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DraftKings, FanDuel Both Launch Online Sports Betting in Arkansas
By Robert Linnehan in Sports Betting News
Published:
- DraftKings online sports betting is now live in Arkansas
- DraftKings partnered with Southland Casino for access into the state
- The sports betting operator was approved for a sports betting vendor license in February
DraftKings and FanDuel today both announced they are live in the Arkansas online sports betting market.
The sports betting giants today announced their online sportsbooks are live in the Natural State. The Arkansas Racing & Gaming Commission approved both FanDuel and DraftKings for sports betting vendor licenses in late February.
DraftKings officially partnered with Southland Casino for market access, while FanDuel partnered with Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
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Strange Journey Into Arkansas
Arkansas online sports betting has been live since March 2022, but has not featured any major sports betting operators until today.
The state has a unique revenue sharing requirement that has, until now, turned off most major sports betting companies from entering the market.
The Natural State features a 51% sports betting revenue clause, which requires state casinos to keep at least 51% of sports betting revenue if partnered with an online sportsbook company. Online sportsbooks typically keep between 85% to 95% of revenue in partnerships with casinos in other states.
However, both sports betting companies applied for vendor licenses with the land-based casinos last month.
Casino Partnerships Provide Access
Southland Casino offered online sports betting through its Betly Sportsbook platform, while Oaklawn Racing Casino Resorts offered online sports betting through its Oaklawn Sports platform. With the vendor approval, Oaklawn users will use a FanDuel Sportsbook app “powered by Oaklawn Sports” and Southland’s Betly app will become a Southland-logo app “powered by DraftKings.”
Wayne Smith, general manager for Oaklawn Racing Casino Resorts, reported during the hearing that its partnership with FanDuel is expected to bring in an increase of five-times the amount of online sports betting revenue the casino currently brings in now through its Oaklawn Sports platform.
The increased revenues will also be used to help “horse racing purses,” Smith said. Oaklawn houses a historic racetrack in the state.
DraftKings, in a press release, noted the Arkansas launch is now the company’s 30th state, in addition to Washington, D.C., Ontario, Canada, and Puerto Rico, where DraftKings operates regulated sports betting.
Arkansas’ third casino, Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, has not partnered with a national operator, instead using its in-house BetSaracen platform. Saracen Casino Resort Chief Marketing Officer Carlton Saffa told Sports Betting Dime in February that Saracen Casino has no immediate plans to move away from its BetSaracen product.
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Robert Linnehan
Regulatory Writer and Editor
Robert Linnehan covers all regulatory developments in online gambling and sports betting. He specializes in U.S. sports betting news along with casino regulation news as one of the most trusted sources in the country.
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