March 28, 2024 4:08 AM
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Online Casino Gaming In Arizona: What Is The Current Legal Status?

The online gambling industry in Arizona has not fully matured; however, the gaming industry generally is huge and sometimes compared to its neighboring state, Nevada.

 

Recently, the government of the Grand Canyon State made an update to the gambling laws. The new development ensured that online betting, including daily fantasy sports, keno, and lottery-based draw games, were legalized. However, this new legislation did not directly legalize online poker and other casino games. Essentially, the law means that despite the number of friendly online casinos in Arizona , players may not be able to fully access legal online casino gambling with them.

 

As of September 2021, the citizens of Arizona could bet on sports and other games through their mobile devices. While this new law didn’t cover real money online casino games, including online poker, it is important to say it also didn’t categorically tag internet casino gaming as illegal.

 

This legislation provides a backdoor for players to play their favorite casino games online from legal casinos. The authorities also don’t seem to frown at their citizens playing from online sites in their neighboring state, Nevada, where the activity is fully permissible and regulated.

 

Fully Permissible Casino Games in Arizona Currently

Like many other states, Arizona maintains a default position that gambling is illegal, except it falls under the following categories:

 

Amusement Gambling: Arcade games, golf rounds, marathons, and carnival prizes.

 

Social Gambling: This is when players compete on equal terms without one having an advantage over the other. Only players participating in a game can claim winnings, and no one else will benefit from the competition.

 

Regulated Gambling: Regulated gambling is Indian or native American casinos, state lotteries, sports betting, dog races, and bingo.

 

State Fair Gambling: These are games conducted by a state or a district.

 

Tax-exempt Organization Gambling: Games organized by companies exempted from paying tax.

 

Historical Society Gambling: Games organized by a designated state, county, or historical society that has been operating for five years.

 

Nonprofit Organization Gambling: Games that a nonprofit organization organizes. 

 

Laws Guiding Online Gambling in the State of Arizona

Online casinos are not regulated in Arizona, but gambling is allowed and fully regulated in land-based game centers. Currently, there are 26 land-based casinos in the state. The following are the rules guiding them and every citizen of the state:

 

  1. Minimum Age

To be eligible to gamble, either online or physically in the state, a player must be at least 21 years old. 

 

  1. Tax on Winnings

Gambling is highly monitored, so it’s expected for every citizen to pay tax for every win. To avoid defaulting, it is important to take note of this, as the tax would be for both state and federal. 

 

  1. Regulation of the Industry

The body responsible for gambling administration in the state is the Arizona Department of Gaming. Before you play on any platform, make sure it is certified by the department.

 

Playing games on unlicensed platforms is illegal, and people who engage in such acts might get scammed or be treated unfairly because no regulatory body oversees the activities.

 

Which Online Casino Games are Available in Arizona?

The following are some online casino games that are available in Arizona. Some of these games are offered by online social casinos where you don’t win real money. 

 

  • Slots

Slots are available in land-based game centers, likewise in social casinos. The games are easy to play and understand, and the user experience is amazing. To play slots, you will have to be given titles by social casinos, and that is how they make their money. 

 

  • Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular games in the world, so it’s not surprising to see that it’s offered in the state. It can be played at any of the designated centers.

 

  • Roulette

Also, roulette is a popular game, and gamblers can enjoy different versions. Most social game centers offer the game in the state. 

 

  • Poker

Poker is widely enjoyed by people in land-based gambling centers and social centers. You’ll surely find your favorite card game variation in Arizona if you are a fan.

 

  • State Lotteries

The state conducts a lottery, and it provides players with a variety of ways to win. These lotteries are available in land-based centers, while some have a dedicated online website. 

 

How Do Arizona Gamblers Play Online Casino Games for Real Money?

By now, you would have discovered that the legality involved with playing online casino games such as poker for real money in the State of Arizona is unclear at best. However, this hasn’t stopped the millions of gamblers in the state from playing their favorite online casino games. So, the question is, how?

 

Here is what we know. Like every other online casino player in the states where online casino gaming is not considered totally legal in the United States, players wager on their desired games on overseas sites. For instance, many poker players visit online poker sites in countries like the UK, where the games are legal, to place their wagers and earn real money.

 

For gamblers in Arizona, their proximity to Nevada, a state where online casino gaming is fully legal, also helps as they can easily register with these sites and play with them. As far as we know, the Arizona government doesn’t seem to frown at this development too.

 

Final Notes

Legal casino gambling has come a long way in Arizona. Once upon a time, you couldn’t play poker and even slots, but things have changed. Gamblers can now legally play their favorite casino games at brick-and-mortar gaming houses and enjoy the full experience.

 

However, with online casino gaming, the people of Arizona would have to wait a while before they can enjoy that privilege. For now, players can be creative with how they go about the process. They could wager on overseas sites, register with online sites in Nevada or any other US state that permits legal casino gambling for real money, or even find a way to play at some of Arizona’s licensed online gaming houses.

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