With the team's former assets now part of the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City and a canceled auction to build a new stadium, the Arizona Coyotes franchise may lose its betting license.
The ability to play NHL hockey may not be the only loss suffered by the Arizona Coyotes this year.
On Friday, the Arizona Coyotes reported that the state had canceled an auction on a site the team was considering for building its new home stadium. Amid its struggle to find a home, the inactive NHL franchise now risks losing its sports betting license.
The Coyotes have been inactive since owner Alex Merulo sold the team's NHL players and game operations to Utah's Ryan and Ashley Smith in April. And while he still technically owns the name rights, team IP, records, and AHL (American Hockey League) affiliate franchise, it's now been reported that Merulo is set to walk away entirely.
Despite being classified as inactive, the Coyotes are still one of eight Arizona sports franchises eligible for a sports betting license from the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG). Currently, the Coyotes offer sports betting in Arizona through a partnership with SaharaBet. However, without a venue to play its home games, the Coyotes are at risk of losing their betting license.
“Today, after a year of planning and meeting every obligation required under Arizona law, the Arizona State Land Department unilaterally canceled the auction that was scheduled to occur on 27 June for the site that has been identified as the future home of the Arizona Coyotes," the team said in a statement. "This unprecedented action by the state of Arizona seriously jeopardizes the future of NHL hockey returning to the desert.”
Betting licenses are a hot topic in Arizona as the ADG has announced plans to accept license applicants on July 8, with two new sportsbooks potentially being added to the state's catalog.
Zivhas been deep in the iGaming trenches for over 20 years, long before most people could spell "geolocation compliance." With a background in marketing and business development at some of the biggest names in gambling tech, Ziv knows the industry from the inside out. Since joining Covers, he's turned his sharp eye (and sharper keyboard) toward everything happening in the fast-moving world of online gambling. Whether it's new state launches, the latest twists in regulation, or what the big operators and game providers are cooking up next, Ziv breaks it all down with clarity, context, and just the right amount of snark. He covers the business side of betting, from affiliate trends and revenue reports to the tech powering your favorite slots. His motto in writing is “let’s make it make sense without putting you to sleep.”
When he’s not tracking gambling legislation or looking for the next breaking story, Ziv is living and dying with every pitch and play from his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. As a Pitt graduate, it’s a city loyalty forged in heartbreak, but one he wouldn’t trade for anything, except maybe a few more playoff wins.
When away from the keyboard, Ziv loves to hit the road and soak up the energy of casinos. Whether strolling the neon jungle called the Vegas Strip, or wandering into a smoky riverboat casino in the Midwest, Ziv’s in his element. He’s the guy chatting with players, blackjack dealers, and asking pit bosses way too many questions, all in the name of “research,” of course. The casino floor isn’t just his workplace, it’s a weird and wonderful ecosystem of flashing lights, wild characters, and pure sensory overload, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on
this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide
any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in
your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner
of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.
