SB1697 - 562R

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 5-1304, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE5-1304. Licensure; application

A. The department may issue not more than ten event wagering operator licenses to applicants other than an Indian tribe. The department may issue not more than ten event wagering operator licenses to Indian tribes in this state if the Indian tribe receiving a license has signed the most recent tribal-state gaming compact and any applicable appendices or amendments. The department shall issue event wagering operator licenses only to applicants that are either of the following in compliance with this chapter:

1. An owner of an Arizona professional sports team or franchise, operator of a sports facility that hosts an annual tournament on the PGA tour, promoter of a national association for stock car auto racing national touring race conducted in this state or the owner's, operator's or promoter's designee, contracted to operate event wagering for both retail event wagering at a sports facility or its complex as prescribed in subsection D of this section and mobile event wagering throughout the state. If a designee is used, the designee shall be considered the applicant and be subject to any requirements of the application process rather than the owner, operator or promoter.

2. An Indian tribe, or an entity fully owned by an Indian tribe, or its designee contracted to operate only mobile event wagering outside the boundaries of its Indian lands and throughout the state if it has signed the most recent tribal-state gaming compact and any applicable appendices or amendments.

B. An applicant for an event wagering license shall submit an application in a form prescribed by the department, including all of the following:

1. The identification of the applicant's principal owners that own more than five percent of the company, the partners, the members of its board of directors and the officers, the identification of any holding company, including its principals, that is engaged by the applicant to assist in the management or operation of event wagering, if applicable, and information to verify that the applicant is qualified to hold a license under subsection A of this section.

2. A full set of fingerprints for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. The department of public safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of investigation. The fingerprints shall be furnished by the applicant's officers and directors, if a corporation, members, if a limited liability company, and partners, if a partnership. An applicant convicted of a disqualifying offense may not be licensed.

3. A notice and description of civil judgments obtained against the applicant pertaining to antitrust or security regulation laws of the federal government, of this state or of any other state, jurisdiction, province or country.

4. If the applicant has conducted gaming operations in a jurisdiction that allows such activity, letters of compliance from the regulatory body that regulates event wagering, sports wagering or any other gaming activity that the applicant is licensed for, conducts or operates under jurisdiction of the regulatory body.

5. Information, documentation and assurances concerning financial background and resources of the applicant or its management services provider as may be required to establish by clear and convincing evidence the financial stability and responsibility of the applicant or its management services provider, including bank references, business and personal income and disbursement schedules, tax returns and other reports filed with governmental agencies, and business and personal accounting and check records and ledgers. Each applicant or its management services provider, in writing, shall authorize the examination of all bank accounts and records as may be deemed necessary by the department. The department may consider any relevant evidence of financial stability. The applicant is presumed to be financially stable if the applicant or its management services provider establishes by clear and convincing evidence that it meets each of the following standards:

(a) The ability to ensure the financial integrity of event wagering operations by maintaining a bankroll or equivalent provisions adequate to pay winning wagers to bettors when due. An applicant is presumed to have met this standard if the applicant or its management services provider maintains, on a daily basis, a bankroll or equivalent provisions in an amount that is at least equal to the average daily minimum bankroll or equivalent provisions, calculated on a monthly basis, for the corresponding month in the previous year.

(b) The ability to meet ongoing operating expenses that are essential to maintaining continuous and stable event wagering operations.

6. Information to establish by clear and convincing evidence that the applicant or its management services provider has sufficient business ability and gaming experience as to establish the likelihood of creating and maintaining a successful and stable event wagering operation.

7. Information regarding the financial standing of the applicant, including each person or entity that has provided loans or financing to the applicant or its management services provider.

8. Information on the amount of adjusted gross event wagering receipts and associated adjusted gross receipts that the applicant expects to generate.

9. A nonrefundable application fee or annual licensing fee as prescribed by section 5-1310.

10. Any additional information required by the department to determine the financial and operational ability to fulfill its obligations as an event wagering operator.

C. Any applicant for licensure agrees to be subject to state jurisdiction to the extent necessary to determine the applicant's qualification to hold a license, including all necessary administrative procedures, hearings and appeals as provided in title 41, chapter 6 and department rules.

D. A license issued by the department pursuant to this section authorizes an event wagering operator identified in subsection A, paragraph 2 of this section to operate only mobile event wagering or an event wagering operator identified in subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section to offer both:

1. Event wagering in this state through an event wagering facility within a five-block radius of the event wagering operator's sports facility or, in the case of a designee, the sports facility or of the designating owner, operator or promoter of a professional sports team, event or franchise. An event wagering facility within one mile of a tribal gaming facility must be:

(a) Within a sports complex that includes retail centers that are adjacent to the sports facility.

(b) Not more than one-fourth of a mile from a sports facility within the sports complex.

2. Event wagering through a mobile platform as specified by the department. A licensed event wagering operator or its designated management services provider may offer event wagering through an event wagering platform as specified by the department.

E. A license issued under this section is valid for five years if the licensee submits an annual license fee, maintains the qualifications to obtain a license under this section and substantially complies with this chapter and other laws and rules relating to event wagering. A licensee may renew its license by submitting an application in a form prescribed by department rule and the application fee. A license may not be renewed if it is determined by the department that the event wagering operator has not substantially complied with this chapter or any other law regulating its event wagering operations or other operations licensed by the department. A licensee shall submit the nonrefundable annual license and application fees prescribed in section 5-1310 with its application for the renewal of its license.

F. A person may not apply for or obtain more than one event wagering operator license. A management services provider may offer services to more than one event wagering operator.

G. The director shall immediately make available and issue any and all unallocated event wagering operator licenses pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section that the department has not issued by September 30, 2022 to a federally recognized Indian tribe in this state, or its designee, or an entity that is fully owned by an Indian tribe, if the Indian tribe has signed the most recent tribal-state gaming compact and any applicable appendices or amendments.

H. Any allocated event wagering operator license pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section that is not renewed pursuant to subsection E of this section shall be made available and issued to a federally recognized Indian tribe in this state, or its designee, or an entity that is fully owned by an Indian tribe, if the Indian tribe has signed the most recent tribal-state gaming compact and any applicable appendices or amendments. END_STATUTE