- Arkansas legalized sports betting at four locations via voter referendum in November of 2018, but none have launched sportsbooks yet.
- The online Arkansas sports betting bill AR SB 669 also included a royalty of 1% to be paid to major sports leagues.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Online sports betting in Arkansas is no longer on the horizon, as the issue of integrity fees became a major point of contention.
Sponsored by Democratic Arkansas Senator Will Bond, Senate Bill AR SB 669 would have permitted approved sports betting facilities to offer a state-wide mobile wagering platform with a tax rate of 13.5% to be assessed on mobile betting revenue.
While this measure would have given Arkansas an edge when trying to compete with neighboring states Tennessee and Mississippi, the bill also called for operators to pay a fee of 1% of their sports betting revenue to professional sports leagues.
No state that has legalized betting on sports has included such a royalty to be paid to professional sports leagues, mainly due to the fact that it would result in less money going to the state.
Because of the nature and volatility of this type of gaming, sportsbooks typically only retain less than 10 percent of their total sports wagering handle per month. By paying the sports leagues off the top, the state would have even less revenue to be able to tax.
Senators simply voted for the bill to ‘lie sine die’, meaning it will not be brought back for consideration to the state legislature. Retail sportsbooks in the state are still expected to launch later this year.
What Else Was In The Arkansas Sports Betting Bill?
The bill came with other interesting proposals as well. Known as the Athletic Event Wagering Bill of 2019, it would have called for the prohibition of bets being placed on dog shows, the Special Olympics, and the WWE.
Whether or not future retail sportsbooks will offer odds on any of those events now remains to be a mystery.
The Arkansas Racing Commission previously announced legal Arkansas sports betting rules and regulations for the approved gaming facilities and none of the rules addressed those specific events.
However, placing wagers on collegiate sporting events that happen in Arkansas is still banned under the current policies.
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News tags: AR SB 669 | Arkansas | sports betting
– In his career, Hasan has worked both local and state government positions—including the Attorney General’s Office in Florida. On top of being familiar with the legislative process, he has also been researching and writing on the legality of sports betting across the US. Outside of work you’ll most likely find him producing or playing music, playing sports, or working on creative writing projects. You’ll also catch him at Doak Campbell Stadium cheering on the Noles.
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