The Arizona Department of Gaming has awarded a sports betting license to Circa Sports, alongside the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, marking the end of a reallocation process that commenced in June. The announcement was made via a press release on Monday.
Las Vegas-based Circa Sports will expand its operations into seven states, including Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Nevada. However, Circa Sports’ Director of Operations Jeff Benson confirmed on Twitter that the company will not launch its services in Arizona for the upcoming football season, indicating a timeline that points to the first quarter of 2027.
Previously, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe had partnered with Betway to facilitate sports wagering until the latter exited the U.S. market last year. Arizona law mandates that half of the 20 available sports wagering licenses be allocated to tribal entities, while the remaining are designated for professional sports organizations. Regular reviews of unissued licenses led the Arizona gaming regulators to reopen the application process, which saw submissions for one tribal and one professional franchise license starting June 26. The recent release focused solely on the tribal license that was granted to Circa through the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.
Legal sports betting launched in Arizona in 2021, with a reported total handle of $35.3 billion contributing approximately $190.6 million in tax revenue for the state.
Circa Sports is distinct within the U.S. sports betting market, especially following the 2018 PASPA decision that legalized sports betting nationwide. Unlike larger corporate entities like FanDuel and DraftKings that swiftly captured substantial market share, Circa has taken an unconventional approach. The company focuses on catering to serious bettors by accepting types of bets that many competitors avoid. It has introduced multimillion-dollar professional football pick’em and survivor contests designed to compete with established events like the Westgate Superbook’s SuperContest, and it frequently opens college football lines ahead of competitors, earning a reputation for market-making in that sphere.
Founded by Derek Stevens, Circa Sports launched within the Golden Gate Casino in downtown Las Vegas in June 2019. Stevens further expanded the brand with the opening of Circa Resort in late 2020, which was aimed at dominating the sports market and included the innovative venue Stadium Swim.
Regarding Circa's expansion plans, Stevens expressed his confidence in competing against major brands. He affirmed last year, after acquiring a Missouri sports betting license for $500,000, that he did not feel intimidated by existing giants like DraftKings and FanDuel. He stated, "What do we have to lose? No one expects us to win. The pressure’s not really on us, it’s on the other guys because no one expects us to get one. And if we do, then holy smokes, that’ll be a big upset."
