Sports wagers decline at Arkansas casinos in December

All three Arkansas casinos experienced a drop in sports betting in the last month of 2021.

US.- The Arkansas Racing Commission has released sports betting figures from the three casinos in the state for December. Southland Casino Racing, Oaklawn Casino Resort and Saracen Casino Resort experienced drops in their sports betting handle.

At Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis, bettors wagered $3.6m in December, down 10.6 per cent from $4.02m in November. Once winning bettors were paid, the sportsbook at Southland lost $159,995, which compares to a win of $725,562 in November.

The sportsbook at Oaklawn also saw a lower handle and net win total. In December, Oaklawn took $2.58m in sports bets. That represents a 4.5 per cent decrease from November’s handle of $2.7m. After winners were paid, the casino’s net revenue from sports betting totalled $131,158, a drop of more than 72 per cent from November’s win of $477,749.

In Pine Bluff, Saracen took $1.6m in sports bet, about 2 per cent less than November’s $1.6m handle. Net revenue totalled $76,436, down 81.8 per cent from November’s $420,123.

Mobile sports betting in the state

The Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) has unanimously approved changes to the state’s gambling rules that will allow mobile sports betting through local casinos. The rule changes must now be approved by the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC), which is expected to meet on January 28.

Scott Hardin, ARC spokesman, said: “If ALC approves, the rule changes allowing mobile sports betting would be effective immediately.”

The Racing Commission also approved changes that mean casinos must keep at least 51 per cent of revenue if they are contracted with a third-party vendor such as FanDuel or Draftkings. That sets Arkansas apart from other states, where the average share is 5-15 per cent with local casinos.

See also: Arkansas Racing Commission approves mobile sports betting