Gambling Laws In Arkansas
With a variety of sweeping federal laws across the nation such as the Federal Wire Act and the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), there are a number of restrictions placed on the act of gambling. There are a couple distinctions however, for U.S. citizens to take note of. It is only the business of gambling and facilitating bets to turn a profit which is illegal and not the simple act of placing a bet. So long as no gains are being made off of others other than winnings, people in the United States are allowed to gamble recreationally under federal law.
Many states have enacted their own legislation in regards to gambling to expand upon these federal laws in order to either further restrict or relax regulation. Arkansas is one such state that has written detailed legislation to restrict gambling within its border; this page exists for all those in the Natural State to familiarize themselves with their own laws so they may go about safe and legal gambling if they so choose.
Arkansas holds no positive view of gambling and their legislation backs that dim perspective up. Gambling is outright illegal in the Natural State and the language of the law is written to include every game and type of wagering in existence as well as the creation or invention of any new game or betting type. Gambling is loosely defined in the 5-66-106 in the legislation under 'Gaming Devices- Betting'. It states, "(a) It is unlawful for any person to bet any money or other valuable thing or any representative of anything that is esteemed of value on any game prohibited. (b) Upon conviction, a person who violates this section is guilty of a violation and shall be fined in any sum not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) nor less than fifty dollars ($50.00)." The law continues on to prohibit keeping a gambling house, which is a class D felony, keeping a gambling device and engaging in sports betting. Even betting on games of skill such as poker is prohibited yet only carries a penalty of $10-$25. Gambling, no matter what form it takes, is illegal in the state of Arkansas.
The only good news through all of this is that investigations and enforcements are generally light or non-existent so long as bets or games are conducted in private without any profit being taken. Arrests have been made of those who engage in the business of gambling and Arkansas appears to follow suit with the federal laws in place throughout the country. So long as residents avoid facilitating bets or bookmaking, they may find themselves ignored for their office pool on March Madness or small wager on the Razorbacks.
The State of Arkansas does offer a tiny bit of regulated gambling however, believe it or not. There are two pari-mutuel betting facilities in the state where run hosts greyhound racing, slot machines and live poker games while the other facility is dedicated to horse racing, slot machines and a few electronic games. There are no Native American tribal casinos in the state so these are the only two legal betting options in the entire state.
Land-Based Gambling In Arkansas
As stated earlier in the page, there are only two options for legal land based gambling in the entire state of Arkansas. They are both pari-mutuel wagering facilities licensed by the state, with one focusing on greyhound racing and the other on horse racing.
Oaklawn Park Racing & Gaming is located in Hot Springs and features the only horse racing in the region. They feature about 1,200 gaming machines between slots and video poker in a 35,000 square foot casino as well as a theater for bets on off-track races. Southland Park Gaming & Racing is the other destination in the Natural State in West Memphis which focuses on greyhounds rather than horses. Although greyhounds are not as popular in the modern age, this facility is the more popular in the state as they offer live poker. Southland Park Gaming & Racing is also the largest racino in Arkansas at 41,000 square feet with a variety of restaurants and bars.
Any other forms of land based betting available to those living in Arkansas will unfortunately require a drive to either Oklahoma, Mississippi or Louisiana.
Online Gambling In Arkansas
Although gambling is illegal in the state of Arkansas outside of the two state licensed facilities, there is no mention of the internet or gambling over the internet in the state's gambling laws. There is mention however, of transmitting gambling information over a telegraph but this appears to relate to conducting a gambling business and not the act of placing a wager. Residents of the Natural State then must turn to federal laws to elaborate on what they can and cannot do when it comes to placing a wager over the internet.
As we mentioned above, it is only the conducting of a gambling business and facilitating bets for profit which is illegal and not the simple act of placing a bet. This means that residents of Arkansas may place bets legally so long as they find a legal Arkansas gambling site to facilitate their bet. Since there is no legal place on U.S. soil to do so, one must only explore a little further on the internet to see that there are many sources which are based outside of both U.S. and Arkansas jurisdiction. Online gambling sites which are located in other nations and territories are not bound to federal laws and are in legal operation under their own host nation's gambling and banking laws. These sites are often times located in Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and South America and despite their foreign locations, are often directed to cater specifically to an American audience. They are safe, secure and legitimate and have millions of happy member who have been collecting payouts for decades.
Popular Gambling Options In Arkansas:
Online Sportsbooks - Online Casinos - Online Poker
With the exception of a few obscure types of gaming, Bovada is the best place for Arkansas residents to go for all their online gambling. Their fully loaded, RTG-powered online casino is stocked with everything found in the biggest Vegas resorts, plus a few other games you've probably never heard of. Maybe poker is more your game, Bovada has one of the largest online poker sites that accepts Arkansas residents that also boasts a $100,000 guaranteed tournament every Sunday. And last, but certainly not least, Bovada has the best sports + racebook in the industry. With live wagering lines from events around the world, there isn't much that cannot be wagered there including many amateur sports.
Besides having everything that Arkansas players want, Bovada makes everything simple to ensure that users stick with them after they've signed up. One of these areas is with deposits. Bovada allows users to fund their accounts through a variety of methods including prepaid cards, and wire transfers, but perhaps their most popular deposit method is credit + debit cards. This site welcomes electronic deposits via cards branded with Visa and MasterCard logos; other websites also do this but they don't have the same high level of success that Bovada does. All deposits, once accepted, are credited to accounts immediately for play.
| Best Overall Betting Sites | Sports? | Casino? | Poker? | Horses? | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
| BetOnline | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
| SportsBetting | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
Just like with the other 49 states, the State of Arizona sets its minimum ages to gamble for all forms of gambling that are regulated in the state. And just as with the age to legally drink alcohol, the age to participate in nearly every form of gaming while located in Arizona is 21 years old. This is the legal gambling age for land-based casino gaming, lottery, and more. Arizona gambling sites typically stick to the same guideline as the State, however there may be a few out there willing to allow anyone that is at least 18. If you're not 21, be sure to read each gambling site's terms and conditions before signing up. If you're not 18, steer clear of gambling all together; there will be plenty of time once you hit that magic mark.
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