Betting is legal in Arkansas, but only through channels the state regulates. Three licensed casinos offer slot machines, table games, and sports wagering; mobile sportsbooks tied to those casinos take bets from anywhere in the state; pari-mutuel horse racing, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, daily fantasy sports, and licensed charitable bingo and raffles round out the authorized options. Anything else is a criminal offense under Arkansas law.
The framework comes from the Arkansas Casino Gaming Amendment, which voters approved in November 2018 as Amendment 100. It authorized casino gaming at specific locations and defined that gaming broadly enough to cover sports betting.1Arkansas Secretary of State. Notice for Constitutional Amendment Proposed by Petition of the People – Issue No. 4 The Arkansas Racing Commission, housed under the Department of Finance and Administration, handles licensing and compliance.2Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Racing and Gaming Commission
What You Can Legally Bet On In Arkansas
Casino Gaming
Three casinos operate in the state:
- Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs (Garland County), which pairs a historic thoroughbred track with a full casino floor.
- Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis (Crittenden County), a former greyhound facility that transitioned to casino gaming.
- Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), the newest of the three.
Amendment 100 originally authorized four casino licenses, but Arkansas voters passed Issue 2 in November 2024 and reduced the count to three by repealing the Pope County authorization. No casino was ever built there. All three operating properties offer slots, table games like blackjack and craps, and on-site sportsbooks.
Sports Betting, Including On Your Phone
In-person sports wagering launched at the casinos shortly after Amendment 100 took effect. Mobile sports betting followed in March 2022, and Arkansas allows full online sign-up rather than requiring you to register in person.
Every mobile sportsbook has to partner with one of the three retail casinos, and state rules require at least 51% of mobile betting revenue to stay with the in-state casino partner. The cap is two mobile operators per casino, so six statewide at most.3Gambling Insider. DraftKings, FanDuel Apply for Mobile Sports Betting Licenses in Arkansas National names like DraftKings and FanDuel can take Arkansas bets, but only through those local partnerships.
Horse Racing
Pari-mutuel horse racing predates Amendment 100 and remains legal under the Arkansas Horse Racing Law.4Justia. Arkansas Code Title 23 Subtitle 4 Chapter 110 – Arkansas Horse Racing Law Oaklawn is the primary live venue, hosting a thoroughbred season each year. All wagers on a race go into a shared pool, and payouts are calculated from how much was bet on each horse after the track takes its cut. Simulcast wagering on races at other tracks is also available, and historical horse racing terminals, which let you wager on previously run races with randomized odds, are offered at certain licensed locations.
The State Lottery
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has operated since 2009 and offers scratch-off tickets, draw games including Powerball and Mega Millions, and Fast Play games. Proceeds fund college scholarships for Arkansas residents. Claim deadlines depend on the game: 180 days from the drawing date for draw games, 180 days from purchase for Fast Play, and 90 days from the announced last day to buy tickets for a given scratch-off.5Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. Frequently Asked Questions
Daily Fantasy Sports
Arkansas explicitly legalized paid fantasy sports contests under Title 23, Chapter 116, and the statute treats entry fees as something other than gambling, exempting them from the criminal gambling provisions.6Justia. Arkansas Code 23-116-102 – Definitions DraftKings, FanDuel, and similar platforms can offer daily fantasy contests here without a gaming license. Outcomes have to depend on the statistical performance of real athletes, not on a single game’s result.
Charitable Bingo And Raffles
Licensed charitable organizations can host bingo and raffles under Title 23, Chapter 114. No more than four bingo sessions per week at any single location, all players must be physically present, and linked or online bingo is not allowed.7Justia. Arkansas Code 23-114-401 – Bingo Premises Raffle tickets can be sold off-premises by unpaid volunteers, but selling them by mail, online, or by phone is prohibited. The organization has to hold a license from the Department of Finance and Administration.
How Old You Have To Be
The minimum age depends on what you’re betting on. For anything inside a casino, including slots, table games, and sports betting whether placed in person or on a mobile app, the minimum is 21. That number is written into Amendment 100 itself, so there is no house-level exception.8FindLaw. Arkansas Constitution of 1874 Amendment 100, Section 3
For pari-mutuel horse racing, the minimum is 18. Franchise holders cannot allow anyone under 18 to participate in pari-mutuel wagering.9Justia. Arkansas Code 23-110-405 – Wagering – Penalty for Improper Wagering At a combined racing-and-casino property like Oaklawn, you still have to be 21 to enter the casino gaming areas. Lottery tickets also require a minimum age of 18.
What’s Illegal And What It Costs You
Anything outside the regulated categories above is illegal gambling in Arkansas. That includes offshore sportsbook apps and casino sites that are not partnered with one of the three licensed Arkansas casinos. Enforcement usually targets operators rather than individual bettors on offshore sites, but using those platforms still violates state law.
Penalties for individual bettors are lighter than most people expect. Placing a bet on a prohibited game is a violation, not a misdemeanor or felony, with fines of $50 to $100. Betting on card games or other games of skill or chance outside authorized channels carries fines of $10 to $25. The one scenario where a bettor faces meaningful jail time is repeated illegal horse race betting: a third offense becomes an unclassified misdemeanor with fines up to $500 and 30 days to six months of imprisonment.
Penalties for running a gambling operation are far steeper. Operating, financing, or maintaining a place where unauthorized gambling occurs is a Class D felony under Arkansas Code 5-66-103.10Justia. Arkansas Code 5-66-103 – Keeping a Gambling House11Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence Setting up or keeping an unlicensed gaming device is a separate crime under Arkansas Code 5-66-104, an unclassified misdemeanor carrying a fine of at least $100 and between 30 days and one year of imprisonment.12Justia. Arkansas Code 5-66-104 – Gaming Devices – Prohibition
Taxes On What You Win
Gambling winnings are taxable at the federal level regardless of the amount. For 2026, the IRS requires casinos to file a Form W-2G when slot machine or bingo winnings reach $2,000 or more, up from the previous $1,200 threshold.13Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754 (Rev. January 2026) Other W-2G triggers include poker tournament winnings of $5,000 or more and keno wins of $1,500 or more. Even if no W-2G is issued, you still owe tax on the winnings and should report them on your federal return. Arkansas does not impose a separate state tax on gambling winnings beyond the standard individual income tax.
If Gambling Becomes A Problem
Each licensed Arkansas casino runs a voluntary self-exclusion program. At Southland Casino Hotel, for example, you can exclude yourself for two years at a time by submitting a form in person or by mail. Once on the list, you are removed from marketing mailings, barred from complimentary services, and subject to trespassing charges if found on the gaming floor; any winnings discovered during the exclusion period are forfeited.14Southland Casino Hotel. Responsible Gaming in AR The other two casinos maintain similar programs, and enrollment can only be initiated by the person seeking exclusion.
The National Council on Problem Gambling runs a confidential helpline at 1-800-522-4700, available 24 hours a day. Local behavioral health services in Arkansas can also provide counseling and treatment referrals.