Senate Bill 1468 would have legalized fantasy sports in the state of Arizona however it has failed to be passed. The bill was sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix, with support from the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. The bill ran into resistance from lobbying by the Native American gaming organization that opposed the legislation.
If the bill had passed then it would have made legal in the state for players to win prizes while participating in the growing fantasy football industry. The failure of passing of the bill means that Arizona is only one in a handful of states that currently make it illegal to take prize money for fantasy games and in to participate in some leagues such as the National Fantasy Baseball Championship which lists under its restrictions "residents of Washington State, Louisiana, Montana, Arizona, Iowa, and Vermont are not eligible to register or play in the NFBC."
FtSb Says: The FSTA has had recent success in the support of bills at the state level to legalize fantasy sports. Their efforts also include support of legislation in Iowa to also legalize fantasy sports. Fantasy sports is legal at the federal level. The opposition of he Native American gaming organization should also be of note. It would be in their best interest to block any forms of games and entertainment that could divert revenue from the casinos and gaming ventures. In this case, they clearly see a threat from fantasy sports and the type of money generating activities that fantasy games can create.
