Legal Gambling Age Arkansas
Arkansas Gambling Laws – A Brief History. Hot Springs, a federally protected reserve in Arkansas has a gambling history which ran from just after the Civil war right through to modern times. There are reports of gangsters fighting for control of the liquor and gambling in this town as far back as 1880. Arkansas Sports Betting – Bet On Sports Legally In AR Betting - and gambling as a whole - was previously restricted in Arkansas. However, the Natural State launched domestic sports betting on July 1st, 2019. Anyone 21 years of age or older can now legally bet on sports at domestic casinos or online with offshore sportsbooks. The gambling legal status in the State changed drastically after WWII, and laws and regulations are still being amended occasionally. Nowadays, the legal forms of gambling in Arkansas include pari-mutuel wagering on greyhound and horse racing, lottery, slots, and bingo. Arkansas leans toward the more restrictive side when it comes to online.
A question mark without a number means that particular form of gambling is legal in that state, but the minimum age requirements, if any, are not. The legal age of consent in the United States at the federal level is 16 years. Sexual relationships with a person aged less than 16 years amount to statutory rape, and it is punishable by the law. Apart from the federal law on statutory rape, each of the states in the US has its local laws regarding consensual sex.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Latest on the 2018 election in Arkansas (all times local):
11:15 p.m.
Arkansas voters have approved a measure legalizing casinos in four counties, including at a horse track and dog track that already offer video poker and other electronic gambling.
Voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment that allows the casinos at the Southland dog track in West Memphis and the Oaklawn horse track in Hot Springs. The measure also legalizes casinos in Pope and Jefferson counties.
The Cherokee and Quapaw tribes in Oklahoma spent more than $4 million combined campaigning for the measure, which supporters have touted as a way to keep gambling revenue in Arkansas. The state Supreme Court last month rejected two lawsuits that tried to get the proposal disqualified from the ballot.
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11 p.m.
An Arkansas Supreme Court justice has won re-election after facing a barrage of attack ads and mailers from a Washington-based conservative group.
Justice Courtney Goodson defeated challenger and Department of Human Services Chief Counsel David Sterling in the non-partisan race.
The Republican State Leadership Committee spent $1.2 million on TV ads and mailers in the weeks leading up to the election. Goodson portrayed her re-election bid as a referendum on outside groups’ involvement in judicial races. She had sued to stop the RSLC’s mailers and ads. She lost her bid for chief justice two years ago after facing similar outside attacks.
The group also had run ads promoting Sterling that linked him to President Donald Trump and Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
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10:45 p.m.
A Republican congressman has won re-election to his central Arkansas seat after defeating a cancer survivor who railed against the incumbent’s vote to repeal the federal health care law.
U.S. Rep. French Hill won a third term on Tuesday against Democratic challenger Clarke Tucker in the race for the 2nd District seat covering Little Rock and seven central Arkansas counties. Hill was first elected to the seat in 2014.
Tucker and national Democrats had believed they had a chance to flip the Republican-held seat over Hill’s vote against the federal health overhaul. Tucker, a state representative, had run ads recounting his battle against bladder cancer.
Hill had run a series of ads trying to tie Tucker to national Democratic figures like Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.
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10:30 p.m.
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has been elected to her second term in office.
Rutledge became Arkansas’ first female attorney general when she was elected in 2014. She won a second term Tuesday night by defeating Democrat Mike Lee and Libertarian Kerry Hicks.
Rutledge is also Arkansas’ first constitutional officer to give birth while in office. Her daughter, Julianna, was born in July.
Rutledge, a Republican, described herself as a “gun carrying, conservative momma” in campaign ads. She currently serves as chairwoman of the Republican Attorneys General Association.
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10:20 p.m.
Arkansas voters have approved a plan to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage from $8.50 an hour to $11.
Voters on Tuesday approved the proposed initiated act, which raises the state’s minimum wage to $9.25 an hour on Jan. 1. The law then raises the wage to $10 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020, and $11 an hour on Jan. 1, 2021.
The state Supreme Court last month rejected a lawsuit from business groups who had challenged the signatures submitted in favor of the wage hike measure. The proposal is the second minimum wage hike increase Arkansas voters have approved over the past four years. Voters in 2014 approved a plan to gradually raise the state’s previous minimum wage from $6.25 an hour.
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10:18 p.m.
Arkansas voters have added to the state’s constitution a requirement that photo identification be shown in order to cast to a ballot.
The voter ID constitutional amendment was approved in Tuesday’s election. The measure adds showing photo ID to the list of qualifications to vote in the state.
Arkansas already has a voter ID law in effect that was approved by the state’s Republican-led Legislature and governor last year. The state Supreme Court last month upheld the measure and said the Legislature had the power to enact such a restriction.
The state Supreme Court in 2014 struck down a nearly identical version of the voter ID law that’s now in effect.
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10 p.m.
Republican congressman Bruce Westerman has been elected to his third term to a U.S. House seat representing southern and western Arkansas.
Westerman is a former state lawmaker from Hot Springs. He defeated Hayden Shamel, who is chairwoman of the Garland County Democratic Party, and Libertarian Tom Canada in Tuesday’s contest.
Shamel, a teacher at Lakeside High School, made education and health care central to her campaign.
Westerman, who was first elected in 2014, has a graduate degree in forestry and serves as chairman of the oversight and investigations subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee.
The seat representing the sprawling 4th Congressional District had long been a Democratic stronghold but has been in Republican hands since 2012, when Tom Cotton was elected to Congress.
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9:25 p.m.
An Arkansas Republican congressman has been re-elected to his fifth term representing the state’s 1st District, defeating a long-shot Democratic challenger.
Rep. Rick Crawford beat Democrat Chintan Desai in the northeastern district that includes Jonesboro and West Memphis.
After graduating high school, Crawford served four years in the army defusing explosive devices. He then enrolled at Arkansas State University, where he graduated in 1996.
In 2010, Crawford ran for the House seat vacated by former Rep. Marion Berry.
Crawford serves on the House Agriculture and Transportation and Infrastructure committees as well as the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He also co-founded two agricultural caucuses: the Congressional Rice Caucus and the Congressional Chicken Caucus.
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9:05 p.m.
A Republican legislator who co-sponsored a law expanding where concealed handguns are allowed in Arkansas has lost re-election.
Democrat Denise Garner defeated Republican Rep. Charlie Collins’ bid for re-election to House District 84 in northwest Arkansas. Collins was first elected to the seat in 2010.
Collins last year sponsored legislation that the state’s Republican governor signed into law allowing someone with a concealed handgun license to carry at state colleges, some bars and government buildings if they undergo up to eight hours of active-shooter training. A follow-up measure signed into law exempted college sporting facilities from the concealed carry expansion.
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8:50 p.m.
An incumbent Republican congressman has defeated a long-shot Democratic challenger to win re-election to his northwest Arkansas seat.
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack won a fifth term Tuesday in Arkansas’s 3rd Congressional District against Democrat Joshua Mahony. Womack was first elected to the district that includes Fayetteville and Fort Smith in 2010.
Womack has chaired the House Budget Committee since the beginning of the year.
After enlisting in the Arkansas Army National Guard, Womack and his father started a radio station. Womack also worked as a financial consultant for Merrill Lynch before being elected mayor of Rogers, Arkansas, where he served for 12 years.
In 2010, Womack easily won election to the House seat when John Boozman, who had held the seat, was elected to the U.S. Senate.
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8:05 p.m.
Re-elected Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said that his win Tuesday night shows that Arkansas is headed in the right direction.
Hutchinson told The Associated Press that voters demonstrated they agree with his plan for the future of the state, which includes a new highway plan, lowered taxes and a streamlined state government.
Hutchinson won a second term against Democratic nominee Jared Henderson, a former Teach for America executive who had criticized Hutchinson on the state’s Medicaid work requirement.
Henderson told The Associated Press that while he was disappointed in his loss, he remains optimistic about the Democratic Party in Arkansas. He also said it’s very likely that he will run for office again.
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7:31 p.m.
Republican Asa Hutchinson has won re-election as Arkansas governor, defeating a Democratic challenger who had criticized him over the state’s Medicaid work requirement.
Hutchinson won a second term and defeated Democratic nominee Jared Henderson, a former executive with Teach for America. Hutchinson is a former congressman and federal Homeland Security official who was first elected to office in 2014.
Hutchinson had been the favorite in the race and touted more than $150 million in tax cuts he has signed into law since taking office.
Henderson had criticized Hutchinson over the state’s requirement that some on the state’s expanded Medicaid program work or lose their coverage. Nearly 8,500 have been kicked off the program for not meeting the requirement.
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7:30 p.m.
Polls are now closed for voting in Arkansas’ general election.
Polling sites were busy throughout much of Arkansas on Tuesday as voters cast ballots. And that’s in addition to the more than 450,000 votes that were cast in early and absentee voting throughout the state.
Arkansas voters are being asked whether to raise the state’s minimum wage, legalize casinos in four counties and enshrine a voter ID requirement in the state constitution. They’re also weighing in on the state’s constitutional offices, and whether to re-elect the state’s four congressmen, who are all Republicans.
Voters in Little Rock are also choosing a new mayor.
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6:25 p.m.
Voter turnout was brisk on a sunny Election Day in central Arkansas.
Mother and daughter Kim and Mylisa Angel voted in Bryant after scrambling to get an ID card for Mylisa, who cast a ballot for the first time Tuesday. Both said they talked over the issues before the election and said they voted similarly in most races, except where they disagreed on the minimum wage ballot measure, with Mylisa supporting it and Kim opposing it.
In Little Rock, medical biller Sabrina Raveendran said she voted a straight Democratic ticket to send a message of change. Raveendran’s father is Sri Lankan and her mother is Trinidadian, and she said was motivated to vote after President Donald Trump said he wanted to eliminate citizenship for the children of immigrants.
Polls will close at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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10:35 a.m.
Arkansas voters are going to the polls to cast their ballots for the midterm election.
On Tuesday’s ballot is a race for governor between incumbent Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Democrat Jared Henderson, a proposal to raise the state’s minimum wage and ballot measures to legalize casinos in four counties.
Voter Angela Bledsoe said she voted for the casino measure because she believes it will generate revenue for the state.
Voters are also considering a proposal to enshrine a voter ID requirement in the state constitution.
In central Arkansas, Democrat Clarke Tucker is trying to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. French Hill for the 2nd Congressional District seat.
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7:30 a.m.
Polls are now open for Arkansas voters casting ballots in Tuesday’s general election.
Leading the ballot is the race for Arkansas governor, as well as ballot measures that would increase the minimum wage, legalize casinos in four counties and enshrine a voter ID requirement in the state constitution.
In central Arkansas, Democrat Clarke Tucker is trying to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. French Hill for the 2nd Congressional District seat.
State officials have reported brisk turnout in early and absentee votes, with more than 412,000 ballots already cast as of Monday.
Polls are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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8:15 p.m.
An Arkansas Supreme Court justice is fighting for her political career in a re-election bid that’s been marked by heavy spending by outside groups blanketing airwaves with attack ads, while voters are being asked to raise the state’s minimum wage.
The Arkansas secretary of state’s office hasn’t predicted how many of the state’s nearly 1.8 million registered voters will cast a ballot in Tuesday’s general election.
Justice Courtney Goodson has faced a new barrage of attack ads and mailers in her re-election fight against David Sterling.
The Republican State Leadership Committee’s Judicial Fairness Initiative has spent more than $1.2 million this fall on mailers and TV ads in the race. Similar outside spending sank Goodson’s bid to become the court’s chief justice two years ago.
An Overview of Gambling Laws in the State Of Arkansas
When you look at the history of Arkansas in relation to gambling, it really makes you think about what could have been. Everything was in place for the complexes at Hot Springs to rival Las Vegas or Atlantic City as world class US gambling hub. Instead this State went in the opposite direction, banning virtually all forms of gambling for residents. There are two casino complexes nowadays, and a few bingo halls. This page gives you a detailed overview of the current gambling laws in the State of Arkansas.
You’ll find a fast-paced walk through the colorful history of gambling in Arkansas first below. Much of this involves Hot Springs and the Mob. After that there is a game-by-game overview of what kinds of gambling are permitted in this state – followed by a timeline and details of the legislation which affects gamblers today. At the end of this page you will find a summary and a look towards the future.
Arkansas Gambling Laws – A Brief History
Hot Springs, a federally protected reserve in Arkansas has a gambling history which ran from just after the Civil war right through to modern times. There are reports of gangsters fighting for control of the liquor and gambling in this town as far back as 1880. In the early 1900’s baseball training camps and tourism had seen this town expand – and the Oakland racetrack was a regular attraction.
By the late 1920’s Hot Springs had become a gambling hub, with 10 major and many minor casinos it was even bigger than Las Vegas at this time. This continued right through to 1947, when a grand jury indicted several of the major casino owners. This was the start of a lot of legal and regulatory issues for Hot Springs, who were caught up in the changing political mood of the post-war years.
Finally, gambling in Hot Springs was shut down in 1967, it would be almost 40 years before any forms of gambling would become legal again. While the conservative members of the political divide will be pleased to see gambling ended in this way -progressive and neutral observers will look at the billions in tax revenues generated by Las Vegas and Atlantic City and think about what could have been for Hot Springs had the political mood been different.
More recently, skill games have been given an exemption – as have charity gambling games including Bingo and raffles. There is now a legal State lottery too.
While gambling is completely illegal under the Arkansas State codes, the penalties look the same as they were in the 1960’s. If convicted you face a ‘heavy’ fine of between $10 and $25 for most gambling offenses.
Legal Gambling Age In Arkansas
Arkansas Gambling Laws – What Forms of Gambling Are Currently Legal
Casino Games: No, there are a few ‘games of skill’ which are quasi-casino games at both the Oaklawn Park racetrack and Southlands Racetrack loosely based on Blackjack and Video Poker. Hot Springs, where Oaklawn is situated had the potential to be as big as Las Vegas at one point in its history. Today AK residents need to cross into Mississippi to find real casino table games and slots.
Online Casino Gambling: No, Online gambling is not explicitly banned under the Statutes – though considered illegal under current general guidelines.
Live Poker: Yes, though limited to the Southlands racetrack, they have just 6 tables that cover cash games and tournaments. Poker home games are not allowed in Arkansas, though the State code does indicate that the maximum fine for gambling is only $25.
Online Poker: No, there is no regulation or moves towards this at the moment. Like most states the AR code does not explicitly ban online poker, though it is assumed that their blanket ban on games of chance for money does encompass this.
Sports Betting: Yes, only legal at the tracks, where bets are Pari-Mutuel and based on greyhound and horse racing only.
Lottery: Yes, Arkansas run a ‘scholarship lottery’ which includes several different draws as well as scratch-card type games. The profit from this lottery is used to offer college scholarship to talented students who might not otherwise have been able to afford them.
Bingo Games: Yes, there are bingo halls in this State, these are regulated under the ‘Charitable Gambling’ legislation which covers both bingo and raffles for non-profit organizations.
Arkansas Gambling Laws – Timeline of Key Statutes
Here are the key laws which govern gambling in AR. For this State they center on the 1967 law. The main statutes covering gambling make a clear distinction between individuals gambling and those running gambling houses or organizing the events (or owning gambling machines). The core offense involves betting, which includes both ‘hazard or skill’:
If a person bets any money or any valuable thing on any game of hazard or skill, upon conviction he or she is guilty of a violation and shall be fined in any sum not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00). (From: 5-66-113)
There is no explicit reference in the Arkansas law to gambling online. This is common as the laws pre-date the internet. It is assumed that the current laws cover this, though there has been no legal test of this assumption to date. With the track-record of banning almost all forms of gambling, the status-quo is presumably preferable to a test case which is likely to yield negative results.
Note that unlike in the legislation of other states, there is no distinction between games where the house makes a profit and social games. This is one of the few States where home poker games are against the law.
Timeline of gambling legislation:
1967: Current laws enacted, Hot Springs gambling finally closed down, though the heyday was already passed for this town by this point.
2005: The ‘Games of Skill’ legislation enabled expanded gaming opportunities at the major racetracks – that now have 100’s of machines each. Act 1151 of 2005 put into place a regulation framework which covered electronic games based on skill – which has lead the racetracks to come up with innovative live dealer + electronic screen hybrids.
2007: There were carve-outs for charitable gambling games in the ‘Charitable Bingo and Raffles Enabling Act (2007 number 338). There a strict licensing rules in Arkansas for these games, as well as strict definitions – here is their definition of bingo:
[su_quote]“”Game of bingo” includes only a game in which the winner receives a preannounced, fixed-dollar prize and in which the winner is determined by the matching of letters and numbers on a bingo face imprinted with at least twenty-four (24) numbers, with letters and numbers appearing on objects randomly drawn and announced by a caller, in contemporaneous competition among all players in the game;”[/su_quote]
2009: Lottery begins, after becoming legal one year earlier, this is known as the ‘scholarship’ lottery and the funds go to subsidize education.
Arkansas Gambling Laws – Summary and Look into the Future
The ‘what could have been’ story with Hot Springs makes fascinating reading, with colorful mob characters that belonged to that era. Nowadays, this state are progressively allowing more gambling for their citizens. Charity and Skill gaming make a good starting point, with the increased tax revenues from these games likely to be filtering through to State budgets soon – there may be an appetite for further relaxing of the rules.
Based on their history of legislating gambling, I can’t see Arkansas regulating gambling online any time soon. In the meantime, the liberal gambling laws of neighboring Mississippi will continue to be a big draw.
Useful Resources:
General Overview from State Site
Charitable Gaming Laws
Oaklawn Site
Games of Skill Legislation
Legal Gambling Age In Arkansas
Hot Springs History
Searchable Code of AR Legislation
Legislation at US-Gambling Law