Gambling Laws In Arizona
Arizona has a number of its own laws to expand upon the federal laws concerning gambling which govern the entire nation. Both the Federal Wire Act and the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) have sweeping effects on the ability to operate a gambling business and effectively makes facilitating bets illegal. The federal laws in place however do not hinder any average citizen from placing a bet or wager as they wish. The locations on where to do so have all but been erased from the countryside while bettors wonder where to place bets legally outside of Las Vegas.
Arizona is one such state which has a variety of their own gambling laws to help detail what is and what is not allowed for an Arizona resident to partake in the realm of gambling. ArizonaGamblingSites main goal is to assist Arizona residents in discovering their own state laws and inform them on how and where they may legally gamble in the Grand Canyon State. With this said, the information found here is not a replacement for paid legal advice and should only be used for reference purposes.
The words 'Gamble' and 'Gambling' are defined in Arizona's gambling code. This defined act is against the law in Arizona unless certain exemptions are met, or the act takes place in a state sanctioned scenario or in a Native American tribal casino.
Exceptions are to be made for Arizona residents in certain instances who wish to gamble. State legislation states that Amusement Gambling, Social Gambling, Regulated Gambling (such as tribal casinos) in accordance with state statutes and gambling that is conducted at or by state, county or district fairs are all deemed to not be unlawful. This leaves quite a bit of room for Arizona residents to legally gamble in a variety of ways. Essentially, bettors who reside in the Copper State are free to place bets and wager to their heart's content so long as they do not form a business out of it.
Arizona is one of the more relaxed states in the nation and there are virtually no reports of arrests, investigations or prosecutions of Arizona residents who placed a bet, however large gambling rings and illegal betting operations have been busted up with multiple incarcerations of those responsible for the creation of such operations.
As is the case with federal law, Arizona residents can go and make a bet so long as they do not facilitate bets for others in a scheme to collect a rake. 'Social Gambling' is well enough defined to know that people are free to play poker games within their homes, place bets on sports and even gamble on games of chance using a device so long as profit isn't made and all activities can be considered 'Amusement Gambling.'
Land-Based Gambling In Arizona
With Arizona being fairly relaxed with its gambling laws, there are a number of places where locals can go to gamble in person. Namely, the vast tribal casino community in Arizona is quite large with 37 casinos spanning 16,765 slots and gaming machines. There are also 435 table games with minimum bets from as low as $0.01 and as high as $1000. Arizona's proximity to Nevada has likely aided in its lax laws and residents have access to casinos which are just as all-encompassing as those found in Las Vegas. These casinos are also at liberty to offer live poker to locals and every form of the game can be found across the state at either high or low stakes to satisfy any player's tastes. Sports wagering, on the other hand, is not found within the state and none of the tribal casinos may facilitate such bets.
Online Gambling In Arizona
The subject of online gambling in Arizona is a little less clear. While we know that there are many land based options for Arizona residents to take advantage of legally, we must address the insanely high amount of online options which exist. State laws avoid mentioning the legality of gambling online so one may be able to deduce that it may be illegal if using Arizona's other gambling language to apply to the internet. If so, 'Social Gambling' and 'Amusement Gambling' come into play yet again. If the bettor is not engaged in the business of facilitating bets then the bettor is safe to bet freely. This means that simply finding the place which will take an Arizona's bet is the quest to begin.
There are many, many online gambling sites all across the world and if they exist outside of U.S. jurisdiction, Arizona residents will be able to gamble using their services. A lot of these online gambling sites will even be made specifically for American users despite being located elsewhere. Although some locals may find it intimidating to use an offshore gambling service, reputable sites have been producing satisfied American members with consistent and reliable payouts for decades without any problems of legality or security. This is also the only way for Arizona residents to not only gamble in a casino environment, a poker game but also bet on sports.
Popular Gambling Options In Arizona:
Online Sportsbooks - Online Casinos - Online Poker
One such site which remains atop the totem pole of online gambling is Bovada.lv. This particular site has been in business for nearly 20 years and has a predominantly American user base. Sporting uncanny site design and every betting option imaginable through every sport, casino game and poker variation, Bovada is located to north in neighboring Canada and is the go-to site for informed Arizona residents.
Whether it be picking next year's Super Bowl winner, the March Madness champion, winning a high stakes game of Texas Hold'Em or crushing the blackjack table, this online gambling site is able to fulfill every need and desire of its members and does so with top-notch security and customer service to rave reviews. Bovada accepts members from the valley of the Sun and offers incentives galore to join. New members enjoy a 100% increase to their initial deposit worth up to $250 in free betting money on their online sportsbook. This online gambling site is open 24/7 and only a click away for all residents of Arizona.
| Best Overall Betting Sites | Sports? | Casino? | Poker? | Horses? | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
| BetOnline | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
| SportsBetting | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
The legal gambling age in the state of Arizona is 21 however charity events involving bingo and pull-tabs residents may take part at 18 years of age. Online gambling is typically available to Arizona residents at 18 years old however varies depending on the site which is being used. For more detail on these laws and where a violation of them could land Arizona residents, please check our page devoted to the topic.
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