The Arizona Department of Gaming said tribal gaming contributed just under $43.6 million to the Arizona Benefits Fund in the fourth quarter, up 3% year on year. The department said total contributions for the year reached $157.2 million, with $22.5 million allocated to education.
The contribution supports Arizona state and local funds, including education, through tribal gaming revenue.
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It was reported that an Arizona Department of Gaming survey found 84% of adults had gambled during the preceding year. The survey also found weekly gambling among 30% of adults.
Elise Mikkelsen, director of Arizona’s Division of Problem Gambling, warned that adults face increasing gambling-related risks. She cited more frequent participation, with 30% of adults gambling weekly.
Arizona and Colorado reported lower sports betting handle in March, according to state figures cited in the report. Arizona’s handle fell 5.7% year on year to $836.9 million, while Colorado’s declined 9% to $560.9 million; tax revenue rose in both states. Arizona’s Department of Gaming said it did not attribute the decline to any single factor.
The District Court for Arizona issued a preliminary injunction on 5 May 2026 barring the state from taking criminal or civil action against event contracts traded on CFTC-regulated designated contract markets. The ruling followed Arizona’s prosecution of Kalshi for operating without a state licence and the CFTC and Department of Justice’s challenge to the state’s enforcement.
A federal judge in Arizona issued a preliminary injunction on 5 May blocking state prosecutors from pursuing gambling-related charges against Kalshi, according to the report. The judge ruled that federal law likely pre-empts Arizona gambling statutes in this case because Kalshi operates under Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight; the state had brought 20 misdemeanor counts.