Is sports betting legal in Arkansas?
Yes. Arkansas allows sports betting at its licensed casinos and, through those casinos, online for adults 21 and over who are physically in the state, under Amendment 100 to the state constitution, regulated by the Arkansas Racing Commission.
How Arkansas got here
Arkansas did it through its constitution, not a bill. The casino amendment that went to voters in 2018, now Amendment 100 (the Arkansas Casino Gaming Amendment of 2018), defines casino gaming to include "accepting wagers on sporting events" and lets casino licensees take those bets "if and when not prohibited by federal law." It names the two racetracks that get licenses under it, Southland in Crittenden County and Oaklawn in Garland County, and bars anyone under 21 from casino gaming.
The Arkansas Racing Commission, part of the Department of Finance and Administration, regulates all of it. Its casino gaming rules, now in the Code of Arkansas Rules, are where the detail lives.
Betting from your phone
Online betting is allowed, but only through a casino. The rules say a casino must run a sports book on its own premises before it can run an online one, and each casino can offer no more than two branded apps, which have to show the casino's name. I like that rule more than most bettors will: it means every app in the state has a building and a license behind it.
You can bet away from the casino as long as you are physically in Arkansas when you place the wager, through an account set up under the rules (23 CAR § 358-2006). Only people 21 or over can open a wagering account, and the book has to check who you are before your first bet.
What's on the board
College games are allowed, and I'd check that first if you've bet in a state that limits them. What the rules ban is taking a college bet the book knows, or should know, comes from a coach or player in that game, along with bets on elections and on amateur events other than the Olympics and college sports (23 CAR § 358-2017).
Winnings are fully taxable on your federal return.
Where the offshore books fit
Offshore books will take a player in Arkansas, but they hold no license from the Racing Commission, so nobody in the state can make them pay or rule on a dispute. A licensed book answers to the Commission. Our offshore sportsbooks section explains how those books work, and the VPN question covers why location rules catch people at payout time. I'd know both before putting money anywhere.
The Commission's rules require every licensed book to show this message: if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-522-4700. Our responsible gambling page has the rest.
*Checked against the Arkansas Racing Commission's casino gaming rules on 28 October 2026. Laws change; this page is re-checked every quarter. This is not legal advice.*
Related questions
Where is sports betting legal?
Of the 38 states we have checked, 31 allow legal sports betting in some form and 7 do not, as of 28 October 2026. The form varies a lot: some states let you bet on your phone anywhere inside their borders, others only at a casino counter, a tribal casino or through one state-run book.
How old do you have to be to bet on sports?
21 in most states that allow sports betting, and 18 in a few, New Hampshire and Rhode Island among them. The age that counts is the one set by the state you are in when you place the bet, so check that state's regulator.
Is sports betting legal in Louisiana?
Yes, parish by parish. Louisiana allows retail and mobile sports betting for adults 21 and over, but only in the parishes whose voters approved it, regulated by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.