The Phoenix Suns are replacing the shuttered retail sportsbook at its home arena with a FanDuel-sponsored facility for season ticket members.
The NBA franchise announced on Wednesday a partnership with FanDuel to open a lounge for season ticket holders. These fans are members of what is called the PayPal Sixth Man program. The FanDuel Lounge is set to open in October 2025 for the Suns’ first home preseason game at PHX Arena, the team’s home since 1992.
Lounge will be open during WNBA and NBA games
The FanDuel Lounge will also be available to fans during next year’s WNBA season when fans come to see the Phoenix Mercury. While FanDuel is partnered with the Suns, the Mercury’s sports betting partner is Bally Bet.
“We are always looking for new ways to add value for our dedicated season ticket members,” said Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein. “The FanDuel Lounge is another investment in our membership experience and provides a premium space for all members to enjoy together on gamedays.”
The 6,000-square-foot facility will include an outdoor terrace and a full-service kitchen operated by OVG Hospitality. The FanDuel Lounge will also feature a marketplace.
FanDuel’s construction team collaborated with architecture firm Gensler for its design.
Suns and FanDuel close retail sportsbook
The team and sportsbook are rolling out the new fan experience after closing a brick-and-mortar sportsbook in July in the wake of lackluster profits. The FanDuel Lounge is replacing the retail sportsbook at PHX Arena that operated between 2021 and 2025.
The facility was the first sportsbook inside an NBA venue and featured five betting windows, a full-service bar and more than 20 self-service kiosks across 7,400 square feet. The new lounge will not feature betting windows.
The FanDuel powered operation was one of four retail sports wagering facilities in Arizona. BetMGM, Caesars and DraftKings each have a brick-and-mortar sportsbook in the state.
Retail sportsbooks at sports venues closing nationwide
FanDuel’s sportsbook at PHX Arena adds to recent closures of retail facilities in the U.S.
Washington, D.C.’s Audi Field closed retail operations of its FanDuel Sportsbook in February after opening the 2,700-square-foot location in 2022. The sportsbook also made history as the first brick-and-mortar wagering facility house inside an MLS stadium.
Earlier this year, Churchill Downs pulled its retail operations at its namesake racetrack in Kentucky after securing a deal with Kambi in 2023 to provide retail wagering in the state.
Progressive Field, home of the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, shut down its retail sportsbook in April after opening the facility in 2023. According to a report from Crain’s Cleveland Business, the brick-and-mortar sportsbooks lost roughly $226,000 in 2024.
