EndGame: News From Arizona, Ohio, Colorado, Minnesota

The U.S. sports betting world moves quickly and unpredictably in 2026. In order to properly take stock of it all, we offer InGame’s “EndGame,” an end-of-week compilation of the top storylines, some overlooked items, and all the other news bits from this past week that we found interesting.

Circa entering Arizona market

Circa Sports is preparing to make Arizona its seventh online sports betting state after winning licensing approval from the Arizona Department of Gaming. The state recently had a new application window from June 26-July 10 to add to its number of sportsbook operators, with Circa becoming the only new licensee and the 15th to be approved overall since 2021.

Arizona allows access for online operators through partnerships with either professional sports organizations or tribal governments, and Circa is partnering with the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. While 10 licensing platforms are permitted through tribal partnerships, the state had been down to six that were live after Sporttrade ceased to take bets in the state and elsewhere in May. Circa’s site will return the state to seven platforms through tribes and seven through operators’ agreements with sports franchises, but it is expected to be months before Circa begins taking bets in the state.

📢 TODAY: ADG has allocated an event wagering operator license to Circa Sports Arizona LLC as the designee for the the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.

Full press release here: https://t.co/g9Ogzm59CZ pic.twitter.com/jYSjNJQE6q
— Arizona Department of Gaming (@AzGaming) August 3, 2026

Ohio to become more online gaming friendly?

Under Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio lawmakers legalized in-person and online sports betting in December 2021, but since then DeWine has clearly shown his disdain for it. The governor pushed through a doubling of the online sports betting tax six months after launch and tried unsuccessfully for a second increase a year later. He also backed a bill that would all but eliminate online sports betting.

It appears that no matter who replaces DeWine in November — he is term limiting out of office — the climate for gambling in Ohio could become friendlier. Cleveland.com reported on Sunday that two of the candidates to replace DeWine — Democratic nominee Amy Acton and Libertarian candidate Don Kissick — are open to legalizing online casino. Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy hasn’t offered a clear position, but he also hasn’t voiced opposition to the current sports betting setup or the legalization of online casino.

— Jill R. Dorson

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Colorado regulator exploring single wallets

The Colorado Division of Gaming’s sports betting team sent a notice to stakeholders Wednesday as it seeks to better understand how universal wallets work. The regulator asked operators: “if a wallet is funded via credit card in a state where it is permitted, how does your organization segregate or restrict those funds if the user transitions to or operates in a state where credit card funding is prohibited?”

Stakeholders are invited to send comments or talk with the regulator about how credit card funds are segregated and how credit card funds may be restricted if such funding is not legal in one jurisdiction. Comments may be sent to [email protected] by Aug. 17.

The inquiry comes as the division of gaming is considering a rule change that would ban funding gaming accounts “directly or indirectly” via credit card.

— Jill R. Dorson

Minnesota senator takes issue with Kalshi-NCPG

Minnesota state Sen. John Marty sent a letter to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in support of the Michigan Gaming Control Board’s withdrawal from the organization after the council announced a partnership with prediction market Kalshi. The MGCB in early July withdrew its membership and stated that the partnership with Kalshi “creates confusion” as it implies that the prediction market is subject to rigorous state regulation, which it is not.

In Marty’s letter, he wrote that the partnership “is accepting, and giving credence to, deceptive messaging from Kalshi” and that the partnership “undercuts the very mission of NCPG. No amount of money is worth undermining your mission.”

The state of Minnesota is currently in court with Kalshi over a new state law banning prediction markets, and last week a federal judge there ruled that the platform could continue to operate while the litigation continues.

— Jill R. Dorson

Odds and ends

Kambi will be providing its business services in Nevada for the first time through a 10-year deal it announced this week with Station Casinos. Kambi, a major B2B operator internationally, will provide its turnkey sportsbook and player account management platform to Station’s betting operations. Station Casinos is an off-Strip gaming leader in Nevada, operating more than 20 properties.
The UNLV Oral History Research Center has a new topic of interest: the stories of the most influential bookmakers in creating Nevada’s sports betting industry. An advisory committee headed by gaming industry veteran Richard Schuetz and UNLV gaming historian David G. Schwartz will identify 10 historically significant bookmakers to provide their oral histories on how the sports betting industry was shaped, according to the American Bettors’ Voice announcement at the annual BetBash event in Las Vegas this week.
Repercussions continue in the United Kingdom from a new sports betting tax hike implemented in April. Betfred has announced plans to close 132 of its more than 1,200 betting shops, costing some 600 employees their jobs, according to a report from iGaming Business. The news follows previous reductions announced by Evoke in its volume of William Hill shops and Entain in its number of Ladbrokes shops.
With the rise of prediction markets in the sports betting space comes a new organization aiming to advocate for the customers who use them: the Sports Traders Union. A report from Sportico said the group is primarily made up of professional sports bettors with prominent social media presences, such as Captain Jack Andrews and Rufus Peabody. The new organization aims to have prediction market operators set their minimum age at 21, provide addiction resources, release data on retail user losses, and make other reforms.