US Arizona Online Casinos

Much like states such as Alaska, the letter of the law is such that any form of gambling that has not been specifically authorized and regulated by the state constitutes, “Unlawful Gambling.” One of the more unique intricacies of the Arizona gambling ordinances is the fact that they have, “Benefitting from gambling,” listed as a separate violation. The statute says, "Except for amusement or regulated gambling, a person commits benefiting from gambling if he obtains any benefit from gambling."

The statute is unclear whether or not that would be solely limited to financial benefits. How would that work, anyway? Unlawful gambling is only legal in the event that you lose?

In terms of restrictions, we indicate that any actual enforcement efforts, as is true in basically every single state of the fifty, would focus exclusively on operators of online casinos as opposed to mere players.

Operators should be aware the state will crack down upon them if they are found out, as Arizona has cracked down on the operators of illegal, "Internet cafes," in a manner similar to states such as Florida. Of course, that makes no difference to offshore Internet gambling sites that do not fall within the jurisdiction or legal reach of the State of Arizona or any U.S. Federal authorities.

For those reasons - the vast majority of online casinos will do business with residents of the State of Arizona and Arizona players need not be afraid of running afoul of the law.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Arizona?

There are a few things to know about the laws in Arizona when it comes to online gambling. The state legalized sports betting in 2021 and has granted 25 licenses to land-based casino operators, but online casino gambling is forbidden. The state is pretty strict when it comes to enforcing the laws on operators who are trying to engage in illegal online gambling activities within its borders.

Violators of the "Benefiting from gambling" statute risk felony charges, ranging from money laundering to the promotion of illegal gambling. Not even fantasy sports is an option for operators. Operating contests in Arizona, where money is involved, is also out of the question and a felony.

Basically, the laws in Arizona target operators, not mere players. No one is allowed to offer anything that hasn’t been specifically authorized and regulated by the state. And since online casino gambling is neither authorized nor regulated, it is a big no-no. Arizona actually has a long history of targeting operators for illegal land-based operations, having closed “internet cafes” and arrested all involved in the operation. But, in recent years, the state has issued cease-and-desist orders against many online gambling operators, as well. We're talking about sports betting, sweepstakes platforms, online casinos, and peer-to-peer exchanges which are unregulated and illegal within its borders.

As far as players are concerned, though, they are out of the woods. The state laws don’t seem to provide any sort of penalties for casual players, and there are no records of any mere players’ arrests or prosecutions. We couldn’t find any evidence of players getting caught gambling online and being punished for it.

Land-Based and Tribal Casinos in Arizona

All of the land-based casinos operating in Arizona are actually tribal casinos. Tribes are in charge of operating the 25 land-based casino establishments in the state.

Across these establishments, local players can enjoy thousands of slot machines, hundreds of table games, and poker tables, as well as all the perks that you would normally get at any brick-and-mortar casino. You can play games in person and enjoy food and drinks at any of the tribal casinos legally, as long as you're 21 or older, which is not something you can do online.

Sweepstakes and Social Casinos Available in Arizona

Just like most US states, Arizona allows operators to operate social casinos, as well as sweepstakes casino sites. Considering these are sites that offer casino-style games which can be played with coins, for fun and not for profit, they are perfectly legal.

In fact, there are many such sites where players from Arizona can head over to feel the thrill of casino games, for fun. These sites provide them with an excellent exercise if they eventually want to try their luck across online casinos based elsewhere. If you are a player from Arizona who wants to do exactly that, continue reading to find out how to do it.

Sportsbetting in Arizona

Arizona legalized sports betting in September 2021. As of since, players from Arizona can frequent both offline and online sportsbooks and place bets on sports legally.

There are already many retail sportsbooks scattered across the state, with around 20 online sports betting sites in operation.

The decision to legalize sports betting was made after Governor Doug Ducey sat down with the tribes to renegotiate the gaming compacts. Therefore, as a player from the state, you are free to place bets on sports whenever and wherever you want, be it at in-person at a local betting shop or online, via your desktop or mobile device.

How to Find the Best Online Casino in Arizona

Given the fact that Arizona laws do not focus on mere players, but on operators, in theory, you are free to join any online casino that does not operate within the state’s borders. That being said, you have at your disposal licensed US online casinos, regulated by respective bodies in states that offer legal online gambling. You can, of course, also access offshore sites, licensed by the likes of MGA, UKGC, or Gibraltar, for instance, as these are also safe sites to join.

When it comes to choosing the right site to join, the first thing to search for is sites that are properly licensed, actually. Assuming you confirm the license, the next thing to focus on is the Terms and Conditions. You'd want to join an online casino that offers fair and transparent rules for all players on the site, not only local ones. Another thing to check here is the banking options and processing times. You'd want to play using popular and well-established global payment methods and get the fastest deposits and withdrawals. While at it, inspect the Customer Support options; you’d want to be able to get in touch with an agent 24/7, whenever you experience an issue or have a question you’d want to ask.

Only after you’ve checked these details, you can head over to the game selection at the casino you're eyeing. Assuming you'd want to try out all kinds of slots, poker, table games, and even Live Casino games, you’d want to join an online casino that offers them all, and in a great variety. Avoid sites that do not offer games by well-known software developers, and of course, steer clear of unlicensed sites, as these are not at all safe to join.

How to Sign Up and Play for Real Money in Arizona

Now that you know how to pick the perfect online casino for you, it is time to learn the steps you need to take to successfully register an account with your chosen casino. As you probably assumed, these steps are quite effortless, so let's just go over them quickly:

1. Open the casino you wish to join and locate the Join Now/Sign Up
2. After you press it, fill out the registration form with the needed personal info: full name, email address, phone number, etc.
3. Read and accept the Terms and Conditions and press Register.
4. With that, your account is ready.

Across some online casinos, verifying your identity will be the next step. Due to regulatory reasons, some casinos ask you to do that upfront, while others wait until you have successfully deposited and played through your deposit, and ask you to verify your identity before you make a withdrawal. Either way, be prepared to show or attach a copy/scan of a government-issued document to prove your identity. This can be your ID, your driver's license, or your passport. Additionally, you might be asked to take a selfie and send it as an extra step towards verifying your identity.

Assuming you’ve successfully done it, now you can easily make a deposit. To do that, just follow these easy steps:

1. Head over to the Cashier/Banking page and find the Deposits section.
2. Check out the payment methods offered and choose the one that would work best for you.
3. Enter the amount you wish to deposit and the payment method details, as required.
4. Confirm the transaction and the funds should arrive at your casino balance instantly, but the processing times will eventually depend on the method you use.

What Payment Methods Can You Use to Deposit and Withdraw in Arizona?

Speaking of the methods that you can use across online casinos as an Arizona player, you should know that you’ll have plenty of options, regardless of the site you eventually choose to join. Online casinos that accept players from all across the world, or those that focus on US players, will certainly allow you to use bank-issued cards like Discover, VISA, AmEx, and MasterCard. If nothing else is suitable, these should certainly do the job.

However, leading online casinos that you can access as a player from Arizona also accept digital currencies, a wide variety of them, too, as well as eWallets and other alternative solutions that are popular in the US. PayPal is one example, but Skrill and Neteller are widely accepted, too. Bitcoin and other cryptos should also be at your disposal, as well as different prepaid cards. But if nothing else works for you, you will always have wire transfers, using which, you can without a doubt make effortless deposits and withdrawals.

What Casino Software Providers and Games Are Available in Arizona?

Once you decide on the site to join, register an account with it and you’re ready to start playing, expect to find a massive game variety, top-notch, high-quality games of all sorts. Today, online casinos that cater to US players have made sure to partner up with industry-leading software developers and offer them the biggest choice of games out there, so you certainly won’t lack variety.

In the past, US players only had access to games from a limited number of developers, who managed to get licensed early, when online gambling was still not that popular in the States. At the time, players could only access games by WGS, High5Games, RTG, Dragon Gaming, and Rival, to mention a few. But today, so many renowned providers have been licensed to offer their content across many US states with legal online gambling. Among the first to get licensed in several states was the Live Casino provider Evolution. NetEnt, Red Tiger Gaming, and NoLimitCity, to mention a few, followed suit, as did so many other developers.

Therefore, you can rest assured that you’ll get to play progressive, classic, themed slots, video table games, different poker variants, and exciting Live Casino games, among others, across all top online casinos that cater to US players, and that you can join as a player from Arizona.

What players can expect once they log in—game variety and quality. Must be precise here as there are plenty of software providers now legally available across us states (like Evolution now available in six states) as well as those available historically like RTG/Spinlogic, Dragon Gaming, WGS, and not necessarily licensed/at licensed casinos

What Casino Bonuses Can Players in Arizona Claim?

Going through online casinos and trying to find one to join, you will come across so many different kinds of bonuses. It is important to know what these offer and how to choose the online casino that offers the most generous bonuses, for real.

Sign-up bonuses are the first ones you can claim as soon as you join the casino. These are usually Welcome Bonus Packages, where deposit matches on your 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd deposit are offered, and maybe some Free Spins are thrown in for the fun.

Free Spins can be offered in a separate bonus, too, like a daily or weekly bonus, where you can claim a certain number of Free Spins on one, all, or specific slot games.

But, if you go with sweepstakes casinos, you should know that amazing Sweepstakes Bonus offers exist, too. It is not unusual for sweepstakes casinos to give players a certain number of Free Sweepstakes Coins, just to entice them into joining.

But as far as bonuses across real money online casinos go, there are some rules you need to pay attention to. For instance, some bonuses are offered for specific games only, like table games, or games by a specific developer only, like Playtech Casino Bonuses. Others are not allowed for players from certain countries.

One thing that almost all bonuses have in common, and what you need to pay special attention to, is the wagering requirement. This is the condition you must meet to be able to cash out winnings that you make with your bonus. 30x the bonus amount is the average wagering requirement, but be careful, as with some casinos it is higher. This means that for a bonus of $10 that you claimed, you first need to deposit and use $300 playing the games at the casino and only then become eligible to cash out winnings that you made with your bonus.

Responsible Gambling in Arizona

The National Problem Gambling Helpline is available to any US resident, Arizona residents included. However, the Arizona Department of Gaming offers its Division of Problem Gambling, too, to get in touch with in case you wish to steer clear from gambling.

Premier online casinos make sure to display links to organizations that help those in need, right there on their homepages, to be easily visible and accessible to all players. Therefore, make sure you check your online casino's homepage to find out all of the options at your disposal; self-exclusion should also be an option if you join a leading online casino. Each online casino that adheres to strict rules makes sure to provide the necessary tools and resources to those in harm's way.

Further Reading

• Top Online Casinos for Arizona