Arkansas Online Sports Betting Poised for March Launch

Arkansas casinos can launch their mobile sports betting apps just in time for the biggest sports betting event of the year.

The state joint budget committee on Tuesday approved final rules that permit casinos to offer online bets beginning March 4, an Administrative Analyst with the Arkansas Gaming Commission confirmed.

Casinos can partner with online sportsbooks but the casinos must keep 51% of the revenue, which could prevent some operators from entering the state.

That’s nine days before the NCAA men’s basketball tournament tips off in Dayton, Ohio.

Legal sports betting in Arkansas has been limited to in-person wagering at three casinos since 2019, though proposed rules from the Racing Commission put the state on a path to online gaming in late 2021.

Those casinos will each be able to offer their own betting platform and or partner with a third-party to run an online app on their behalf.

Oaklawn Racing Casino and Resort, one of the three approved providers, will launch its online platform "within the next quarter or so," according to a statement from General Manager Wayne Smith.

"We took a more conservative approach and waited for the Racing commission and the legislature to give their approval before we started working with our vendor GAN to get our mobile platform ready," he said.

Rules currently allow for up to eight sportsbooks.

An estimated 47 million Americans bet on March Madness games last year, the most out of any collective sporting event, according to the American Gaming Association.