Arkansas lawmakers are taking a run at legalizing online casinos and banning sweepstakes gaming.
Companion bills were filed in the Senate and House on Wednesday. SB524 began in the Insurance and Commerce Committee before it was placed on the calendar for a Senate vote on Thursday. HB1861 has been heard and referred to the Judiciary Committee in the House.
Sponsored by Sen. Dave Wallace (R) and Rep. Matt Duffield, both legislative pieces call for the creation of the Interactive Gaming Act, which would give three land-based Arkansas casinos licenses to operate iGaming. Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, and Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis currently run online sports betting in the Natural State.
If passed with their current language, the bills would make operating online sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks that use on dual-currency funding a felony. The legislation also allows universities to operate Name, Image, and Likeness drawings with funding going toward student-athletes.
The legislative session ends on April 11.
Arkansas would be the eighth U.S. state to legalize iGaming, which is regulated and operated by familiar gaming companies like FanDuel, DraftKings, and bet365.
Casino support
Saracen Casino Resort has publicly said it wants legislators to legalize online casinos. Saracen chief marketing officer Carlton Saffa supported the bills on social media site X, saying getting rid of controversial sweepstakes gaming rids Arkansas of “bad actors.”
For over a year Saracen has been consistent: unregulated and untaxed casinos are live in Arkansas at great risk to consumers. These games are operated by shadowy offshore entities, many with links to China. A mere ban to a foreign company with servers on island nations like… https://t.co/mjArcVWLzr
— 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚 (@carltontsaffa) March 19, 2025
“For over a year Saracen has been consistent: unregulated and untaxed casinos are live in Arkansas at great risk to consumers,” Saffa wrote. “These games are operated by shadowy offshore entities, many with links to China. A mere ban to a foreign company with servers on island nations like Malta is meaningless – these entities are already breaking our laws today.
“Though largely symbolic, this bill first makes these unregulated casinos subject to a felony. More importantly, it will serve to restrict the market by allowing only the three licensed casinos in Arkansas to engage in this business. In doing so it will generate millions in revenue at the expense of the offshore casinos as they are displaced by legitimate operators.”
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, however, has previously stated it's against online gaming in Arkansas.
Joining a movement
Sweepstakes gaming has come under fire during this legislative session in several U.S. states. Social casinos and sportsbooks, which aren’t legal in any state, are unregulated and not taxed.
Sweepstakes operators allow customers to play online slots, and table games, and place sports bets using free coins. More coins can be purchased and exchanged for cash and prizes.
An anti-sweepstakes bill in New York unanimously passed through a Senate committee earlier this week. A New Jersey lawmaker originally wanted to legalize sweepstakes gaming but later filed a bill that would ban it in the Garden State, which already has legalized online casinos operating.
Mississippi and Connecticut are also discussing sweepstakes prohibition bills. Like Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland, and New York have introduced iGaming legalization bills this legislative session.
