Complete Guide to Sports Betting in Arkansas

Arkansas Sports Betting Overview

AR residents can wager at both online betting sites and brick-and-mortar venues. Players can also access daily fantasy sports via Arkansas sports betting apps. Plus, the state allows horse racing betting. 

How Old Do I Have to Be to Wager on Sports in Arkansas?

You must be 21 or older to partake in sports betting in Arkansas, whether wagering in person or online. You must also be 21 or older to play casino games and poker. However, the minimum age for horse racing, bingo, and lottery games is 18.

Best Sportsbooks Available in Arkansas 

It’s time for us to reveal our top-rated sites for sports betting in Arkansas. Our recommendations are among the best online sportsbooks in the USA, with each site offering a wide variety of wagering options, attractive bonuses, and speedy payouts. 

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Best Online Sportsbook for Arkansas Residents Overall

Betwhale

125% up to $1,250 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Blackjack, Baccarat, Video poker +3 more Slots, Progressive jackpot, Roulette.

Live Dealer: Yes

Payment Options:

We rank BetWhale as the best Arkansas online sports betting site overall. BetWhale offers a broad array of benefits to Arkansas residents, including generous promotions, secure banking methods, and first-rate customer service.

With a minimum deposit of $50, AR bettors can take advantage of a 125% sports welcome bonus worth up to $1,250. This bonus is subject to a favorable 10x rollover, making it easier to access the offer’s full value. Plus, there are reload bonuses and deposit matches for existing customers.

BetWhale allows you to wager on a range of sports and leagues, from the NFL and NBA to soccer and tennis. They offer moneylines, spreads, and totals, in addition to futures, parlays, and props. Start betting with credit cards, cryptocurrencies, or prepaid vouchers today.

• Hundreds of betting markets available to Arkansans
• Live wagering on the NBA, NFL, and many other sports
• Fast payments with Visa and crypto

• High minimum withdrawal limit ($150)
• No debit/credit card withdrawals

Best Sportsbook for American Sports

BetOnline

100% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Slots, Video poker, Blackjack +5 more Craps, Baccarat, Roulette, Live dealer, Progressive jackpot.

Live Dealer: No

Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, American Express +14 more Bitcoins, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Interac e-Transfer, Person2Person Transfers, Money Order, Bank Transfer, Check, Cardano, Dogecoin, Ripple, Tether, Usdt.

If you’re an Arkansas citizen who enjoys wagering on American sports, we recommend joining BetOnline. Whether you prefer the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL, you will always find tons of exciting opportunities at BetOnline.

The established sportsbook – which has been operating since 2001 – covers all the major US leagues. From football futures and basketball bet builders to hockey handicaps and soccer spreads, BetOnline offers countless wagers on America’s biggest leagues and most popular sports.

On top of that, BetOnline allows you to wager on AR teams such as the Arkansas Razorbacks, who compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference. They also serve up bets on the Arkansas State Red Wolves, Little Rock Trojans, and other AR teams.

• Hundreds of betting markets across dozens of sports
• Renowned for offering unique prop bets
• Sportsbook includes entertainment and politics markets

• Limited ongoing sports promotions for existing customers
• Fees on certain deposit/withdrawal methods

Best Sports Betting Site for Beginners

Bovada

100% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Slots, Video poker, Blackjack +5 more Craps, Baccarat, Roulette, Keno, Live dealer.

Live Dealer: No

Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, Bitcoins +6 more Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Secure Voucher, Bank Transfer, Check.

All of our favorite sportsbooks available in Arkansas welcome beginners, but Bovada stands out from the crowd in this category. If you’re new to betting on sports online, we suggest making use of Bovada’s beginner-friendly features.

Bovada boasts a clean and straightforward user interface, making it simple to navigate the site. This allows you to easily find the betting markets and bonuses you want. They also offer numerous reliable banking options with fast transactions and low minimum deposits.

Better still, Bovada provides helpful educational resources, including betting guides and FAQs. With customer support available 24/7, their team of agents is always on hand to assist you, so you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands.

• Online since 2011 (more than a decade of experience)
• Easy-to-use sportsbook interface
• Excellent live betting platform

• Fees attached to certain banking methods
• Lack of evergreen promotions for sports bettors

Best Sportsbook for Betting on Niche Sports

BetUS

125% up to $2,625 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Blackjack, Slots, Video poker +2 more Roulette, Baccarat.

Live Dealer: Yes

Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, American Express +7 more American Express, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bank Transfer, Bankwire, Check.

When it comes to the sheer number of sports to bet on, no site does it better than BetUS. Of course, BetUS allows you to wager on all the popular leagues and events, but the site’s range of niche sports is unrivalled.

The BetUS sportsbook menu is stacked with niche sports, including cycling, darts, surfing, handball, and snooker. BetUS doesn’t just cover these sports; they serve up multiple markets for each one. You can choose from futures, moneylines, spreads, totals, props, and many other wagers.

You can even wager on esports, with BetUS offering bets on Dota 2, Fortnite, Counter-Strike, and League of Legends tournaments. With a variety of entertainment and political markets also on offer, the variety of niche betting opportunities is second to none.

• Extensive coverage of both American and worldwide sports
• BetUS Locker Room provides exclusive tips, news, and analysis
• Big sports welcome bonus worth up to $2,625

• No live streams, boosts, or bet builders
• Long processing times for some withdrawal methods

Best Racebook for Arkansas Bettors

BetNow

100% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus

Visit Site Read Review

Casino Games: Slots, Blackjack, Roulette +4 more Baccarat, Craps, Video poker, Live dealer.

Live Dealer: Yes

Payment Options: MasterCard, Bitcoins, Visa +2 more American Express, Bitcoin Cash.

Horse racing is hugely popular in the Natural State. Each year, the Arkansas Derby headlines the famous Racing Festival of the South. AR is home to many other high-profile horse races, and we’re certain that BetNow provides the best coverage.

BetNow’s racebook covers both thoroughbred and harness racing from around the world. Not only can you wager on events in Arkansas and across the US, but you can also bet on events in the UK, Ireland, Australia, France, South Africa, Japan, and Sweden.

In addition to traditional wagers like win, place, and show, BetNow has a variety of exotic bets to choose from. Exactas, trifectas, and superfectas are available. On top of that, they dish up key race details and form guides for each race.

• Coverage of thoroughbred and harness racing
• Bets on races from multiple countries and continents
• Low minimum bets on horse racing ($1)

• Low maximum payout limit on horse races ($5,000)
• Low value sports welcome bonus

How We Evaluate Sports Betting Sites in Arkansas

Our process for rating and ranking gambling sites is thorough and stringent. Not only do we utilize this process when evaluating Arkansas online sports betting sites, but we also consider the following state-specific factors:

Availability in Arkansas

Naturally, all of our recommended online sportsbooks are available to Arkansas residents. This means that bettors in AR can easily sign up, deposit and withdraw funds, access bonuses, and wager on their favorite sports.

Player Protections and Security

We only promote sites that care about customer safety. As a result, our favored Arkansas sports betting sites are licensed and regulated by trusted gambling organizations. They also utilize SSL/TLS encryption software to protect player details.

Odds Boosters and Competitive Lines on Arkansas Teams

The best sportsbooks available in Arkansas offer attractive odds and unique promotions related to the state’s sports teams. While there are no major league teams in AR, the leading betting sites deliver odds boosters and competitive lines on professional teams like the Arkansas Travelers and NCAA Division I teams such as the Arkansas Razorbacks. 

Deposits and Withdrawals

We endorse sports betting sites that offer a variety of reliable banking options, including debit/credit cards, cryptocurrencies, e-wallets, and wire transfers. Our recommended sites also have low minimum deposits with low/no transaction fees.

Arkansas Betting Sites: A Comparison

We recommend each of our top-ranked online sportsbooks, but every bettor has specific preferences. With that in mind, we created a comparison table to help you choose the right site for you.  

Is Sports Betting Legal in Arkansas?

In November 2018, state voters approved a ballot initiative to legalize retail sports betting in Arkansas. Since then, AR bettors have been allowed to wager at the state’s land-based sportsbooks. In March 2022, online sports betting went live in Arkansas, with both commercial and offshore sites accepted. 

Let’s take a closer look at the state’s sports betting laws, covering online and land-based wagering, horse racing, and DFS. 

Online Sports Betting in Arkansas 

Citizens of Arkansas have plenty of options when it comes to betting on sports online. There are three dedicated sports betting apps in Arkansas: Betly, Oaklawn Sports, and Bet Saracen. These are attached to the state’s land-based gambling venues (more of those in a minute). 

AR residents can also access a range of reliable offshore betting sites, including the sites that we recommend. While these sportsbooks are based overseas, they are geared towards American players. Consequently, they are accessible in Arkansas. 

Land-Based Sportsbooks in Arkansas 

There are three main land-based sportsbooks in the Natural State. Players can place wagers at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (Oaklawn Sports), Southland Casino Racing (Betly), and Saracen Casino Resort (BetSaracen). These venues accept traditional wagers, as well as parlays, props, live bets, and horse racing. 

Horse Racing in Arkansas 

Oaklawn opened all the way back in 1904 and has been a premier thoroughbred racetrack ever since. It’s the home of the Racing Festival of the South, which includes the prestigious Arkansas Derby. Bettors can wager on this race and many other events at the Oaklawn racebook. 

Southland Casino Racing and Saracen Casino Resort also accept horse racing bets. Plus, you can wager on horse racing via Arkansas’s sports betting apps. 

Daily Fantasy Sports in Arkansas 

Daily fantasy sports have been allowed to operate in Arkansas since April 2017. This is when Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed HB2250, legalizing paid fantasy sports games. High-profile commercial DFS operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel are the most popular options in AR.

Who Regulates Sports Betting in Arkansas? 

The Arkansas Racing Commission regulates sports betting in the Natural State. The commission is a division of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which is a government agency. 

The Racing Commission oversees all legal gambling activities in AR, including horse racing, greyhound racing, and casino gaming. It also carries out duties such as issuing licenses to sportsbooks, enforcing rules and regulations related to sports betting, and monitoring operators.

Arkansas’s Sports Betting Laws Compared to Neighboring States

Arkansas is bordered by six states, with each neighbor following differing sports betting laws. Some have more lenient rules and regulations, while others permit no sports betting whatsoever. 

Louisiana has some of the most lenient sports betting laws in the United States. In LA, both in-person and online sports betting are legal. Sports betting is also legal in Tennessee and Mississippi, although there online wagering is not permitted in MS. 

Elsewhere, sports betting is not permitted in Missouri, Oklahoma, or Texas. That said, these neighboring states have access to multiple offshore online sportsbooks. 

The Future of Online Sports Betting in Arkansas

If recent developments are anything to go by, the future of online sports betting in Arkansas is bright. Following the state’s legalization of online sports betting in March 2022, licensed casinos will continue to partner with online sportsbook operators in AR, leading to more wagering opportunities. 

Experts anticipate growth in Arkansas’s online betting industry, with increasing demand expected to attract additional operators. However, any major changes to the state’s regulations will likely depend on the nation’s sports betting legislation. 

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration projects that over $500 million will be wagered on sports via the state’s land-based venues in 2024. Since this is only the second full year that online sports betting has been legal in AR, the industry looks set to grow in the coming years. 

Responsible Gambling in Arkansas 

Sadly, gambling addiction remains an issue in Arkansas and across the United States. We have compiled a list of resources for AR residents who struggle with problem gambling. If you or anyone you know has a gambling addiction, we urge you to reach out to these organizations: 

• Arkansas Problem Gambling Council 
• Gamblers Anonymous (Arkansas Meetings) 
• National Problem Gambling Helpline 

Arkansas Gambling Legal Resources 

• Arkansas Gambling Laws – FindLaw 
• History of Gambling in Arkansas – Encyclopedia of Arkansas 
• Arkansas Gambling State of Play – American Gaming Association 
• Arkansas’s Gambling Laws: Past, Present, and Future – Arkansas Money & Politics 

Arkansas Sports Betting Sites Summary 

Online sports betting in Arkansas is available via both commercial and offshore platforms. There are several Arkansas sports betting apps, and residents of the Natural State can wager at offshore betting sites. Offshore sites typically offer bigger bonuses and a wider variety of markets. 

If you prefer to place in-play wagers, you can visit one of Arkansas’s land-based sportsbooks. Regardless of your preference, there is no shortage of sports betting opportunities for AR citizens.