Is Gambling Legal in Arkansas? Gambling Laws in 2026

What gambling is legal in Arkansas?

Check the product and channel together. The permissions below are not interchangeable.^[1][2][4][5]

For the national framework, see our US gambling laws overview.

Where are casinos legal in Arkansas?

Casinos are legal at three licensed Arkansas properties. The regulator identifies these locations:^[1][7]

Older guides describing a forthcoming fourth casino are out of date. Amendment 104 revoked the Pope County casino license effective November 13, 2024. The amended Constitution now specifies three licenses.^[1]

Future constitutional authorization for a casino in another county also requires local voter approval. A county referendum alone does not create a casino license. These rules describe current authority, not the final outcome of every dispute over the former Pope County project.^[1]

Casino gaming is for adults 21 and older. Check with the particular property before travelling for live poker; a casino license does not tell you which tables are currently operating.^[1]

Is online gambling legal in Arkansas?

Some online gambling is legal in Arkansas, including authorized mobile sports betting, qualifying fantasy contests and approved remote horse wagering. Those permissions do not establish a legal statewide market for online casino games or online poker.^[2][4][5]

The 2025 online-gaming proposals did not supply that authorization. HB1861 went to interim study; SB524 was withdrawn. A bill describing new permissions is not evidence they took effect.^[8][13][9]

Is sports betting legal in Arkansas?

Yes, sports betting is legal in Arkansas through authorized retail and mobile services connected to licensed casinos. Bettors must be 21, and mobile wagering requires physical presence in Arkansas.^[1][2]

Oaklawn Sports powered by FanDuel and Southland's DraftKings service are operating now, as their current service pages confirm.^[14][15]

Visitors can use an eligible authorized sports service while physically in the state; Arkansas residence is not the universal mobile-sports requirement. Account verification and operator terms still apply.^[2][14][16]

Keep the product distinction when checking DraftKings or FanDuel: the sports offer does not automatically authorize every casino or fantasy product bearing the same brand. Start with the casino's genuine site and the Casino Gaming Section.^[17][2]

How old do you have to be to gamble in Arkansas?

The gambling age in Arkansas depends on the activity. Being old enough for one product does not qualify you for another.^[1][18][4]

Lottery gifts have a separate lawful-purchase-or-possession condition; they do not allow minors to purchase tickets. A service or venue may also have eligibility requirements beyond the basic statutory age.^[18][19][20]

Can you buy Arkansas Lottery tickets online?

Yes, the Arkansas Lottery directs customers to ticket-ordering apps. Its official Where to Play page links Jackpocket, Jackpot.com and LOTTO.com alongside retailers.^[10]

That differs from completing a digital playslip and having a retailer scan it to finish the purchase. Neither route establishes a state-operated online casino or guarantees every game is available in every app.^[3][10]

Ticket purchases require age 18, and visitors may buy in Arkansas. Gifts are allowed only where the recipient could lawfully purchase or possess the ticket under the rule; the gift provision does not authorize minor purchases.^[3][18]

Use the Lottery's links to reach the correct service, then check its game, account and delivery terms before paying.^[10]

Is online horse betting legal in Arkansas?

Yes, online horse betting is legal through approved Arkansas advance deposit wagering arrangements. The racing rules expressly allow qualifying accounts to place wagers by telephone, mobile or electronic means away from the track, subject to approval and other requirements.^[4]

Oaklawn Anywhere is an operating service for Arkansas residents aged 18 and older. Its residence rule is different from the physical-location rule for mobile sports betting.^[19][2]

Southland currently offers simulcast wagering, but its venue says 21 to play. Simulcast availability does not mean live greyhound racing is operating there. Check the track, provider and venue conditions separately rather than assuming every racing website or casino admits 18-year-olds.^[4][20]

Are home poker games legal in Arkansas?

A home poker game is not automatically legal in Arkansas because it is private or nobody takes a rake. The card-betting statute, reproduced in the linked code mirror, prohibits wagering money or something valuable on poker and other card games.^[11]

The Attorney General also describes the state's general prohibition on unauthorized gambling. Neither source establishes a blanket exception for private cash games.^[12]

A free social game is a different question from wagering money. Before organizing paid play, obtain advice on the actual arrangement; do not treat the separate charitable bingo and raffle rules as permission for a poker night.^[6][11]

Bingo, raffles and charity gambling

Charitable bingo and raffles are legal in Arkansas when a qualifying organization holds the required license and follows the rules. Calling an event a fundraiser does not provide the exception by itself.^[6]

• The qualifying nonprofit needs the required five-year Arkansas history and must use proceeds for authorized charitable purposes.^[6]
• Member operation is generally unpaid; the rules separately permit a patron's service tip to a volunteer.^[6]
• Bingo must take place on licensed premises. Electronic play is prohibited.^[6]
• Bingo players and raffle-ticket purchasers must be at least 18.^[6][21]

Raffle tickets cannot be sold by internet, mail, email, telephone, fax or other remote electronic means. Even the small donated-prize raffle category requires licensing. These specific permissions do not authorize ordinary casino or poker fundraising nights.^[6]

Check the organizer's displayed license and the DFA charitable gaming rules before buying or organizing a game.^[6]

Are daily fantasy sports legal in Arkansas?

Yes, daily fantasy sports are legal in Arkansas when the paid contest meets the statutory conditions. The Act expressly permits qualifying games online and exempts compliant contests from the general gambling chapter.^[5]

Participants must each pay an entry fee. Public-contest prizes must be set and disclosed beforehand. Results must reflect knowledge and skill, predominantly through accumulated individual-athlete statistics. Participants must control drafting; choosing preselected athlete teams is excluded.^[5]

Outcomes cannot depend on a team's or combination of teams' score, spread or performance, or solely on one athlete in one event. College, high school, horse-racing and greyhound results are excluded. Results generally require completed events, with an exception for weather or other natural or unforeseen interruptions.^[5]

A PrizePicks, Underdog or other brand name does not establish that a particular pick'em format qualifies. The Act reviewed does not establish a universal player age, so check the precise contest and eligibility terms.^[5][12]

Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Arkansas?

A sweepstakes label or free-entry option does not establish Arkansas permission to offer casino-style wagering. The actual game and payment model matter under the state's gambling rules.^[12]

The unsuccessful 2025 internet-gaming bills should not be described as an enacted sweepstakes ban. Equally, they do not provide authorization for an online casino. Ordinary free promotions should not automatically be treated as identical to paid casino play.^[8][13][12]

For the distinction between free promotions and dual-currency casino models, see our sweepstakes casino legality guide. Check claimed Arkansas permission independently before depositing.

Are prediction markets legal in Arkansas?

Arkansas's Attorney General says the Kalshi-like model described in Opinion 2025-073 constitutes gambling or gaming requiring a license. The opinion is dated October 23, 2025.^[12]

It also explains that event contracts outside the paid-fantasy definition do not gain its gambling exemption or fantasy tax treatment. Calling a transaction a prediction market does not answer the state-law question.^[12]

This is an Attorney General opinion, not a court injunction or a final ruling on federal preemption. For Kalshi, Polymarket or another service, check the current product and any applicable Arkansas court order. A ruling about another state does not necessarily apply here.^[12]

How to check Arkansas gambling permission

Start at the regulator and follow genuine casino or Lottery links. A multistate AG letter describes illegal sites copying Arkansas casino identities; a familiar logo alone is not verification.^[22]