Arizona’s mobile betting landscape will become richer by one more operator after SaharaBets will launch its statewide online sportsbook. To be able to bet on this platform, users will have to install the app on their smartphones and tablets. The app will become available for download on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.
SaharaBets will launch its statewide mobile sportsbook in Arizona Jan. 12, the company announced today. The new online sportsbook is partnered with the NHL's Arizona Coyotes. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo owns the SAHARA Las Vegas as well as the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno.
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) January 5, 2022
The SaharaBets betting app is a brainchild of Alex Meruelo, the owner of two land-based Las Vegas casinos – SAHARA Las Vegas and Grand Sierra Resort. For people in Arizona, Meruelo is best known as the owner of the Coyotes, an NHL franchise based in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Arizona Coyotes Announce a Partnership with SaharaBets
The company behind the SaharaBets mobile sportsbook is Meruelo Gaming LLC, named after its owner, Alex Meruelo. The gaming company serves as an affiliate to the two Vegas casinos owned by the businessman. In addition to being a casino magnate, Meruelo also owns a majority share of the Arizona Coyotes, which he purchased in 2019.
Fast-forward to 2022 and Meruelo has decided to create a bond between his gaming company and his hockey team. From now on, SaharaBets will be the official sportsbook of the Arizona Coyotes.
For the time being, the partnership between the two will be only sponsorship-based. However, with the plans for a new Coyotes’ arena being revealed, there is a possibility that Meruelo will set up a live betting operation within the venue. Something similar has already happened in Arizona when FanDuel launched its sportsbook inside the Phoenix Suns’ arena, Footprint Center.
Sportsbook Brands Teaming Up With AZ Sports Teams
In addition to the two aforementioned gaming companies, a few more sportsbook brands have teamed up with Arizona-based sports teams. In April 2021, DraftKings inked a deal with the PGA Tour to launch a sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale. The golf course is famous for hosting the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Similarly, Caesars made a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks of the MLB to open a sportsbook near Chase Field. Finally, BetMGM is currently working on setting up an in-stadium sportsbook at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals. The plan is that the sportsbook launches before the start of the 2022 NFL season.
