Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky owns and operates TwinSpires as a direct spinoff of its mobile horse betting app. Earlier this year, the company decided to rebrand BetAmerica sportsbook mobile app as its original entry into the legal US sports betting industry.
Under the TwinSpires brand, the mobile sports betting app is currently available in five states. This list includes Colorado sportsbooks, Pennsylvania sportsbooks, Indiana sportsbooks, Tennessee sportsbooks, and Mississippi sportsbooks. BetAmerica is still up and running as a New Jersey sportsbook. However, that online book will transition over to the TwinSpires brand later this year.
The next planned launch of TwinSpires Sportsbook will be in Arizona. That state remains on track to open up its borders for both retail and online sports betting on Sept. 9. This coincides with the start of the 2021 NFL regular season.
Legislation to legalize Arizona sportsbooks has been approved and the rules to regulate the industry are in place.
TwinSpires was able to gain access to this market through a partnership with the Tonto Apache Tribe. They own and operate the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino in the mountain town of Payson. The venue is located 90 minutes outside Phoenix.
Along with a retail sportsbook located within the property, TwinSpires will be able to launch its online sportsbook within the state. This is pending regulatory approval and licensing.
Arizona’s new sports betting laws created a set of 10 gaming licenses for existing tribal casinos. It also approved another 10 gaming licenses for professional sports facilities or professional sports teams.
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This list includes TPC Scottsdale for a PGA Tour event and Phoenix Raceway for a NASCAR Cup Series race.
These licenses cover a retail sportsbook at each facility or event. It also sets the stage for online sports betting through a mobile sportsbook app.
There are also 10 limited event sports wagering licenses. These are available for horse racing tracks and off-track horse betting facilities (OTBs) in Arizona.
A few other legal US-based sportsbooks have gained access to the state through new partnerships with these professional sports facilities. TwinSpires decided to take the tribal gaming route to market.
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) began accepting applications for sports betting licenses on Aug. 2. The ADG has also posted the proposed set of rules and regulations on its website. These have also been submitted to the Secretary of the State’s office.
The Mazatzal Hotel & Casino is located 5000 feet above sea level in Arizona’s Mazatzal Mountains. The hotel features nothing but suites featuring a mountain view. The casino offers the Mountains of Money Players Club Program.
As far as gaming options, the casino floor offers slots, video poker, and various table games. The game selection includes Blackjack, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’Em.
Plans are in the works to add a Twin Spires Sportsbook to the facility. No timeline for its opening was mentioned in the original company release.
The TwinSpires brand is more commonly known as a premier online horse betting site given its ties to Churchill Downs. The company decided to add legal sports betting because of this brand recognition. It has also developed TwinSpires Casino as the iGaming division of the company.
