BetRivers becomes latest sportsbook to enter Arizona market

Rush Street Interactive has joined the nascent Arizona sports betting market with the rollout of a BetRivers-branded online sportsbook. The skin went live at exactly noon on Friday after receiving the green light from the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG).

BetRivers is one of the 15 operators approved by the state regulator in August, and it is the ninth online sportsbook to launch in Arizona since the industry took off on September 9. Rush Street Interactive’s license partners in the state are the Arizona Rattlers, who play in the Indoor Football League (IFL).

The Arizona launch marks the 12th operational state for RSI. The operator’s BetRivers app is live in eight other states including Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Colorado, Virginia, and West Virginia, and it also has a retail sportsbook at Rivers Casino Schenectady in New York. Rush Street Interactive also has a retail and online presence in New Jersey and Connecticut with the PlaySugarHouse brand.

The operator is also targeting an early launch in Louisiana when the state rolls out regulated sports betting in November.

Rattlers welcome BetRivers to Arizona

Although RSI did not issue a statement about the Friday launch, the company’s license partner in Arizona, the Arizona Rattlers, took to Twitter to commend the operator on the successful rollout. The team also urged sports fans to sign up with the BetRivers sportsbook and place wagers on their favorite sporting events.

“Congratulations to our partners @BetRivers for launching their new sportsbook in Arizona! Get in the action now & bet on all your favorite sports. Use promo code 250MATCH & receive up to $250 free play with your first deposit,” the team tweeted.

The team, which has won five ArenaBowl Championships and several IFL titles since it was established in 1992, has been looking forward to the launch since the ADG green-lighted its partnership with RSI in August.

Arizona betting industry continues to grow

Arizona has emerged as one of the most promising sports betting markets in the US since its launch in early September.

A report released by geolocation technology company GeoComply Solutions last month showed that Arizona’s industry was off to a great start as the state’s market ranked fourth-most active in the country during the first weekend of NFL betting.

GeoComply data also placed Arizona fourth in the regulated US sports betting market in terms of volume in another report published early this month. According to the company, sportsbooks in the state handled 36.9 million transactions during the first four weeks of the NFL season, which is approximately 11.2% of the total transactions recorded in the country. The only states ahead of Arizona in both reports were New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Going by the data, the Grand Canyon State is poised to be one of the country’s largest sports betting markets when it reaches maturity. The industry is expected to grow exponentially in the coming months as more licensed operators roll out mobile and retail wagering.

Only nine of the 15 licensees approved by the ADG have launched so far. Those who have not started taking wagers include Fubo Gaming, Bally Bet, SuperBook, Betway, Golden Nugget, and Betfred. Three other licensees – Arizona Coyotes, Navajo Nation, and Tohono O’odham Nation – are yet to announce their sports betting partners.