Through a new alliance with the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise (NNGE), Hard Rock International's Hard Rock Digital division has guaranteed market access in Arizona.
Under the deal, the operator's Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile app will start showing up in the state's controlled sports betting market.
Operating five gaming and hospitality sites across Arizona and New Mexico, the NNGE, a branch of the Navajo Nation, the biggest federally acknowledged Native American Nation in the US,
Hard Rock also provides internet sports betting in New Jersey and Iowa.
Hard Rock Digital executive managing director and chief executive Marlon Goldstein remarked, "We're delighted to partner with the NNGE to provide Arizona sports bettors a fun and engaging gameday experience through the Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile app."
"The Hard Rock brand is known worldwide for legendary hospitality and entertainment; we are thrilled to provide those experiences to Arizonans digitally with unmatched mobile sports betting."
"Mobile sports and event waggering is an important new offering that we're excited to introduce," NNGE interim chief executive Brian Parrish said. Our brick-and-mortar operations and the Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile sports wagering platform will provide a wide selection of wagers, marketing promotions and cross-marketing opportunities particular to the Navajo and Hard Rock brands.
The agreement follows revelations this week that operators in Arizona recorded adjusted sports betting income following free bets of $31.8m for November, up more than 200% month-on-month, despite reduced expenditure.
Across retail and mobile, $466.7m was bet over the month, a 4.0% monthly loss loss. Retail sports betting came to $7.4 million while mobile sports betting wagers hit $459.2 million.
Also this month, International Game Technology (IGT) said that by running the new SaharaBets betting service, it had increased its footprint in the burgeoning Arizona sports betting scene.
To provide its trade advice services and PlaySport technologies to the statewide mobile sports betting app, IGT teamed with Meruelo Gaming, owner of SaharaBets.
