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Is Real Money Online Gambling Legal in Arkansas?
Arkansas has online casinos available that enable residents and visitors to gamble online through offshore operators. This page covers some of the real-money online casinos available to AR players, revealing the best slot casino, the best crypto casino, and the best casino bonus available to Arkansans, among others.
It will explain Arkansas’ complex gambling laws, and offer information about where to find land-based commercial casinos, card rooms, sportsbooks, and horse racing tracks as well. The guide also digs into AR’s gambling history, and shares responsible gaming resources for players experiencing problem gambling issues as well.
Disclosure: At GamblingSites.com, our mission is to connect you with the best gambling sites and informational resources available. If you click one of the links on our site, we may earn a commission payment at no extra charge to you.
Top Sites for Online Gambling in Arkansas
Sites- Bovada – Best Arkansas Gambling Site
- SlotsandCasino – Best Slot Casino for AR
- BetUS – Best Sports Betting Site for Arkansans
- Ignition Casino – Best AR Poker Site
- BC.Game – Best Crypto Site for Arkansans
- Red Dog Casino – Best Bonus for Arkansans
- DuckyLuck Casino – Best Arkansas Live Dealer Site
- EveryGame – Best Table Game Site for AR
Bovada Best Arkansas Gambling Site
Bovada has been a one-stop shop for gamblers and sports bettors for well over a decade. With casinos and other gambling operations thin on the ground in Arkansas, Bovada brings all the choices to you—all in a single package.
Bet the ponies at Oaklawn (or any track in the country). Bet on the Razorbacks, or even the Arkansas Attack. Keep an eye on your parleys while relaxing at a live dealer blackjack table. Play one of the many progressive jackpot slots from Rival. You can even try your hand at Texas Hold’em in Bovada’s popular live poker room.
You don’t need to drive all over Arkansas to find what the gambling options you want — Bovada brings the best of all possible gambling sites.
- Bonus: 125% up to $3,750
- Visit Site
- Read Review
SlotsandCasino Best Slot Casino for AR
SlotsandCasino has a healthy 500+ inventory of the newest and best slot games from BetSoft, Saucify, Dragon Gaming, and Spinomenal (among others). If it’s progressive jackpots you’re looking for, try hitting the spin buttons on 777 Deluxe ($140,000+ jackpot), or Jackpot Jam (three jackpots ranging from thousands of dollars to tens of thousands).
If themed slots are your thing, there are wild animal themes, mystical and historical themes, Arabian nights, fairy tales from every corner of the world, science fiction, even anime-themed slots.
And diamonds? Sure, you could drive down to Crater of Diamonds State Park, but wouldn’t it be easier to play Diamond Dazzle, Wild Diamond Diver, or even Diamond Rhino Jackpot?
- Bonus: 500% up to $7,500
- Visit Site
- Read Review
BetUS Best Sports Betting Site for Arkansans
If you like betting on sports, then BetUS is your jam. Long on our list of best sports betting sites, BetUS offers 27 different categories of sports wagering goodness, ranging from pro and college football games, to hockey, golf–they even cover table tennis!
BetUS also offers opportunities to wager on (and watch) esports like Counter Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, and Starcraft 2, to name but a few.
Add in a well-built race book, and you’ll find yourself with a new favorite online sportsbook. Whether you want bet the moneyline on the Arkansas Razorbacks or pick a superfecta for the seventh at Oaklawn, BetUS has you covered.
- Bonus: 125% up to $2,500
- Visit Site
- Read Review
Ignition Casino Best AR Poker Site
Live poker isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy that all-in feeling, you can’t go wrong at Ignition Casino’s live poker room. One of the newer additions to our list of best poker sites, Ignition is part of the PaiWangLuo Poker Network, which routinely boasts 2,000 concurrent players.
The user interface is designed to be intuitive and simple. You’ll easily find whatever you’re looking for at the hold’em and Omaha tables—no limit, pot limit, fixed limit. And you’ll have your selection of a range of stakes levels from 2 cents/5 cents to $2.50/$5,
Plenty of 6- and 9-seat tables, sit & go’s, and tournaments will keep even the most jaded poker fan alert and excited. With something for everyone, you’ll quickly find the games you want at the stakes you feel comfortable with at Ignition.
- Bonus: 300% up to $3,000
- Visit Site
- Read Review
BC.Game Best Crypto Site for Arkansans
BC.Game not only has one of the best cryptocurrency bonuses going, but the site even features its own in-house currency: the BCD (BCGame USD). The BCD essentially fixes your bankroll to the US dollar, making it much easier to understand exactly what state your bankroll is in at any moment.
Arkansas gamblers have the choice of 100 different crypto coins, but don’t think you’re limited to crypto when making a deposit. BC.Game also works well with MoonPay, which means your credit card can be used to purchase crypto and then transfer it to BC.Game, converting your crypto to BCD (1-for-1 to US dollars).
Making a withdrawal can be either a bank transfer to your bank in US dollars, or converting your BCD into one of 20+ cryptocurrencies and depositing to your e-wallet. If you need no other reason to like BC.Game, all of its withdrawals option take two days or less to complete.
- Bonus: 360% up to 100,000 BCD
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- Read Review
Red Dog Casino Best Bonus for Arkansans
If you’re no stranger to the casino experience, then you understand that welcome and reload bonuses are one of the main ways online casinos reward the loyalty of their patrons.
Red Dog Casino is our choice for Arkansas gamblers looking for the best casino bonus, and here’s why: welcome, reload, and even daily bonuses abound.
Use daily promo codes to score new extras on deposits, such as a slots & cards bonus of up to $1500, plus 80 spins on Cash Bandits Museum Heist. Or, how about a 250% match bonus that includes 50 free spins on Asgard Deluxe?
Whether your deposit choices are cash or crypto, you’ll make each one count with the use of one of Red Dog’s ever-flowing fountain of bonuses.
- Bonus: 250% Up to $8,000
- Visit Site
- Read Review
DuckyLuck Casino Best Arkansas Live Dealer Site
DuckyLuck has partnered with Fresh Deck Studios to provide Arkansas gamblers with the best live dealer experience available. You’ll find entertaining and professional dealers at every blackjack, roulette, and baccarat table. The lighting is good, and the background shows dealers working at other tables—which is very reminiscent of a table game pit at a high-end Vegas casino.
There’s American (00) roulette, European (single 0) roulette, and several auto-roulette tables (both American and European wheels). The dealers here keep the game moving and tend to be more friendly and informative than dealers you find at other sites.
Arkansans will also find pros working behind the blackjack tables. These tables are at varied stakes levels, and offer afford several different versions of blackjack—one of which includes Russian blackjack, a game that changes the value of face cards. It’s a game you won’t find at most live dealer sites, but you will find this challenging (and lucrative) game at DuckyLuck.
- Bonus: 500% up to $7,500
- Visit Site
- Read Review
EveryGame Best Table Game Site for AR
Arkansans looking for the best table game experience will want to make a stop at EveryGame. A quick survey of the site’s inventory gives us American blackjack, European blackjack, and Super 21, all of which work smoothly on all platforms.
You’ll also find both American and European versions of roulette. And if you like jackpots but find them sadly absent at the table games, you’re going to like the two Caribbean table games—Caribbean hold’em poker and Caribbean stud poker. Both of these have a substantial progressive jackpot attached to them (our reviewer reported it as well over $160,000 in the summer of 2023).
It’s pleasant surprises like this that make EveryGame our choice for Arkansas’ best table game site.
- Bonus: 200% up to $7,777
- Visit Site
- Read Review
Arkansas Gambling Sites Compared
CompareSite | B.E.S.T. Rating | Welcome Bonus | Specialty | Review | Visit Site |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bovada | 4.5 | 125% up to $3,750 | Best Overall | Read Review | Visit Bovada |
SlotsandCasino | 4.5 | 300% up to $4,550 | Best Slot Casino | Read Review | Visit SlotsandCasino |
BetUS | 4.5 | 125% up to $3,125 | Best Sportsbook | Read Review | Visit BetUS |
Ignition Casino | 4.5 | 300% up to $3,000 | Best Poker Site | Read Review | Visit Ignition Casino |
BC.Game | 4 | 360% up to 100,000 BCD | Best Crypto Site | Read Review | Visit BC.Game |
Red Dog Casino | 4 | 225% up to $12,250 | Best Bonus Site | Read Review | Visit Red Dog Casino |
DuckyLuck | 4.5 | 500% up to $2,500 | Best Live Dealer Site | Read Review | Visit DuckyLuck |
EveryGame | 4 | 200% up to $7,777 | Best Table Game Site | Read Review | Visit EveryGame |
Our Selection Criteria for Arkansas Online Gambling Sites
RankThe B.E.S.T. system is how we rank online gambling sites for Arkansas bettors. It’s a complex grading system weighing all the aspects and characteristics of an online gambling operation to ensure Arkansas gamblers can easily choose between sites that meet the highest standards.
So, what does B.E.S.T. stand for?
- Bonuses — We look at cash bonuses, crypto bonuses, even free spins awarded. If the site has a sportsbook, we include any bonuses offered there, as well—and the same goes for poker rooms.
- Entertainment Features — We look for ease of use, simplicity of design, and variety of games, among other things, when we grade a gambling site for its entertainment value.
- Safety and Security — We ensure that every site we recommend has methods and applications in place to protect your personal and financial information. One way the site demonstrates this is having a clearly delineated Privacy Policy. We also look at their data security overall, including the use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) throughout their site. This is the most heavily-weighted category in our ranking system.
- Transactions — Finding sites with the most convenient methods of depositing funds is important—just as important as finding those that offer the fastest withdrawal methods. Additionally, we check to ensure the site uses banking-level encryption for all financial transactions.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Arkansas
LegalRegulation of in-state gambling in Arkansas is spread out across a number of documents, from a constitution written in 1874 (and relatively unchanged since) to the state’s racing commission, which has become Arkansas’s umbrella organ for all forms of sports and casino gambling law.
For the past 150 years, Arkansas has made slow progress toward opening up the state to various forms of gambling. Here’s what we learned:
Arkansas Constitution
The Arkansas Constitution(1) authorizes horse racing in Hot Springs. It permits casinos at four distinct locations in the state (each capable of accepting wagers on sporting events), and establishes the right of charitable non-profit organizations to play bingo occasionally.
It is silent, however, on the subject of the Internet. However, this isn’t surprising, since aside from a few amendments, the constitution remains much the same as it was when it was accepted in 1874.
Arkansas Racing Commission Rules
Formally known as the “Rules of the Arkansas Racing Commission”, this 311-page document(2) covers all forms of gambling operation permitted within the state. Within its 25 separate Rules sections, the Commission lays out the requirements and restrictions for every type of gaming licensed in the state.
To clarify, the Rules of the Arkansas Racing Commission restrict and control services offered by gambling enterprises licensed by the state; they do not restrict or prohibit gamblers themselves in any way–with the exception of prohibiting various gaming enterprises from accepting wagers from persons less than 21 years of age (in the case of casinos) or 18 years of age (bingo, parimutuel horse racing).
Oddly enough, Rule 21, which pertains to card games, does not note a minimum age for players, but since the only card room in Arkansas is located within a casino, it would be safe to assume the players must be at least 21 years of age.
Arkansas Code
Within the Arkansas Code we finally find rules pertaining to the actual placement of wagers(3). And here’s where the real confusion begins.
A cursory reading of Title Five, Chapter 66 of the Arkansas Code reveals that it prohibits wagering in virtually all forms of gambling, including parimutuel wagering, sports wagers, slot machine, bingo, keno, and poker.
Since we know all of those (with the exception of bingo) are played at state-licensed casinos, race tracks, and sportsbooks throughout the state, it’s obvious that the Arkansas Code’s stance on all forms of gambling is in direct conflict with Arkansas’s other written laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to gambling, not the least of which is the Arkansas Constitution itself.
One fact does suggest the state’s attitude concerning its residents engaging in online gambling: as of the end of 2022, no Arkansas resident has been prosecuted for wagering at offshore online casinos. Incidentally, the Code decrees that anyone convicted of wagering on “hazard or skill games” (slots and table games, in other words) shall be punished with a fine of no less than $10 and no more than $25.
Incidentally, the Arkansas Code offers far clearer law on a laser pointer in the possession of anyone under the age of 18.
Summary of Arkansas Laws Governing Gambling
Like many states, Arkansas law does not expressively prohibit internet gaming or gambling. It does, however, codify when and where bingo sessions may be held, the number and location of permitted casinos within the state, and exactly how many days the thoroughbred horse racing season may run.
And while Arkansas has issued rules to control “interactive” gambling operations the state has licensed, it does not appear to have restricted or outlawed the placing of wagers with said interactive operations.
Land-Based Gambling Options in Arkansas
Land-Based Gambling Options in CaliforniaThere are only three casinos in Arkansas, and they also serve as the only land-based opportunities to play poker, wager on games of skill, bet on the Razorbacks or the Arkansas Attack, and play the slots.
While neighboring states have thriving tribal casinos, Arkansas has but a single tribal casino inside its borders—the others are legacy gambling operations from the days of greyhound racing.
Casinos
NAME | ADDRESS | COUNTY | INFORMATION |
---|---|---|---|
Southland Casino Hotel | 1550 Ingram Blvd West Memphis, AR 72301 | Crittenden | Formerly a greyhound dog race track, the last race was run in 2022. Since then, Southland has developed into a casino with regular simulcasts of live racing events. |
Saracen Casino Resort | 1 Saracen Resort Dr Pine Bluff, AR 71601 | Jefferson | 80,000 square-foot gaming floor hosting 1,800 slot machines and 40 table games. |
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort | 2705 Central Ave Hot Springs, AR 71901 | Garland | Resort casino open 24/7, featuring slot machines as well as live craps and blackjack. |
Card Rooms
NAME | ADDRESS | COUNTY | INFORMATION |
---|---|---|---|
Saracen Casino Resort | 1 Saracen Resort Dr Pine Bluff, AR 71601 | Jefferson | Ten-table poker room separate from the casino gaming floor. Deals mostly Texas hold’em at various stakes levels. Features daily tournaments, including free rolls. The only live poker room in Arkansas. |
Sportsbooks
NAME | ADDRESS | COUNTY | INFORMATION |
---|---|---|---|
Sports Bar & Grill at Southland Casino Hotel | 1550 Ingram Blvd. West Memphis, AR 72301 | Crittenden | Operates from 10 AM to 10 PM daily. Also operates online via the Betly network to bettors physically located in Arkansas. Betly kiosks in the casinos offer access to sportsbook 24/7. |
Legends Sports Bar at Saracen Casino Resort | 1 Saracen Resort Dr. Pine Bluff, AR 71601 | Jefferson | Features a full-service sportsbook and a 25-foot video wall. Saracen also provides a mobile sportsbook accessible to bettors located in Arkansas. |
Sportsbooks at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort | 2705 Central Ave. Hot Springs, AR 71901 | Garland | Oaklawn has two sportsbooks—one inside the casino and another in the Sports Tavern inside the racing grandstand. |
Horse Racing
NAME | ADDRESS | COUNTY | INFORMATION |
---|---|---|---|
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort | 2705 Central Ave Hot Springs, AR 71901 | Garland | Thoroughbred horse racing during racing season |
State Lottery
Since the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery was legalized, it has generated up to $600 million in gross revenue per year, with up to $114 million of that going to college scholarships for Arkansas students.
In fact, in the years between 2009 and 2023, the ASL generated more than $1.2 billion in scholarship proceeds.
Thousands of retailers are licensed throughout the state to sell lottery tickets, and Arkansas has established a network of lottery tower kiosks in larger retail stores.
Bingo
Bingo is not commercially available as it is in other states. The Arkansas constitution only permits bingo games to operate two days a week (each day limited to one bingo session that may not exceed five hours in duration). Only nonprofit tax-exempt “authorized organizations” may conduct bingo games, and they must be licensed by the state.
Arkansas Gambling Timeline
TimelineArkansas voters approved Amendment 100 to the state’s constitution, allowing full casino operations at four sites in Arkansas—West Memphis, Hot Springs, Pine Bluff, and Russellville. The amendment also allowed for sports betting at those casinos, and on state-limited online sportsbooks partnered with those casinos.
The Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 1075, legalizing Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) in the state. Oddly enough, even though the law allows wagering on these events, the act itself specifically notes “a paid fantasy sports game conducted in compliance with this chapter does not constitute gambling for any purpose.”
Arkansas voters approved Amendment 87 by a two-to-one margin, legalizing a state lottery.
Amendment 84 to the state constitution became effective, legalizing bingo games and raffles conducted by charitable, non-profit organizations.
The Arkansas legislature passed Act 1151, which permitted cities or counties where horse/dog race tracks were in operation vote on whether to also allow “electronic games of skill” inside those race parks—effectively converting the race track to a racino.
Act 191 passed into law, codifying the regulation, licensing, and taxation of both horse and greyhound racing.
After two decades of alternating periods of outlawing and legalizing horseracing, the state of Arkansas passed Act 46, which legalized pari-mutuel betting on horse races. The act also created the Arkansas Racing Commission.
The Citizens Improvement Union–An organization that would today be called a Political Action Committee— convinces the Arkansas legislature to pass “An Act to Prevent Betting in any Manner in This State on any Horse Race.”
The fifth Arkansas Constitution to be adopted since its acceptance into the Union in 1836 prohibited lotteries from taking place in the state. No mention of other forms of gambling was made.
Future of Gambling in Arkansas
Future of Gambling in CaliforniaMore than 200 years ago, Arkansas’s constitution went through five iterations to reach the form it’s had (with a few amendments) since 1874. This is to say that the state does not move quickly. Pressure from residents and online sports may have brought about some recent change, adding sportsbooks (both land-based and of the state-limited online) to the Arkansas’s few licensed gambling operations. For the most part, though, change has come slowly.
The only likely change on the immediate horizon is the development of the $225 million Legends Resort & Casino near Russellville. Owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses, the proposed resort casino would become the second casino in Arkansas owned and operated by Native American tribes. The first, Saracen Casino Resort, is owned and operated by the Quapaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Gambling Responsibly
Gambling ResponsiblyResponsible gambling is our way of making sure we aren’t harming ourselves or others with your wagering. And despite the sparsity of land-based gambling venues, Arkansas offers a number of services, therapies, and rehab opportunities for gamblers who suspect they have a problem with gambling—or know someone who does.
Here are three of the best:
- Arkansas Problem Gambling Council
- Gamblers Anonymous offers regular meetings in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Ft. Smith, and Siloam Springs
- Arkansas River Valley Area Council/Freedom House
Legal Sources
Legal Sources- Arkansas Constitution (1874), Justicia US Law
- “Rules of the Arkansas Racing Commission”, Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration
- ”Gambling”, Arkansas Code Title 5, §6, Chapter 66 — Gambling
Gambling Online in Arkansas
You now know what gambling options are available to you in Arkansas. There are land-based casinos in West Memphis, Pine Bluff, and Hot Springs, AR, as well as card rooms, sportsbooks, and The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. There are also numerous offshore sportsbooks and casinos Arkansas residents can access.
For online gambling in Arkansas, Bovada firmly stands out as the top overall gambling site in the state. It’s expansive sportsbook, impressive poker room, elite casino, and solid bonuses combine to offer the most complete online gambling experience you’ll find. If you’re in search for something more specific, other options like SlotsandCasino (best casino), BetUS (top overall sportsbook), and Ignition Casino (best site for playing poker) all stand out, among others.
Arkansas law has moved slowly, but you can still freely use offshore casinos and sportsbooks if you want to gamble online. You can pick a site that caters to specific preferences, or head to Bovada to start gambling at the top gambling site in the state.
J.W. Paine is one of the most experienced writers at GamblingSites.com. He’s written for television and the printed media, and is a published novelist (as Tom Elliott).
Paine loves writing about Las Vegas nearly as much he loves living here. An experienced gambler, he’s especially familiar with thoroughbred horseracing, poker, blackjack, and slots.
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