Arkansas Online Casinos

As a whole, gambling in the South is still a relatively restricted activity. Fortunately, Arkansas is one of the more permissible states, allowing individuals to participate in certain casino games. Still, there are quite many things that you need to know about gambling in this region if you would like to remain on the right side of the USA online gambling legal system. Here is the breakdown of Arkansas gambling laws:

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Is Arkansas Gambling Legal?

For the most part, gambling in AR has yet to be legalized. As such, the Arkansas authorities have prohibited most aspects of gambling. This includes casinos, table games, and more. While these laws are strict, there have been a few concessions made over the years.

As for online gambling in Arkansas, it is not permitted within the state. Due to this, citizens of the region are not allowed to visit virtual casinos about such online activities. This subject will be discussed in-depth, in a topic below…

To begin with, Arkansas has outlawed gambling that has strictly to do with luck or chance. However, you can play casino games if they require some level of skill or manipulation on the player’s part. Then, they may be allowed in an authorized area.

In addition to some of these gambling activities, Arkansas also permits individuals to engage in horse and dog racing. Under these circumstances as well, certain restrictions exist, and there are only particular forms of gambling that are allowed

Legal Definitions of Gambling

One of the reasons that the Arkansas government has so much authority over gambling is the wording of the law. It is as follows:
“It is unlawful for any person to bet any money or other valuable thing or any representative of anything that is esteemed of value on any game prohibited by state law.”

The decree casts a wide net on all activities that can even be considered land-based or online gambling AR. However, these regulations are pretty antiquated, making them a little murky at times, even when it comes to casinos. This is particularly true in the case of the consequences associated with gambling and related activities:

“Upon conviction, a person who violates this section is guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor and shall be fined in any sum not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and maybe imprisoned any length of time not less than thirty (30) days nor more than one (1) year.”

Thus, should offenders be caught in such a position, the minimum fine you can receive is $100. On a similar note, the minimum jail sentence for a gambling offense is thirty days. Even then, most of the punishments are biased against people running the casinos.

Casinos in Arkansas

Now, several other states skirt local Arkansas law by setting up land-based gambling agencies on tribal lands. In such areas, casino businesses are typically only subject to federal and tribal law. Unfortunately, there are no Indian casinos in Arkansas.

Despite this, there are forms of legal gambling permitted in Arkansas. As a result, certain land-based gambling companies have been formed within the region. Even so, they are not technically considered casinos.

The two gambling businesses that are allowed to exist within Arkansas are attached to race tracks. As such, they are commonly referred to as “racinos”. While these operations are legal, there are still restrictions on the types of games that they are certified to offer. According to the law, they need to adhere to the following points:

“Games played through any electronic device or machine that allows the exercise of skill or judgment where the outcome is not completely controlled by chance alone.”

It should also be noted that the gambling age in Arkansas is 21. That is unless someone is placing wagers on horse or dog racing. Then, the individual placing bets can be over the age of 18.

What Casino Games and Activities Are Legal?

Initially, only games of skill were allowed in the above brick-and-mortar casinos in Arkansas. Due to this, many of the table games were not allowed. Instead, the racinos were only allowed to offer “electronic games of skill”. Thus, only video simulations of these games were allowed, although online gambling in Arkansas was still banned.

However, as the Issue 4 regulation was passed in Arkansas, there are now a lot more options available to gamblers. This includes games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and slots. As this law begins to take more excellent hold, it may be possible to find some slot machines as well.

However, it is unlikely that offline gambling will truly ever take off in this location. This is particularly true since more and more regions are adopting online casinos instead.

The Legality of Online Gambling

This leads to the question regarding most trusted online casinos in Arkansas state and online wagering. As previously mentioned, the laws about such online casinos still stand firm. They – and online games – are not allowed. This isn’t too surprising considering that Issue 4 was only passed a few months ago. It is only natural for it to take some time for the region to change its mind on Arkansas online gambling laws.

So, in case you were wondering is Bovada legal in Arkansas, the answer would be no. The same thing applies to many of the online games and casinos as well. For instance, if you were trying to discover “is online poker legal in Arkansas”, you will be disappointed by the results.
So, is the situation this cut and dry? Or, is there some wiggle room for individuals in Arkansas who would like to head online and play for real money on such virtual casinos?

What to Know About Offshore Websites

Now, the thing about the internet is that since it’s online, it transcends space. Thus, it is only natural to wonder, since Arkansas online casinos aren’t allowed, if offshore casinos are. This is a bit of a grey area since most laws are still trying to catch up to technology and online casinos.

Most of the regulations are placed on the online slots casinos and the companies that own them. That is to say, the Arkansas authorities are more likely to fine or persecute the individuals providing these online services rather than you. Of course, you may still be taking a risk with these casinos, should you decide to go against the laws opposing Arkansas online gambling.

It should also be noted that many of these online gambling casinos have restrictions on the players that they allow. As such, many of them may not permit online American players. This does change from region to region, however.

Sports Betting

It was previously mentioned that Arkansas had legalized placing wagers on horse and dog racing for a while now. This could be done on-track or off-track rather than in casinos. Nevertheless, participants were only allowed to place pari-mutuel wagers only though.

However, the USA Supreme Court struck down a law preventing wagering based on sporting events. As a result, the state of Arkansas was able to legalize sports betting officially. While it is allowed in the region, this is an up-and-coming activity and will take some time to be fully enacted.

As of this date, you can’t gamble online for sports either. Thus, you are not permitted to go through any websites that offer such online services. Once the necessary places have been set up in-state, you will be able to place bets there for cash.

The Future of Gambling

There is no denying that the restrictions on casinos and placing wagers in Arkansas are pretty imposing. As such, partaking in such activities, especially online ones, can be a little tricky at the moment. Fortunately, it does appear that the situation is poised to change, especially since the laws are a great deal more modern now.

Once land-based casinos have begun to make a profit, it will only be a matter of time until Arkansas lawmakers will be open to online casinos as well. Such a change may come sooner if other parts of the country also begin to make the necessary adjustments to their laws as far as online gambling and casinos are concerned.

In the end, the situation does look much better than it did a few years ago. At least, the people within Arkansas have more options and can even head to online casinos now. Thus, more and more people will be able to partake in and enjoy gambling-related activities.

This is what you need to know about the legal gambling opportunities in Arkansas – both offline and online. With all of the information provided here, you should get a more defined idea of how the entire process works, particularly with online casinos. Of course, as laws are subject to change, it is best to remain as up-to-date regarding the situation as you possibly can.

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