Hard Rock Digital is teaming up with the Navajo Nation to launch a mobile sportsbook in Arizona, the companies announced on Thursday.
The new app will give Hard Rock a presence in a third state, along with New Jersey and Iowa, and will be an enhanced version of what the company was offering in Florida, according to Hard Rock spokesman Jon Chapper. Hard Rock pulled its app in Florida following a series of court rulings against the legality of sports wagering in that state.
Last September, the Arizona Department of Gaming licensed 10 Arizona Indian tribes, including the Navajo Nation, as well as eight professional sports teams to offer sports wagering. BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, Unibet, Barstool and WynnBET were the first seven sportsbook operators to go live in Arizona last September.
Launch expected by April
The Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized Native American nation in the U.S., with an enrolled membership of 401,000, while the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise (NNGE) operates five gaming operations across Arizona and New Mexico.
“Mobile sports and event wagering is an important new offering that we’re excited to introduce,” Brian Parrish, NNGE interim chief executive officer, said in a statement. “The Hard Rock sportsbook mobile sports wagering platform and our brick-and-mortar operations will offer a broad range of wagers, marketing promotions, and cross-marketing offers that will be unique to the Navajo and Hard Rock brands.”
The companies expect to launch the app sometime in the first quarter of this year, Chapper said.
Image courtesy of Hard Rock Digital
