Arkansas bill proposes to ban swepstakes and legalise online casino
The proposals SB524 and HB1861 have been filed in the Senate and House.
US.- A pair of bills received by the state Senate and House seek to ban sweepstakes and legalise online gambling in Arkansas. SB524 and HB1861 are backed by 14 lawmakers, with Dave Wallace and Matt Duffield taking the lead in the Senate and House, respectively.
SB524 began in the Insurance and Commerce Committee and HB1861 has been referred to the Judiciary Committee in the House. They call for the creation of an Interactive Gaming Act, which would grant three land-based casinos licences to operate igaming. Saracen Casino Resort, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort and Southland Casino Hotel would be able to apply to offer online gambling products. They already offer online sports betting.
Saracen chief marketing officer Carlton Saffa said: “For over a year Saracen has been consistent: unregulated and untaxed casinos are live in Arkansas at great risk to consumers. These games are operated by shadowy offshore entities, many with links to China. A mere ban to a foreign company with servers on island nations like Malta is meaningless- these entities are already breaking our laws today”, he said on social media X.
He added: “Though largely symbolic, this bill first makes these unregulated casinos subject to a felony. More importantly it will serve to restrict the market by allowing only the three licensed casinos in Arkansas to engage in this business. In doing so it will generate millions in revenue at the expense of the offshore casinos as they are displaced by legitimate operators.”
The legislative session ends on April 11.
Sweepstakes bans are being considered in several states. In New York, S5935 will go to the Senate floor. In Florida, representative Walter Barnaby and senator Corey Simon have filed HB953 and S1404, which seek to make sweepstakes gaming operations third-degree felonies.
