Arkansas Gaming Commission License, Laws & Rules
Arkansas Gaming Commission nowadays is responsible for all gambling activities across the state. Up to this date, gambling in Arkansas is not forbidden, but when we speak about Arkansas casinos, they are allowed only in particular cities and in-state areas. The laws are pretty controversial in Arkansas because some gambling forms are not explicitly banned. Still, under general guidelines, they could be counted as illegal, like the case with online poker and online casinos. Check which are the best United States casinos online.
As you can see on the table below Arkansas casinos are now legal, but their online equivalent falls in the grey area. Without any issues, you can play in offshore online casinos. The same goes for poker. You must either play it in offshore operators or travel to the closest casino and play it live with others. In general, you can find all types of games and gambling entertainment in any land-based Arkansas casino, especially games based on skills. If you have more questions, do not hesitate to use the Arkansas Gaming Commission phone number listed below to call them and find out what you seek.
| Casinos | Yes |
|---|---|
| Online Casinos | No |
| Sports Betting | Yes |
| Online Betting | Yes |
| Poker Online | No |
| Fantasy Sports Betting | Yes |
| Horse Racing | Yes |
| Dog Racing | Yes |
| Motor Sports | Yes |
| Lottery | Yes |
| Legal Age | 21+ |
| Contact Number | +1 501-623-1492 |
| Website | www.dfa.arkansas.gov/racing-commission |
| Address | 1550 Ingram Blvd, West Memphis, AR 72301, United States |
When we get to the history of the commission, you will find out how controversial gambling in Arkansas has been since in very beginning after the Civil War. It all started from horse racing, and back then it was called Arkansas Racing Commission. The state knows well racing, and it has many racing tracks, some of which date since the early 1900s. The truth is that Arkansas casinos and horse racing in that century were several times legalised and shortly after made illegal again. Now in the time to learn more about the past and the Arkansas Gaming Commission history.
Arkansas Gaming Commission History
To understand why Arkansas casinos and gambling was restricted several times, we need to follow the Arkansas history of gambling from its actual beginning in 1850-1860. Just after the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the crime families and the illegal alcohol and the upcoming great depression in the first decades of the 20th century. During all these years and under the influence of many people and events, Arkansas Gaming Commission was assembled and disbanded several times due to criminalisation of gambling operations.
The Beginning – 1860 – 1920
The California Gold Rush in 1848-1855 was followed by brutal US Civil War in 1860-1865. The west, the gold and the gambling were getting quite popular together with the Horse racing, which back then was the sport of the rich. Yes, but the war based on the discrepancies related to slavery, the exploitation and segregation of black people led to many regulations and even restrictions of gambling, later on, alcohol and others.
And because jockeys were respected people dealing with thoroughbred horses, they were considered sportsman, not gamblers. The actual horse racing base was kept intact despite the regulations and criminalisation of all Arkansas casinos and race tracks.
The year 1874 will be remembered because then the lottery became officially legal, but the state was still standing behind the restriction of all other types of gambling. The law was not well defined, and there was a lack of explanation of what exactly lottery means and how it must be organised which led to the abuse of rules. In 1890 the Sportsman Park was opened, and it brought the attention to thoroughbred racing in Arkansas. In 1903 was the year when the business took the wheel and waived many anti-gambling regulations. Even additional racing tracks were opened and upgraded to deliver exclusive customer experience for its time.
1907 was the year when the Citizens Improvement Union successfully banned all horse racing in Arkansas. After devastating fires in the city in 1913 made the local businessman saw horse racing as an opportunity to cover the loses from the fire and the tourism in the town. The idea was to return to horse racing, but the governor didn’t like the idea of betting. In 1916 horse racing was again available but only as a show without any betting optionality. Two years later in 1919 the state again made the races illegal, and all operations were stopped.
Formation of Racing Community – 1920 – 1960
Well, in 1929 horse racing was again passed for legalisation but it was vetoed again. In 1934 in Hot spits was formed a new association called the Business Men’s Racing Association which despite the lack of approval from the state opened the racing season that year. Betting was still unclear and prohibited because the law was not precise. In 1935 the betting on horses was re-established, so the prizes for the top 3 contenders to be collected and organised through betting.
Due to diverse cases and uncertainties in 1956 and 1957, official guidelines and rules were coded and legislated with the idea to create new and well working licensing and taxation. From then on Arkansas Gaming licence are needed to each gambling representative in the state. This applies for all old and new horse or greyhound racing venues, while Arkansas casinos were not yet a fact.
Arkansas Gambling as We Know It Today – 1960 – Nowadays
Everything stayed the same until the year of 2005 when the people from all cities with horse or greyhound racing were able to vote for the integration of electronic games, only at the premises of the racetracks of course. It was decided that all RNG (Random Number Generated) games will be counted as “electronic games of skill”. In 2006 new amendment to the lottery policy was presented, with the idea to create a new statewide lottery in Arkansas and by this way collect and ensure scholarships. It was not accepted immediately, in 2009 the Arkansas General Assembly set a new framework of how the lottery will run from then on.
And again around a decade, there was no movement in the gambling regulations and the activities of the Arkansas Gaming Commission. Then in 2017, the General Assembly allowed people playing and generating income from playing online games or e-sports. That led to the conclusion that betting on games either sports one or electronic ones requires a certain level of skills not only luck and that is why they were permitted.
In 2018 finally, all gambling operations were legalised but also restricted to particular cities, areas, and of course, the need of Arkansas Gaming Commission licence is obvious. Up to this date, the gambling industry in Arkansas is still growing even expanding in new areas like Pine Buff.
History of Arkansas Gambling
| Year | Info |
|---|---|
| 1874 | Lotteries were officially legalised, but the lack of “lottery definition” in the law allowed sports like Horse racing to flourish too. |
| 1890 – 1920 | Several horse racing tracks were opened in the period, but thanks to the Citizens Improvement Union they were closed and labelled illegal in 1907. In 1914 a group of local businessmen helped for the legislation of horse racing in 1915 in order to stimulate the local economy. In 1919 the circuit judge again declared races as illegal, and all venues closed doors. |
| 1929 – 1957 | Horse racing Legalisation was again suggested in 1929. In 1934 the mayor of Hot Springs and several of the local businessmen formed the Business Men’s Racing and started the racings without any legal approval. In 1935 horse racing and pari-mutuel betting was officially legal again. 1956 and 1957 were memorable years because finally a licensing system was created, and all horse and greyhound races were now under the control of the Racing Commission. |
| 2005 – 2010 | In 2005 racing tracks were allowed to offer RNG electronic games. In 2006 a new idea of statewide lottery was announced with the purpose of generating income which will be used for scholarships. In 2009 the Arkansas General Assembly set the regulation and framework of the new lottery. |
| 2017 – today | In 2017 the General Assembly recognised the paid e-sports games and allowed people to play and generate income through them. In 2018 and 2019 all gambling operations from casinos, through sports betting and lottery we fully legal only in some areas like Hot Springs and Oakland. |
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
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