By Bree Burkitt and Dustin Gardiner | The Republic
Senate Bill 1515 would exclude fantasy sports from Arizona’s definition of gambling, legalizing fantasy sports in the state
The decision to legalize betting on college and professional sports is back in the hands of individual states after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 25-year-old law that prohibited the practice Monday.
The ruling quashed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and cleared the way for states to expand legalized gambling as a valid source of government revenue.
The decision doesn’t mean Arizona will immediately follow suit, though.
The Arizona Department of Gaming said in a statement Monday all sports betting will remain illegal until further action is taken at the state level. A spokesperson described the decision as “business as usual” for Arizona.
A tweet from Gov. Doug Ducey hinted at a possible push to legalize sports gambling as part of the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact.
“Talk about an extraordinary confluence of events. The State is searching for a sustainable revenue stream for school funding, the gaming compacts with the Native American Communities come up for renewal in a few years, and now the U.S. Supreme Court says a State may decide to permit sports wagering. It doesn’t take a Vegas bookie to figure out the odds of where this is going.”
~ Jordan Rose, Rose Law Group Founder, President
