A Guide To Gambling Laws In Arizona

A.R.S. Title 5, Chapter 6 — Tribal-State Gaming Compacts

Tribal casino gaming is governed through:

• The federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act;
• Arizona’s tribal-gaming statutes, principally A.R.S. §§ 5-601 through 5-604;
• The Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact, including the 2021 amendments and applicable appendices.

These frameworks authorize compacted tribal casinos to offer approved Class III games, including slot machines and specified table games, subject to tribal and state regulatory oversight. The Arizona Department of Gaming certifies gaming employees and vendors and monitors compact compliance.

Commercial, nontribal online casino gaming is not legal in Arizona. Websites offering online slots, roulette, blackjack, or similar casino games outside the tribal-compact framework are not licensed Arizona casinos. The same applies to mobile casino apps.

A.R.S. Title 5, Chapter 11 — Event Wagering

Arizona permits both mobile and retail sports wagering through operators licensed by the Arizona Department of Gaming.

Important provisions include:

• R.S. § 5-1301: Definitions for event wagering, operators, platforms, facilities, and related terms.
• R.S. § 5-1302: Gives the Department of Gaming authority to license, audit, supervise, and enforce event-wagering operations.
• R.S. § 5-1304: Authorizes up to 10 tribal event-wagering operator licenses and up to 10 nontribal operator licenses associated with eligible professional sports organizations or facilities. It also governs mobile and retail authorization.
• R.S. §§ 5-1305 through 5-1313: Cover limited operator licenses, suppliers, management providers, operating requirements, fees, taxation, prohibited conduct, and enforcement.
• Arizona Administrative Code, Title 19, Chapter 4: Contains the detailed event-wagering regulations adopted by the Department of Gaming.

Sports betting is legal only through an Arizona-licensed operator and generally requires the bettor to be at least 21 and physically located within an authorized jurisdiction. The Department regulates geolocation, account controls, integrity monitoring, and responsible-gambling procedures.

Poker at Arizona Tribal Casinos

Arizona tribal casinos may offer poker under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact. The compact allows approved card games at authorized gaming facilities, with the Arizona Department of Gaming and the relevant Tribal Gaming Office sharing oversight of Class III gaming. ADG also reviews new or modified poker and house-banked poker games for compliance with compact requirements.

Traditional poker rooms are available at several tribal casinos. Arizona distinguishes these games from house-banked poker, where players compete against the casino rather than primarily against one another. Players must be at least 21 to gamble at Arizona tribal casinos.

Are Home Poker Games Legal in Arizona?

Private poker games may be lawful if they meet Arizona’s definition of social gambling. A.R.S. § 13-3302 excludes qualifying social gambling from the state’s general gambling prohibitions.

Under A.R.S. § 13-3301, social gambling generally requires that:

• The game is incidental to a genuine social relationship
• Players compete on substantially equal terms
• No participant receives a benefit other than their gambling winnings
• The game is not operated as a business

This means a casual poker game among friends may qualify, but a person generally cannot operate an unlicensed poker room, charge a rake, or otherwise profit from organizing the game.

Is Online Poker Legal in Arizona?

No state-regulated real-money online poker market currently exists in Arizona. The state has legalized mobile sports wagering and fantasy sports, but it has not authorized internet poker or other real-money online casino games.

As a result, poker sites accessible from Arizona should not be described as Arizona-licensed simply because they accept players from the state. The Arizona Department of Gaming advises consumers to verify that an online gambling operator is authorized before depositing money or placing wagers.

Any future legalization of online poker would require a change to Arizona’s existing gambling framework and could also involve negotiations concerning the state’s tribal gaming compacts.

A.R.S. Title 5, Chapter 10 — Fantasy Sports Contests

• R.S. § 5-1202: Operators offering fantasy contests to the public generally must be licensed. A limited private-contest exception applies when contests are not public, contain no more than 15 players, collect no more than $10,000 annually, and return at least 95% of entry fees as prizes.
• R.S. §§ 5-1203 through 5-1207: Address operator procedures, player protections, audits, prohibited conduct, and Department of Gaming authority.
• Fantasy operators must prevent access by people under 21 and by people who have self-excluded.
• Arizona Administrative Code, Title 19, Chapter 5: Contains fantasy-sports regulations.

A.R.S. Title 5, Chapter 1 — Horse and Dog Racing

Relevant provisions include:

• R.S. § 5-107.01: Racing meetings, participants, and officials must hold the required permits or licenses. Knowingly conducting an unauthorized racing meeting is a Class 6 felony.
• R.S. § 5-111: Authorizes and regulates pari-mutuel wagering conducted by licensed permittees.
• R.S. § 5-112: Permits wagering at authorized racing enclosures, simulcast facilities, and qualifying advance-deposit wagering arrangements; unauthorized wagering remains prohibited.
• Arizona Administrative Code, Title 19, Chapter 2: Contains racing regulations.

A.R.S. Title 5, Chapter 5.1 — State Lottery

Important laws include:

• R.S. § 5-554: Authorizes the Arizona State Lottery Commission to oversee lottery games and adopt operating rules. The statute also limits casino-style game formats and regulates electronic keno and mobile draw games.
• R.S. §§ 5-562 through 5-570: Govern lottery-agent licensing, ticket sales, claims, prize payments, and redemption.
• R.S. § 5-565: Lottery tickets may not be sold or offered to anyone under 21; a violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor.

A.R.S. Title 5, Chapter 4 — Bingo

This chapter regulates licensed bingo operations, including:

• Organizations eligible for bingo licenses
• Premises and operational requirements
• Financial reporting and use of proceeds
• Equipment and card requirements
• Licensing and enforcement

Electronic devices may assist players as substitutes for bingo cards, but Arizona does not generally allow electronic bingo machines that replace the live, on-premises bingo game.

Raffles are primarily governed by A.R.S. § 13-3302(B)–(E).

Qualifying organizations may include certain:

• Section 501 tax-exempt nonprofits
• Historical societies
• Booster, civic, and qualifying political clubs
• Universities or nonprofits assisting student-athletes with name, image, and likeness compensation.

Restrictions generally address how long the organization has existed, who may manage or sell tickets, whether insiders may receive financial benefits, and—in some cases—annual proceeds or outside-agent fees. Arizona does not have a single state agency that licenses all charitable raffles, but unlawful raffles remain subject to the criminal gambling statutes.

Arizona excludes qualifying social gambling and amusement gambling from its criminal gambling prohibitions.

Social gambling generally requires a genuine social relationship, equal terms among players, and no person other than the players receiving a benefit from operating the game. A house-raked poker game or fee-based commercial game would ordinarily not qualify merely because it takes place in a private residence.

Minimum Gambling Ages in AZ

• Retail and online sports betting - 21
• Daily fantasy sports contests - 21
• Tribal casino games and slot machines - 21
• Poker and casino table games - 21
• Arizona Lottery tickets - 21
• Horse-racing and pari-mutuel wagering - 21
• Bingo and charitable gaming - 21
• Raffles and permitted social gambling – 21