FanDuel opens first NBA in-stadium sportsbook lounge with Arizona's Phoenix Suns

The online gaming company FanDuel Group and the Phoenix Suns inaugurated Thursday their brand new retail FanDuel Sportsbook lounge, located in the Footprint Center - home of the basketball team -, as FanDuel launched its mobile sportsbook, online horse racing and deposit wagering platform TVG in Arizona. 

Governor Doug Ducey and the former Arizona Wildcats basketball players Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson held a ribbon-cutting and placed the ceremonial first bets on Thursday at 3 p.m.

The 7,400 square feet sportsbook has five betting windows plus one for VIPs, a large video wall, 40 HD televisions and 26 self-service kiosks. 

ALL BETS ARE ON 💰

Come visit our brand new @FanDuel Sportsbook, open now at @FootprintCNTR!

📲https://t.co/RKgxAzXITc

* Must be 21+ pic.twitter.com/bPAkcdnWvC

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) September 9, 2021

This comes on the heels of FanDuel launching its daily fantasy sports product in the state on August 28. Arizona is now the 11th state where the company offers mobile sports betting, aside from New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Colorado, Iowa, Illinous, Michigan and Tennessee.

The company also has retail sportsbook locations in these states. However, the Arizona sportsbook is, in the company’s own words, “the first of its kind to be located inside an NBA arena, bringing added excitement to Suns games and downtown Phoenix year-round”. 

Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group, spoke in a press release about the sportsbook launch in the state and said: "The fans of Arizona are some of the most passionate in sports, and that was evident during the Suns incredible playoff run this year. Together, FanDuel and the Suns share a mission of delivering absurdly fan-friendly experiences to our customers and we are excited to offer sports betting in a way that revolutionizes the live experience, and brings fans closer to the game. We are thankful to the Suns organization for their partnership and look forward to making our lounge in the Footprint Center one of the preeminent sportsbook locations in the entire country”.

Suns President and CEO Jason Rowley added: "Today is a defining moment for our organization, fans, and the entire State of Arizona. We're excited to partner with an innovative leader like FanDuel to bring the FanDuel Sportsbook to Footprint Center along with a multitude of new experiences to all sports fans. We're committed to continuing to elevate the gameday experience and engaging fans at the highest level possible, and  these new amenities are the latest example of our mission."

In April of this year, FanDuel announced a multi-year market access partnership with the Phoenix Suns, designating FanDuel as the Suns’ Official Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Sports Partner.

As detailed by the company, the FanDuel Sportsbook app in Arizona is “simple, secure and convenient”, with several key features including:

• New Parlay, with Same Game Parlay bets, which give bettors the ability to build a parlay using betting markets from the same game. 
• More bet types and markets on all major sports.
• An online betting guide to help customers learn the ins and outs of legal sports betting

Arizona residents can now also watch and wager on live horse racing through FanDuel’s TVG mobile app and website. 

The Arizona betting market went live on September 9 with the kick off of the NFL season. The state allows for 20 mobile sportsbook licenses: 10 to Native American tribes and 10 to professional sports venues. So far, 18 licenses have been issued, and 15 have announced which mobile sportsbook they will offer.