NEWSLETTER
States across the country are opening their doors to online, retail, and mobile sports betting. The top sportsbooks are fighting for new users across the country. What about retail and online sportsbooks in Arkansas? Here’s everything you need to know about online sports betting in Arkansas.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Arkansas?
Yes, sports betting with retail locations or an online sportsbook is legal in the state of Arkansas. The Arkansas Racing Commission is in charge of regulating legal sports betting in the state. This includes online betting, mobile betting, and retail options.
Arkansas Online Sports Betting and Betting Sites
The online options for Arkansas sports betting sites are extremely limited. The top sportsbook brands from around the country are not available at the moment to accept sports wagers. The only sportsbook apps or websites available are Betly, BetSaracen, and Oaklawn.
It’s unclear if more Arkansas sportsbook options will be available online in the future. For now, Arkansas bettors have just these three to choose from. The online sports betting rules allow for up to eight sportsbooks to launch in the state. We might eventually see DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, and more enter the state.
Latest Arkansas Sports Betting News
Retail sports betting has been available at three locations since 2018. Online sports betting apps and sites became available in April 2022. A major reason we might not have seen several of the top sportsbooks go live in Arkansas is the 51% of revenue each book must pay to the state. That’s a major hurdle for the top Arkansas online sportsbooks.
These limits the sports betting options in the state to just a couple of online sportsbooks at the moment as well as three retail locations. These are the only Arkansas sportsbooks if you are looking to bet on sports in Arkansas.
Best Arkansas Retail Locations
There are a few retail locations where you can bet at casinos in Arkansas. These are the Arkansas casinos that you can visit as a sports bettor to make wagers under the sports betting law.
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort
Southland Casino Racing
Saracen Casino Resort
Sports Teams to Bet on in Arkansas
Now that sports betting is legal, Arkansas bettors are wondering what are the best teams to wager on in the sports betting market in the state. Arkansas doesn’t have any professional sports teams but there are top teams in nearby states that draw plenty of interest.
For college sports, there is the University of Arkansas which competes in the SEC against top programs such as Alabama, LSU, and Georgia. There are a few more colleges worth taking a look at like Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas State, and Central Arkansas.
Horse Race Betting in Arkansas
Both live and online betting on horse races is legal in Arkansas. The state is even host to one of the most prestigious horse races in the country, the Arkansas Derby. Held every April at Oaklawn Park, the race features 3-year-old thoroughbreds running 1⅛ miles on dirt for a purse of $1.25 million.
The race has seen notable winners such as Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones, and Preakness and Belmont winner Afleet Alex.
Daily Fantasy Sports in Arkansas
Arkansans have had the legal ability to participate in daily fantasy sports competitions for several years. In April 2017, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed HB 2250 into law, which allowed DFS platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel to legally operate in the state.
This was the first legalization of its kind in 2017 and the ninth overall. The law comes with few restrictions or consumer protections for participants, with DFS sites only required to pay a flat 8% tax to the state, which is the primary focus of the four-page act.
Arkansas Sports Betting FAQ
Yes. Sports betting has been legal in Arkansas since 2018 at retail locations. The state moved to offer mobile sports betting options in 2022.
Yes. You can bet on both college and professional sports in the state of Arkansas. There are no restrictions like in some of the other states in the US.
There are just a few sportsbooks available. The best mobile sportsbook options at the moment are Betly, BetSaracen, and Oaklawn.
If you are looking to make your first legal sports bet, you have to bet at least 21 years old in the state of Arkansas.
21+ and Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
