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With the approval of 17 new sports betting markets by the Arkansas State Racing Commission, more wagering alternatives will be available at the state's casinos. Lacrosse, cornhole, bowling, among other sports, are included in these recently approved marketplaces. Support from All Parties for New Markets Following petitions from casino officials and Jennifer Rushin, tax division manager for the casino gaming department at the Department of Finance and Administration, the commission unanimously decided to authorize the expansion of sports betting markets. According to an NWA Online article, casinos would require Rushin's consent before including particular leagues in the recently legalized markets to their betting options. Diversifying Betting Options The existing 15 sports markets in Arkansas that are legally available for sports betting will be supplemented by the 17 additional markets. Bare-knuckle fighting, disc golf, futsal, snooker, and water polo are just a handful of the recently permitted activities, according to Scott Hardin, spokesman for the Department of Finance and Administration. The commissioners were reassured by Carlton Saffa, chief marketing officer at Saracen Casino Resort, that the data integrity for each market is strong and that all the sports under consideration have already received approval in multiple other states. He said, "Everything that we're looking at is something that has been approved in another state. In most instances, most states. In some instances as many as 30 states.” Reviewing League Integrity The casinos will collaborate with Jennifer Rushin to evaluate the integrity of the leagues within each newly approved market. Saffa explained, "For example, we're asking for bowling to be an approved sport, and then we will work with Jennifer to determine whether or not there's a southern bowling league, a Canadian bowling league, and a Chilean bowling league." Arkansas currently houses three casinos: Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs. Saffa expressed the hope that officials from all three casinos might get together soon to increase the number of sports markets accessible in Arkansas and provide residents with the same betting alternatives as those found in other jurisdictions. He underlined that close-by states Tennessee and Louisiana already have sizable betting selections. Saffa did concede that casinos may decide not to provide all of the recently permitted sports markets. A Selection from a Larger List The commission only authorized 17 of the first 56 markets that the casino representatives had suggested. "We came up with these 17 from the 56 that we looked at," Jennifer Rushin explained. The qualification is that they would keep reading the text to see what further they may add. Notably, markets for slap and professional tag fighting were rejected. After Arkansans approved retail sports betting in 2018, casinos pitched their services for consideration. Later, the state's casinos were permitted to offer a single menu of options for mobile sports betting. Outstanding Wagering Statistics A total of $186 million was gambled on sports in 2022, with $122 million of that amount coming through mobile applications. The state's casinos accepted an average of $1.04 million in daily sports wagers in 2023, including $873,600 through mobile applications and $171,690 on-site at casino locations. In 2023, sports betting brought in an average of $417,500 per month in tax revenue. Whether it comes from sports betting, blackjack, or the slots, casino revenue is taxed at a fixed rate. Casinos pay a 13% tax on annual earnings of less than $150 million, according to Hardin. The tax rate rises to 20% for all revenue over $150 million for casinos once that amount is reached.

NWA

Arkansas State Racing Commission Approves 17 New Sports Betting Markets