Circa Sports has received an event wagering license in Arizona, becoming the state’s 13th licensed online sportsbook operator.
Circa Sports is heading to Arizona. The Arizona Department of Gaming confirmed this week that it has granted the Las Vegas-based operator an event wagering license, making it the state’s 13th licensed online sportsbook.
Key Takeaways
- Circa obtained its license by partnering with the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe
- This marks Circa’s seventh state for its online sportsbook product
- Arizona regulators plan to add at least one more operator, with a cap of 20 allowed statewide
What Happened
Arizona requires online sportsbook operators to partner with either a professional sports team or venue, or a tribal nation, in order to obtain a license. Circa secured its license through an agreement with the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, becoming the sixth Arizona operator to enter the market through a tribal partnership, joining bet365, Desert Diamond, Fanatics, Hard Rock Bet, and betcris.
No launch date has been set. The state gaming department said it will now begin working with Circa on the steps required to go live.
The license comes after Arizona opened a new application window from late June through mid-July, following the exit of several operators from the state over the past couple of years. Circa’s application was approved in late July. Regulators have indicated they plan to bring in at least one more operator with a professional team partnership, and possibly additional tribal-linked operators, before reaching the state’s 20-operator cap.
Context: Arizona’s Sports Betting Market
Arizona legalized sports betting in 2021 and has generated more than $35 billion in total wagers since, producing over $190 million in state tax revenue from online sportsbooks alone. The market already includes major operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, and BetRivers, putting Circa into a crowded field.
Circa’s Expansion Pattern
Arizona becomes the seventh state for Circa’s online sportsbook, joining Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, Nevada, and Missouri, where it most recently launched in December 2025. In Missouri, Circa obtained an untethered license, meaning it operates without sharing revenue with a partner, a structure only one other operator in that state holds.
Beyond its online expansion, Circa continues to run some of the industry’s largest handicapping contests out of its Las Vegas retail sportsbook, including Circa Sports Survivor, a contest with a $30 million guarantee that surpassed 5,000 entries earlier this month, its fastest pace yet.