Gambling in Arkansas 

Until late 2018 gambling in Arkansas was law-restricted to pari-mutuel, lottery and bingo. For years the state has seen revenues flow out of the city and just over its borders to large casinos that had conveniently sprung up in neighboring Missisippi, Oklahoma and Missouri.

However, in a landmark decision, in November 2018, the state’s voters chose to legalize casino operations in four counties. This decision allowed two established pari-mutuel venues to expand their casino facilities.

There are also current plans for at least two further large casino hotels, which, if approved are planned for 2020. Arkansas is a state to watch for its future online gambling laws and activities, also in its cities Little Rock, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale, Jonesboro, North Little Rock, Conway, Rogers, Bentonville, Pine Bluff.

Minimum legal gambling age in Arkansas: 18+ (horse racing, lottery, bingo), 21+ (casino, betting – expected)

Online Sports Betting in Arkansas

Arkansas has jumped many of the hurdles which come with legalizing sports betting and are now able to legally open sportsbooks. Southland Casino Racing will house the first sportsbook available in the state. However, the opening date is still TBA. Southland has begun advertising though so the launch of the BetLucky online sports betting site could be any day now.

Online Casino Gambling in Arkansas

Just as with online sports betting, casinos are also now legal in Arkansas. Two have already been opened with at least two more coming soon, by 2020. The casinos are located on the grounds of the established thoroughbred racetracks of Southland Casino Racing and Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. All casino games are available in video or live form.

Southland Casino Racing

Located in West Memphis and originally a greyhound track with over 400 races a year, this venue has recently expanded into a full-fledge casino available to anyone over the age of 21. They have always offered their greyhound races as well as simulcast greyhound and thoroughbred racing from around the country. Table games were also available but only of the video variety such as video blackjack or video poker. There are no slots as games of chance, not requiring any skill are illegal in Arkansas. It is important to note that their recent expansion has brought live table games such as blackjack, hold’em, craps, and roulette to Southland making it a true casino.

Online Poker in Arkansas

Playing online poker in Arkansas is considered illegal. There will be no legal online poker options anytime soon, that’s for sure. That said, it is not illegal to play poker online in Arkansas, just illegal to set up a website for it. For this reason, Arkansas players use any of the numerous off-shore online poker sites for real money games.

Online Lotteries in Arkansas

The lottery in Arkansas has been legal for years now and is a fine operation. All of the major games are available such as Mega Millions and Powerball. The lottery is available for players over the age of 18 at any of the many licensed retailers.

Fantasy Sports in Arkansas

Since April of 2017, wagering on DFS has been legal in the state of Arkansas. The DFS industry has seen its fair-share of pushback from many states but not in Arkansas where players can utilize sites like FanDuel, Yahoo DFS, FantasyDraft or DraftKings on a daily basis.

Horse Racing Betting in Arkansas

Horse racing in Arkansas has long been a very popular gambling product for the state. The state has two major race tracks in Southland Casino Racing and Oaklawn Racing Casino and even offer online horse betting from online horse racing betting websites TVG, BetAmerica, and Twinspires (Myracebet).

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort

Horse racing enthusiasts will immediately recognize the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort as it has been a top-rated thoroughbred track for over a century. Located in Hot Springs, Oaklawn has also expanded its reach to include table games turning it into a major casino player. Just as Southland, Oaklawn had video versions of table games for sometime but is now allowed to offer live versions of the most popular table games such as blackjack, craps, and roulette. Players must be over the age of 21 and parts of the resort, such as the track, operate seasonally. Oaklawn carries plenty of perks for visitors as well with restaurants and shopping as well as a rewards program in the casino.

Want to know more about Arkansas online gambling laws, taxes and development?

Follow updates at statelaws.findlaw.com/arkansas-law/arkansas-gambling-laws and read the local news at fox16.com/local-news/