Is Poker legal in Arkansas (ar)? Online Poker Laws in Arkansas Explained

Can You Play Online Poker in Arkansas?

There is currently no online poker in the state, but there have been recent developments in the right direction.

In March 2024, Saracen Casino Resort pushed the Arkansas Racing Commission for a change in the rules to allow for internet casino gambling. Saracen, along with the state's other two casinos — Southland Casino Hotel and Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort — offers Las Vegas-style casino gaming including table games, slots, sportsbooks, and mobile betting apps.

Carlton Saffa, chief market officer at Saracen Casino Resort, wrote a letter to Arkansas Racing Commission Chairman Alex Lieblong in which it was estimated that Saracen internet casino gambling would generate $12 million in taxes annually for the state. Saffa also said iGaming via the Saracen app would include live dealers.

"A solution exists by amending ARC Rule 5, which already authorizes online poker, to include other types of table games and slots," Saffa previously told Gambling.com. "Doing so would provide significant tax revenue to the government, and, just as important, ensure that operators be held accountable by the government. Given that we have seen online operators in the fantasy sports space ignore cease and desist demands from the state, merely attempting to police the matter is not a workable solution."

Saffa continued: "People in Arkansas are already gambling in online casinos, and those companies are not regulated or taxed by the Arkansas Racing Commission. Those companies are not held to the standards the people of Arkansas set forth for operators, to include that a customer must be 21."

Efforts for online gaming in Arkansas are expected to continue through 2024.

Current Arkansas Gambling Laws

Until recently, gambling houses and devices were prohibited in the traditionally conservative state of Arkansas. The Local Option Horse Racing and Greyhound Racing Electronic Games of Skill Act of 2005 expanded gambling to allow racinos to include electronic gaming machines among their casino-style game offerings.

Then in November 2018, Arkansas passed a ballot referendum allowing racetracks to add slot machines and table games, in effect making way for the two established racinos in the state to expand into full-fledged casinos. This became a reality on April 1, 2019 when Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis (formerly Southland Gaming & Racing) and the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs (formerly Oaklawn Park Race Track) opened their doors.

Southland Casino Racing offers more than 2,000 slot machines and more than 40 live table games including blackjack, craps, and roulette, as well as three-card poker and Mississippi stud. Meanwhile, Oaklawn is currently continuing with a $100 million expansion that will add 28,000 square feet of gaming space in time for the 2020 racing season.

Sports betting in Arkansas also took another step forward on Feb. 21, 2019, with approval of a 314-page rules proposal issued by the Arkansas Racing Commission. Per the ballot measure, state regulators were able to begin accepting applications for sports betting operators beginning in June, and soon after Oaklawn became the first of a few properties in the state to begin offering sports betting.

At first, patrons needed to travel to one of three casinos in order to place a legal sports bet, but that changed on March 5, 2022, and online betting is now available.

Now, Arkansas sports betting is legal and live with three online sports betting sites available in the state.

Despite having a historically conservative stance toward gambling, legislators and constituents of Arkansas have recently shown a willingness to expand gambling for live operators, as demonstrated by the push to legalize sports betting.

Best Online Poker Sites for Arkansas Players

None at present. But you can always play poker for free with the WSOP Social App.