Coyotes Face Opposition to Mobile Betting at Temporary ASU Venue

The Arizona Coyotes, an organization on the verge of a temporary relocation, are encountering obstacles in their pursuit of maintaining mobile wagering services. Their interim home, during the construction of their new facility, is planned to be the hockey arena at Arizona State University. This location, however, possesses a smaller capacity than their present home. The Coyotes posit that this size discrepancy could hinder their ability to furnish the same mobile betting options they currently extend, as state regulations link these activities to venue size. Further complicating matters, the Arizona Indian Gaming Association, in conjunction with numerous Native American tribes, are resisting the Coyotes’ attempts to gain clarity on the legality of their mobile wagering at the reduced-capacity venue. The Coyotes find themselves in a state of flux, uncertain if they will be forced to engage in a legal dispute amidst their already substantial period of change.

Arizonas gaming sector, as voiced by the Arizona Gaming Association, is resisting the Coyotes’ bid to modify the state’s newly established sports wagering regulations. They contend that the law, settled upon only last year, should not be revised so quickly to address the team’s dilemma.

The association’s legal counsel, Bradley Bledsoe Downs, stressed that the Coyotes’ suggested alterations weaken the exclusive rights tribal governments possess in managing gaming activities within Arizona. This pact, he asserts, was a laboriously negotiated agreement between the tribes, professional sports organizations, and their respective teams. Revisiting it now, particularly after such a brief period and for a situation arguably self-inflicted by the Coyotes, establishes a concerning precedent. Downs maintains that the onus of resolving this matter should not rest upon the regulatory agency.