12 Dec 8th–Dec 14th, 2022 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | Questions? Feedback? Email me at [email protected] • Follow me on RATING (out of 5 McFly’s) It’s a Mcconaughey: 2023 honda hR-V 2023 honda hR-V I f you ask Matthew McConaughey what he thinks about the 2023 Honda HR-V, he will tell you it’s “alright, alright, alright.” And that would sum up the Honda HR-V perfectly. It’s one of those vehicles that looks fine, has just enough space for the normal life, drives smoothly with minimal pep, has decent fuel economy (25/30 MPG), doesn’t feel like a POS when you’re sitting inside. It’s not a show stopper but wasn’t designed to be. Functional, affordable and with every penny of the $30,590 price tag. The Honda HR-V is just a little smaller than the CR-V sibling and fits into the portfolio nicely. Are you going to turn heads? No. But the purchase will make you feel, Alright, Alright, Alright. Pick-Up: Handling: Comfort: Passenger Comfort: Safety & Security: Sound System: Access to Controls: Bells & Whistles: Overall: Looks: ‘It’s a Little Scary’ Tribes fear losing their grip on Arizona’s hot sports betting market. BY ELIAS WEISS T he National Indian Gaming Association came to Fort McDowell recently and cele- brated a historic year in the state for tribal gaming — but it also aired concerns that the honeymoon could soon be over. The association, a coalition of more than 250 federally recognized tribal nations, convened for its annual midyear conference at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort on November 14-16. The event drew some of the biggest names in gaming, including hedge fund investor Soo Kim, who owns the Bally Sports budding casino brand; Thomas Reeg, CEO of Las Vegas behemoth Caesars Entertainment; and Brett Calapp, CEO of Desert Diamond Sports. The casino leaders enjoyed a sumptuous lunch spread, smiling and cracking jokes inside the resort’s impressive Wassaja Conference Center. Out-of-town leaders marveled at breathtaking views of the Red Mountains and Sonoran Desert as gamblers played cards and slots just outside. But the topic of conversation quickly turned dire. Native American tribes fear they’re losing their grip on the red-hot sports betting market in Arizona, which is the biggest state in the West for sports betting. It’s been a year since the debut of sports betting in Arizona, with 20 licenses spread throughout both commercial and tribal gaming enterprises ushering in a new era of competition in the state. One big ques- tion remains: How are the tribes holding up in Arizona? They’re holding up well, for now, having carved out a portion of the $5.4 billion wagered in the state in its first year of legal betting, according to Maxwell Hartgraves, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Gaming. But some tribes are wary of the end of a honeymoon phase as they stare down the reality of not being able to compete with commercial sportsbook behemoths in Arizona forever. Instead, they’ll try to use them to draw traffic into their casinos. So Far, So Good Tribes contributed a record $123.6 million to government agencies this year, according to a recent report from the Arizona Department of Gaming. Each tribe contributes between 1 percent and 8 percent of its revenue to local, county, and state governments, with nearly 90 percent of that contribution going to the gaming department. “It is safe to say 2022 was historic for Arizona tribal gaming,” said Ted Vogt, director of the Arizona Department of Gaming. “I am ecstatic to see the highest levels of tribal contributions to the state following the Amended Tribal-State Gaming Compact signed by Governor [Doug] Ducey last year.” Although the compact places limita- tions on casinos, it gives tribes exclusive ownership rights over casinos in Arizona. As a result, the only entities that can own and run casinos in the state are tribes. But in the state’s budding sports betting market, that’s not the case. While tribal contributions this year were the most ever, some tribal leaders said the government is the only one cele- brating. Tribal sports betting platforms saw $208 million in revenue and gave $30 million back to the state in privilege fees alone, according to the state gaming department. It’s not a sustainable model as commercial competition creeps further into the state’s sports betting market. “The big fear now is loss of exclusivity,” said Jason Giles, executive director of the National Indian Gaming Association. “Gaming is the only thing that has ever worked for us. Since 1492 when Columbus landed, it’s the only thing that has worked. That’s why we fight so hard.” The compact that Ducey signed into law in April 2021 allowed for 20 sports betting licenses — 10 to tribes and 10 to profes- sional sports teams. But there are 22 feder- ally recognized tribes in Arizona, many of | NEWS | Elias Weiss Charlene Jackson, an attorney representing the Hualapai Tribe, feels as though Native Americans were left behind in the advent of sportsbook gambling in Arizona.
