Online CasinosArkansas

Q: 🤔 Are online casinos legal in Arkansas?

No, online casinos are not legal in Arkansas. This means that you are unable to legally gamble on games such as slots, blackjack, roulette, or online poker. There appears to be no indication that this will change any time soon.

Q: 🏈 Is online sports betting also illegal in Arkansas?

No, online sports betting is legal in Arkansas. It is one of the only legal online gambling options in the state, and bets can also be made in-person at the state’s casinos. We are hopeful that the success of the online sports betting market may influence the introduction of real money online casinos in Arkansas.

Q: 🃏 What forms of gambling are legal in Arkansas?

There are numerous types of gambling activities available for AR locals. Aside from sports betting, horse race betting, DFS, and the lottery, there are three land-based casinos that offer comprehensive casino gaming such as slots and table games.

Q: 👮 What is the penalty for online gambling in Arkansas?

According to Arkansas gambling laws , it is an offense to participate in unauthorized gambling. While no players have yet to be convicted of signing up with unlicensed sites, it appears that players charged will be handed a fine between $10 and $25 .

For most of its history, gambling has been outlawed in Arkansas. However, in the last two decades, the state has moved toward a more expanded gambling market. As there are no legal online casinos Arkansas for us to recommend, this article will instead focus on discussing the future outlook for the industry and other important details.

Expert-reviewed current Arkansas gambling situation
Overview of Arkansas online gambling laws
The future of online casinos Arkansas

0 Legal Online Casinos
2 Legal Land-Based Casinos
10 Legal Social Casinos
7 Legal Bingo/Lottery Games

Arkansas gambling history Popular casino games in the USA

Responsible Gaming
Arcansas Racing Commission

Laws Regarding Arkansas Online Casinos

Arkansas’ gambling laws are laid out in the Chapter 66 of Title 5 in the Arkansas Statutes. For almost a century, the laws outlawed most forms of gambling, though this first changed in 2009 when the state lottery was introduced. Since then, land-based casinos and sports betting have been legalized with licensed land-based operators.

As companies offering gambling must first be licensed by the state and there are no online casinos with such approval, there are no legal Arkansas online casinos. Although there are no laws being discussed to change this, we suggest you follow any law changes here.

Legal Online Gambling Options in Arkansas

For the time being, there aren’t many online gambling Arkansas options available for players. The only activity that has been authorized is daily fantasy sports (DFS), which was only approved after lawmakers wrote specific laws that considered DFS to not technically constitute gambling.

Some states that offer no online casinos may still permit mobile sports betting, online lottery ticket sales, or online horse racing. Until laws regarding online gambling in Arkansas are created and licenses approved, players are unable to gamble on any of those activities with an online operator.

The only alternative to real money online casinos in Arkansas are the social casinos, as player can enjoy their games legally without actually betting for cash.

The History of Arkansas Gambling

Gambling has long been outlawed in Arkansas, with its generally conservative constituency historically opposing any reforms. Since the early 1900s, pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing remained the only legal gambling option. The casino boom of Arkansas began when slots were authorized at the state’s existing racinos in 2005.

In 2007, charitable bingo and raffles were authorized and in 2009, the state legalized a lottery to raise funds for scholarship programs. In 2019, sports betting and expanded gambling was legalized at these same establishments. Gambling is currently regulated by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.

The History of US Online Gambling

While gambling issues tend to be left for state lawmakers to deal with, the federal government has frequently implemented laws to restrict online gambling. Over the past decade, several states have steered away from federal laws to build their own legal online gambling markets. The following are the only US states with licensed online casinos:

New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement
West Virginia Lottery
Michigan Gaming Control Board

The Federal Wire Act of 1961

The Federal Wire Act of 1961 was introduced to outlaw sports bet via wire communications in an effort to limit inter-state betting and cut income for criminal organizations. However, this was later interpreted to also restrict online sports betting. As the Arkansas online gambling laws have only legalized land-based sports betting, the law still has an effect on Arkansans.

Poker’s Black Friday

Black Friday refers to the day in 2011 that the US Department of Justice shut down the largest online poker sites in the USA for accepting players despite online gambling having been declared illegal by a 2006 federal act. The event effectively ended the 2000s online poker boom and set the likelihood of legal Arkansas online casinos back years.

Popular Online Casino Games in Legal US States

When trying to predict how a legal online casino industry in AR would look, it’s helpful to assess how the five states in the USA with legal online casino gambling have done it. Already, these states have signed up millions of players that have flocked to the many high-quality gambling options.

Popular activities include video slots, table games, and live dealer games. We are confident that these would be popular with Arkansas players too. In the upcoming section, we have explored which are the most popular games at online casinos in states where they are legal:

Blackjack
Roulette
Slots
Poker

Online Blackjack

In Arkansas, the state’s land-based casinos are allowed to host blackjack. Although the game has only been legal for two years in the state, the game has become very popular with locals. While it is a game of chance, a certain degree of skill is helpful to make informed plays.

If online blackjack in Arkansas were legal, we believe that it would be incredibly popular. Furthermore, online blackjack offers a great opportunity to practice your strategy, as buy-ins can be much lower than land-based games. Some variants even allow for multiple hands and side bets.

Online Roulette

As of 2018, roulette is also allowed at Arkansas’s two tribal racinos. The game is a casino classic for a reason and is loved the world over for its elegance and fast pace. While the variants available in most US casinos offer the American variant of roulette, online casinos typically offer European versions as well.

This variant is actually preferable, as the European version only has one zero slot while the American variant has two. This means the chances to win are slightly higher and so it is always worth the European version. Online roulette in Arkansas would surely be popular, especially if live dealer games are also offered.

Online Slots

Since being legalized in 2005, more than 5,000 slot machines have sprung up in the state. These are by far the most popular gambling activity at land-based casinos and surely would be if online casino gambling was legalized in Arkansas.

Online slots are great because they come in an endless variety of themes and game styles. Many have wide betting variances and come loaded with special features you’d rarely find in land-based casinos. There are also always new slots being released, so if online casinos Arkansas are made legal, players would always have something new to try.

Poker Options

Arkansas offers poker at all of its racinos, with most card rooms using automatic card dealers in place of real-life dealers. This should then mean that players won’t have too much to get used to if online poker in Arkansas was legalized. In states such as Pennsylvania, players can enjoy both online and video poker games.

Video poker games are played against computers, while online poker is played against other real-life players. There is usually always a cash game or tournament to take part in, and many world-famous poker players rely on online poker to improve their skills and earn cash. Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Stud are just a few of the poker types available online.

Land-Based Casinos in Arkansas

Land-based casino gambling was outlawed in Arkansas until 2018 when voters approved an effort to grant licenses to four gambling establishments. The first two casinos were launched in 2019 at the Oaklawn Racing Complex and the Southland Racetrack. Both casinos now offer over one thousand slots and 30 table games each.

The Saracen Casino and Resort, a third casino, was opened in 2020 and is run by the Quapaw National of Oklahoma. There are two more proposed casinos currently under revision for licenses. All of these casinos in Arkansas also offer hotel accommodations, live entertainment, and high-quality food and beverage services.

Arkansas Land-Based Casinos Overview

Fred Williams Author and Casino Expert

Southland Casino Racing Complex	🍒 2,000 slot machines, 🃏 40 table games
Saracen Casino Resort	🍒 2,000 slot machines, 🃏 30 table games
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort	🍒 1,530 slot machines, 🃏 32 table games

Differences Between Land-Based and Online Casinos

Many frequent visitors of land-based casinos may be wondering why they would want to sign up with an online casino, but there are actually many perks to them. Firstly, online casinos offer a much more convenient experience. They also regularly release new games and offer new players bonuses such as free spins.

On the other hand, land-based casinos offer a great opportunity to socialize and meet new people in an exciting and elegant atmosphere. There are also many more entertainment options that elevate the overall experience. If online gambling Arkansas is expanded, we recommend you try both to experience all the advantages.

Will Online Casinos Arkansas Be Legal Soon?

While we would love to have dedicated this guide to recommend the best Arkansas online casinos, it seems like it could be a while until this is possible. There are no laws seeking to expand online casino gambling being considered, and voters may still be hesitant to expand gambling so soon after land-based casinos were approved.

The Future of Gambling in Arkansas

While the future of online casinos Arkansas remains uncertain, there is a push to expand the state’s online gambling laws to allow for online sports betting. In April of 2020, a bill was introduced to allow casino license-holders to operate mobile sports betting platforms. The bill has yet to be debated.

As it stands, the bill would allow bettors to register online with operators and would permit each of the state’s four casinos to host up to three bookmaker variations. The Arkansas Racing Commission would oversee the activities. If the move is successful, this could be a strong indicator of the state’s attitude toward online casinos.

Conclusion: No Legal Online Casinos in Arkansas

Although online casinos Arkansas remain illegal, we are hopeful that this could change in the future. In the past five years alone, the state has made huge advances in creating a legal online gambling market. It has also expanded its land-based gambling offerings to permit casino games, signaling a major change in approach.

For now, the closest state that players can gamble online is in Tennessee, which has recently launched online-only sports betting. For online casino games, the closest state with a legal market is West Virginia. If you are ever visiting these states, we recommend you try your luck with their top online gambling platforms.

Arkansas offers land-based casino gambling but no online casino options. The next few years could change this though as the state gradually becomes more progressive on the issue.

Fred Williams Author and Casino Expert

Gambling in Arkansas

FAQs About Online Gambling Arkasas

If you have any burning queries about Arkansas’ online casinos market or lack thereof, we have you covered. In this upcoming section, we’ve provided accurate answers to common questions about gambling in Arkansas so you don’t need to read the whole article.

🤔 Are online casinos legal in Arkansas?

No, online casinos are not legal in Arkansas. This means that you are unable to legally gamble on games such as slots, blackjack, roulette, or online poker. There appears to be no indication that this will change any time soon.

🏈 Is online sports betting also illegal in Arkansas?

No, online sports betting is legal in Arkansas. It is one of the only legal online gambling options in the state, and bets can also be made in-person at the state’s casinos. We are hopeful that the success of the online sports betting market may influence the introduction of real money online casinos in Arkansas.

🃏 What forms of gambling are legal in Arkansas?

There are numerous types of gambling activities available for AR locals. Aside from sports betting, horse race betting, DFS, and the lottery, there are three land-based casinos that offer comprehensive casino gaming such as slots and table games.

👮 What is the penalty for online gambling in Arkansas?

According to Arkansas gambling laws, it is an offense to participate in unauthorized gambling. While no players have yet to be convicted of signing up with unlicensed sites, it appears that players charged will be handed a fine between $10 and $25.