ARKANSAS, USA — It used to be that you had to travel to the casino's physical location to place bets. Now, Arkansas casinos are making sure you can soon bet from anywhere in the state.
Saracen Casino in Pine Bluff is excited about the news and says this is something customers have asked about for years.
“Customers have been asking us, ‘when can we bet on our phone?’” said Saracen Chief Market Officer Carlton Saffa.
On Tuesday, Feb. 22, a joint budget committee meeting gave mobile sports betting in Arkansas the final approval. As early as March 4 you can begin placing sports bets in the state, however, that’s all dependent on when the casinos develop their app for you to place bets.
“We’re ready to launch,” Saffa said. “So, I believe we will launch on or around March 4.”
Saracen Casino is working on its app trying to get it launched on app stores as well as find vendors for payment options.
“One thing I do know, we are not going to miss a single day of March Madness,” Saffa said.
Oaklawn Casino’s general manager, Wayne Smith sent 5NEWS this statement reading:
“Oaklawn will work diligently to have our mobile platform to the public within the next quarter or so. We took a more conservative approach and waited for the Racing Commission and the legislature to give their approval before we started working with our vendor GAN to get our mobile platform ready. Our mobile platform will mirror the same wagering menu Oaklawn offers its guests on the property which rivals any national brand's menu out today. Oaklawn Sports will be the brand Arkansans trust just like we are today with Oaklawn Anywhere.”
“A lot of people have been talking about forever and finally happy with the process in place and finally doing it,” said University of Arkansas student Carson Oberlender."
To place a sports bet, you don’t have to be an Arkansas resident but you must be in Arkansas to place the bet.
“I think we will see people from other states download this app,” said Scott Hardin, spokesperson for Arkansas Racing Commission. “And drive in to place a wager and place a wager and maybe make a day of it or make a weekend of it.
“You can sit in your room in your own comfort and make these bets,” Oberlender said.
According to Saracen Casino, Arkansas will now be the third state in our region to allow mobile sports betting right behind Tennessee and Louisiana.
In 2020, the Arkansas Racing Commission says $33 million were legally waged in sports bets. In 2021, they say that number doubled to $68 million. With mobile betting in place, they expect that number to triple if not quadruple.
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