major sports teams told lawmakers in hearings last month. 

“We cannot allow Arizona to fall behind, putting our sports teams at a significant disadvantage in a competitive market,” Amilyn Pierce, vice president of government affairs for the Arizona Diamondbacks told the House Commerce Committee last month. 

What the bill provides

If the bill in Arizona is approved, the measure would:

• Authorize sports books to be set up in or near some sports stadiums, racetracks and golf courses 
• Allow Arizona to join 43 other states that allow daily fantasy league betting through online platforms like Draft Kings and FanDuel
• Allow mobile and online sports betting through licensed platforms like BetMGM
• Authorize the installation of electronic keno games at some fraternal and veterans’ organizations 
• Authorize Indian tribes to operate fantasy sports betting and event wagering through mobile platforms available for off-reservation use

Sports teams, tribes, elected officials support the measure

The measure has support from major professional sports teams in the state, most of the tribes and many elected officials including Gov. Doug Ducey. 

Sports teams and tribes support the legislation for the financial boost it will provide, particularly with the pandemic squeezing their bottom line. 

Tribal gaming already provides more than $100 million a year in tax revenue for the state and millions of dollars annually for cities and towns, according to the state . The funds go for a variety of uses including education, trauma and emergency services, the state Tourism Fund, and the Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund. 

Measure passes House, now in Senate 

Last week, the House of Representatives approved the bill, House Bill 2772, by a 48-12 vote. A companion bill, Senate Bill 1797, is moving through the Senate. At the first hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee, SB 1797 was approved by a 6-3 vote.  

If approved by the full Senate and the governor, the bill would authorize 10 licensees to set up sports books in or near stadiums, racetracks and golf courses. Ten licenses would also go to tribes that could open new casinos and set up their own sportsbooks, according to the.  

Updates Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compacts

The new legislation would supersede the state’s Tribal-State Gaming Compacts of 2002, which gave tribes most of the control over gaming in the state. Sports betting was not allowed under the compacts.

If approved, a years-long effort by Gov. Ducey to negotiate a new pact with the tribes would finally come to fruition. 

At the House hearing last week, Stephen Roe Lewis, the governor of the Gila River Indian Community said that 18 of the state’s 22 tribes support the sports betting bill as part of the compact.

Bars and restaurants left out  

Restaurants and bars feel left out as there are no provisions to allow them to offer sports betting. 

At a hearing of the House Commerce Committee last month, several representatives, including Rep. Diego Espinoza, expressed support for bars and restaurants to be included in the bill. 

Currently, there are few states, if any, that offer that option.

Supporters of sports betting in Arizona

Sports teams, tribes and other organizations are in support of the two companion bills including:

• Arizona Cardinals
• Arizona Coyotes
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Phoenix Suns
• Phoenix Raceway 
• PGA Tour
• Navajo Nation
• Tohono O’Odham Nation
• Gila River Indian Community 
• Colorado River Indian Tribes 
• Salt-River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
• Hualapai Tribe 
• Pascua Yaqui Tribe
• Cocopah Indian Tribe 
• Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
• Arizona Indian Gaming Association
• Arizona Licensed Beverage Association
• City of Avondale
• BetMGM
• Draft Kings
• FanDuel 

To see full text of bill passed by the house,

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Arizona state Rep. Jeff Weninger, who spends much of his time outside of session helping small business owners hurt by COVID-19, knows firsthand how rough the ride has been. 

Weninger co-owns two restaurant concepts in the Valley and watched revenues take a deep dive when the virus shut down much of the industry in March.  

Suddenly, he was having sleepless nights trying to strategize how to stay open and keep his 60-plus employees on the job. In turn, as an incumbent running for reelection, he had to figure out how to campaign in a pandemic.

“It’s been tough to say the least and it’s been tough for all my fellow small business owners,” said Weninger, who is running for re-election in Legislative District 17, which encompasses much of Chandler, parts of Gilbert and all of Sun Lakes. “But people in small businesses know how to adapt and pivot and make things happen quickly.

“That can be an advantage because my business partner and I can make a decision in the morning and can change it in the afternoon. There’s not the whole bureaucracy.”

Keeping loyal workers was critical to survival 

Weninger, who lives in Chandler with his wife and three kids, opened his first restaurant, Dilly’s Deli, in 1993 with his business partner, Shaun Kelley. It took the two men, their families and friends and 80 hours a week to make it a go.

Today, the original Dilly’s is still standing. Weninger and Kelley also now own and operate two other Dilly’s in the Valley and Floridino’s Pizza and Pasta in Chandler. 

A devoted customer base that took close to three decades to build has kept their four eateries standing, he said. 

While profit margins are below pre-COVID levels, not one employee lost their job.  

That was critical for the businesses’ survival, he said. Much of his staff consists of longtime, loyal workers. Without them, the operations would surely have suffered. 

“I know business owners who had no choice but to lay them off and then when they reopened, they had to train new employees,” he said. “I didn’t want to be in that situation because we have so many great employees that have been with us for years and years. I didn’t want them to go out and find new jobs and not come back.”

Near the beginning of the pandemic, the two partners also managed to weather a six-day shutdown of Floridino’s when an employee came down with the virus.   

Technology, devoted customers keep eateries afloat 

Like other restaurants that are hanging on, they had to innovate to adapt their business model.

When the virus closed down indoor dining, they quickly shifted to takeout and curbside pickup. At Floridino’s, they set aside 25 parking spaces for customer pickup, purchased Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and put strict protocols in place for sanitizing.  

When indoor dining was reopened, they were fortunate to have a large banquet room so customers can be socially distanced. Technology also was purchased to make curbside pick-up more efficient. New Point of Sale (POS) electronic tablets have cut down wait staff’s trips in and out from three to two. 

Now, the majority of customers are in and out in less than five minutes, he said. 

“When COVID goes away, that process is not going away. It’s going to be a new added revenue. If you can overperform with these new-found customers, then you’re adding to your customer base long term.” 

Campaigning fully masked and social distancing 

Weninger, who first was elected to the Legislature in 2014, also served eight years on the Chandler City Council. 

Campaigning used to mean going door to door and attending indoor rallies. Now, it’s about literature drops and cautiously approaching potential voters — fully masked and from a distance — in public.   

Champion for education, healthcare, small business, industry 

Through it all, Weninger’s campaign message has been to grow the state’s economy with low taxes, limited regulatory red tape and a balanced budget.  

During his years at the Capitol, he has championed access to capital for small businesses, resources for the classroom, teacher pay raises, health insurance for patients with pre-existing conditions, resources for first responders, public safety and much more.  

Honored for work on behalf of business 

Weninger’s work in the Legislature on behalf of businesses and his constituents has won him numerous awards and honors. 

Last month he received two such honors. He is among 12 state legislators for bringing tech industries — and high paying jobs and innovation — to Arizona by the Arizona Technology Council and the Arizona Commerce Authority. 

He also was named one of this year’s “business champions” by the East Valley Chambers of Commerce for supporting the organization and businesses “100 percent” in the 2020 legislative session.     

Chambers across the state including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry are endorsing him for reelection. 

To read more about Weninger’s legislative accomplishments, visit:

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