US Arkansas Online Casinos

While no enforcement actions were ever taken against mere players, Arkansas law used to leave very little ambiguity as to the legality of unlawful gambling. Arkansas law made it patently illegal to gamble on anything in which, "Any money or property may be won." Obviously, money can be won or lost when playing online, so that would fall under this very blanket legal purview, too. Some of this changed in 2018,and then in 2022, as you will soon learn.

As noted in our restrictions page, that left very little for people acting as mere players to be concerned about as any enforcement mechanisms would be directed at operators as opposed to people just playing online. There are conditions in the law that make it illegal to possess an unlawful gambling device, but the specific wording of those codes is such that it apparently just focuses on operators of unlawful gambling enterprises.

The only instances we could find of any unlawful gambling arrests were of operators, specifically of illegal physical, “Betting houses,” whereas the players gambling in them were left alone.

As with virtually all other states, except those in which it has been specifically authorized, it is illegal to operate an online casino out of the state of Arkansas. Most, if not all, online gambling websites are located outside the United States, both physically and in terms of legal reach. The majority of online casinos will offer their services to customers in the State of Arkansas.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Arkansas?

As of November 2018, Arkansas offers legal land-based gambling and sportsbetting. The Natural State allows land-based casinos and betting shops to open within its borders and offer their services to players. After five failed attempts, the state allowed four counties to offer a legal land-based gambling scene, Jefferson, Pope, Garland, and Crittenden.

As for online gambling, it remains illegal, though. Games of luck and skill, according to the more conservative residents of Arkansas, should've never been allowed, and they surely made sure to vote against them in 1984, 1996, and 2000. The Supreme Court, however, rejected the amendments to the state Constitution in 2012 and 2016, though. In November 2018, Arkansas voters decided its future and gave land-based gambling their blessing. As of 2018, when casinos were finally permitted offline, the residents started showing interest in the respective online casino gambling verticals, too.

A growing interest in welcoming online gambling to the state is shown by lawmakers, as well. Ever since they legalized online sports betting in February 2022, they started considering possible ways to legalize online casino gambling, as well. At the moment of writing, however, no legal and licensed online casinos exist in Arkansas. Whether that will change in the foreseeing future, even though a bill to bring it to Arkansas was filed in 2025, we’re yet to witness.

Land-Based and Tribal Casinos in Arkansas

Land-based casinos, as explained, are legal in Arkansas. The state welcomed them in 2018, on the sixth attempt after five failed ones. The first three times, it was the conservative residents who voted against it, while the second two times, it was the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, today, Arkansas is a US state that offers operators the chance to apply for and obtain a license to operate a casino establishment in four counties, Jefferson, Pope, Garland, and Crittenden.

When the industry went live, three brick-and-mortar casinos opened in Jefferson, Garland, and Critten, but there was a holdup in Pope County, as conservative residents were still against casinos, even though the state had the upper hand. In 2024, however, Cherokee Nation Entertainment secured the final license for Pope County.

As opposed to online casinos, which do not exist, land-based casinos in Arkansas are operating beautifully, attracting tourists and boosting the state’s economy.

Sweepstakes and Social Casinos Available in Arkansas

Considering online casinos are still illegal in Arkansas if you wish to try casino-style games, you are free to join licensed social casino sites or sweepstakes casino sites. There are plenty of such sites available in the state that are properly licensed to offer their services to its residents.

The operators of these sites must offer these games to Arkansas players for free, and players must not make deposits to participate, all the while allowing them to win prizes and rewards, and coins.

Sportsbetting in Arkansas

Online sportsbetting is now legal in the state. Ever since 2018 when land-based casinos and sportsbooks were legalized, the state was increasingly open to considering regulating other verticals. Eventually, in February 2022, the Arkansas Racing Commission’s law was changed when the Joint Budget Committee signed off on it, and with that, sportsbetting went live across the state, both in-person and online.

How to Find the Best Online Casino in Arkansas

Land-based casinos in Arkansas have to get licensed by the Racing Commission. However, since online casino gambling is still illegal, you won’t find online casinos that are licensed by the regulator. So, what you will need to do as an Arkansas player, is search for sites that are licensed by the authorities in a different state. Or, you can check out online casinos based in Europe and licensed by the likes of the Malta Gaming Authority, the Curacao Gaming Commission, and the UK Gambling Commission, for instance.

Licensed sites are transparent, and must abide by set rules in their respective jurisdiction, which apply to all registered players. Such sites offer player protection to all registered players, therefore, if you come across one that caters to Arkansas players, you can rest assured that you’d be treated with the utmost respect and fairness.

You can find these casinos by doing a simple search. After you confirm that a site is properly licensed, head over to its Banking page, to check the payment methods offered. A solid online casino should give you the option to choose from a variety of globally accepted payment methods, solutions that will allow you to make international transactions. It is also important that you find yourself an online casino that offers instant deposits and fast payouts, as you'd want your entire online gambling experience to go as smoothly as possible.

Of course, a massive choice of games is essential, too. You should have at your disposal many categories of games to explore, and many titles to play. Depending on your preferred type of game, you should have many titles to check out and try.

Sites that do not offer varied game portfolios, are not properly licensed, and do not give you plenty of payment solutions to choose from and use, are sites to avoid, of course.

How to Sign Up and Play for Real Money in Arkansas

After you decide on the online casino to join, there are a few steps you need to take before you can start playing. Naturally, this means that you'd need to go through the registration procedure first and foremost, and in most cases, through the KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.

Just follow this step-by-step guide to registration and in no time, you can continue with the next step:

1. Load the online casino’s website or download its app, and then press the Register button.
2. As the form appears, fill it out with the required personal info (name, phone number, email, etc.)
3. Read through and accept the T&Cs and confirm your registration.
4. With that, you’re the newest registered player at your chosen online casino.

Right after you register your account, some online casinos will ask you to verify your identity. Others will wait until you've deposited, played, won, and requested a withdrawal to do that. No matter the case, you will need to provide a government-issued document. Make a copy of your ID, passport, or driver's license and attach it in the designated field. Some casinos might ask for your selfie additionally, so provide that, as well. The KYC verification procedure is often a term in the license deal that obliges operators to check and verify players' identity before they can continue playing on their sites. That's why, if you wish to have a safe online gambling experience at the site, make sure you go through these verification steps.

As far as depositing goes, the steps are even more intuitive and effortless. You will just need to do the following:

1. Enter your registered player account using your credentials.
2. Head over to the Payment Methods/Banking page.
3. Find the Deposits section and check out the methods offered.
4. Select the one that you’d like to use, and enter the needed login/card details.
5. Specify the amount you wish to deposit and confirm the transfer.
6. In an instant or in a few hours, depending on the method, the funds will safely be transferred to your casino balance.

What Payment Methods Can You Use to Deposit and Withdraw in Arkansas?

Most online casinos that cater to Arkansas players offer a variety of payment options that allow for international transactions. Standard options like online bank transfers, VISA, and MasterCard are practically offered across all online casinos that do cater to players from the state, but you can rest assured that other alternative options will be at your disposal.

PayPal is, of course, one of the first alternative methods that you’d go with, as it is extremely popular in the US and offers cross-border and even crypto transactions. Skrill is a popular choice, as well, as is Trustly, so depending on your preferences, you can choose the ideal solution to use, to get the smoothest banking.

Speaking of, for your banking to be as smooth as possible, you must have at your disposal methods that allow for instant deposits. Instant cashouts would be ideal, too, however, it suffices for the payment method to at least process withdrawals in a few hours, not days. So, when choosing a method to use, make sure you take all of these things into consideration.

What Casino Software Providers and Games Are Available in Arkansas?

Way back when the US had just started warming up to the idea that casinos were transitioning online, only a few software providers had access to the market. We're talking brands like WGS, RTG, Dragon Gaming, and Rival, software developers that were already powering the land-based casino floors.

But then, as states started legalizing online gambling for real, plenty of European software developers penetrated the market, by getting proper licenses from the respective regulators. Today, US players, players from Arkansas included, get access to world-class gaming content delivered by the likes of Games Global, BTG, Evolution, Playtech, and Pragmatic Play, to mention a few.

These leading developers design the most aesthetically appealing, fun, and engaging slot games, table games like roulette, poker, and blackjack, in RNG and Live Dealers versions, as well as other exciting game types like bingo and video poker. In fact, these are all game types that players from Arkansas enjoy playing, therefore, no matter the site you join, if it is powered by any of the mentioned developers, you’re in for a real treat. Game quality and variety are guaranteed.

What Casino Bonuses Can Players in Arkansas Claim?

Tons of bonuses await across online casinos that you can join as a player from Arkansas. Leading online casino sites make sure there’s a bonus for everyone, for every type of player, regardless of their game preferences.

For instance, your journey at an online casino will start with a Sign-Up bonus. This bonus, otherwise known as a Welcome Bonus, is the bonus offer that welcomes you when you register an account with the casino for the first time. This offer usually gives you Free Spins and a Deposit Match to your bonus. For example, you may get 10 Free Spins for one, more, or all slot games on the site, and a 100% Match on your first deposit.

As you continue playing, you will likely get more Free Spins offers, for new arrivals, for instance, as well as Cashback offers, to retrieve some of the money you lost. Daily and weekly bonuses are not rare, either. Most online casinos also have slot or poker tournaments you can participate in, to gram a potential cash prize, or a trip.

On that note, most notable online casinos also have great Loyalty programs, that reward players for their loyalty. Consisting of several levels, these programs give you Free Spins, better payout options, faster payouts, personal account managers, and all sorts of rewards.

No matter the offer you choose to eventually claim, make sure you first read its Terms and Conditions. Here, more info on wagering requirements is usually present, as well as specific rules to follow, such as on which games can the bonus be used. These can be tricky, so do not dare to claim an offer before you read the fine print.

Responsible Gambling in Arkansas

The Arkansas Racing Commission provides at least $200,000 a year for gambling problem treatments. It operates in coordination with the Department of Human Services to help those in need of assistance with a gambling-related problem. The National Council on Problem Gambling is also at players’ disposal, as is the Gamblers Anonymous organization, which they can get in touch with in order to get help when struggling with problem gambling.

Across online casinos that you can join as an Arkansas player, you can additionally get links to other global organizations that provide support. They offer self-exclusion and other tools and resources that you can use in case you need them.

Further Reading

• Top Online Casinos for Arkansas