{"id":8854,"date":"2025-03-22T06:32:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T06:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slategray-wallaby-310340.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/22\/arkansas-lawmakers-push-for-igaming-legalization-while-targeting-sweepstakes-casinos\/"},"modified":"2025-03-22T06:32:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T06:32:08","slug":"arkansas-lawmakers-push-for-igaming-legalization-while-targeting-sweepstakes-casinos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/22\/arkansas-lawmakers-push-for-igaming-legalization-while-targeting-sweepstakes-casinos\/","title":{"rendered":"Arkansas Lawmakers Push for iGaming Legalization While Targeting Sweepstakes Casinos"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Lawmakers in Arkansas are moving forward with plans to legalize <a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/casino\/what-is-igaming\/\">iGaming<\/a> for the state\u2019s three land-based casinos while aiming to ban online sweepstakes casinos. The proposed legislation, SB524 and HB1861, introduced by Senator Dave Wallace and Representative Matt Duffield, seeks to establish the Interactive Gaming Act. If approved, it would allow Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, and Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis to offer online casino gaming.<\/p>\n<h2>Expansion of iGaming in Arkansas<\/h2>\n<p>Currently, these three casinos operate online sports betting, but the passage of the new law would make Arkansas the eighth state in the US to legalize iGaming. Supporters argue that expanding online gaming would generate additional tax revenue and provide a regulated environment for players.<\/p>\n<h2>Crackdown on Sweepstakes Casinos<\/h2>\n<p>The proposed bills also introduce strict measures against online sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks using dual-currency funding. If enacted, operating these platforms in Arkansas would become a felony. Lawmakers pushing the legislation believe it is necessary to curb unregulated gaming and protect state interests.<\/p>\n<h2>Industry Response<\/h2>\n<p>The Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) strongly opposes the bills, arguing they are designed to eliminate competition and favor traditional casino operators. The group voiced concerns about the impact on businesses, innovation, and consumer choice.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe acknowledge the state\u2019s role in overseeing interactive gaming, but these bills go too far. Social sweepstakes are not casinos. They offer free-to-play entertainment to millions of adults, with most users never spending money. Treating them as a public harm is misguided and unsupported by data,\u201d<\/em> the SPGA stated.<\/p>\n<div class=\"main-org-3-item-ins box-100 relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-items box-100 relative\">\n<div class=\"box-100 space-org-3-item relative border-tb mt-1 \">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-ins box-100 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-logo-title-box box-100 text-left relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-box box-25 relative img-radius\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/7-bit-casino\/\" title=\"Visit Site\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<amp-img alt=\"7Bit Casino\" src=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/7BitCasino.png.webp\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" layout=\"fixed\"><br \/>\n\t\t<\/amp-img><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-title box-25 relative py-10\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/7-bit-casino\/\" title=\"7Bit Casino\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">7Bit Casino<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-terms box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-terms-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n\t\t<strong>177% up to 5BTC + 77 <strong>\u00a0Free Spins<\/strong>!<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"pt-1\">New players only. Exclusive Welcome Bonus of 177% + 77 Free Spins\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-rating box-25 relative mb-10\">\n<div class=\"rating-box text-center box-100  relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-rating-box relative\">\n<div class=\"stars\"><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-rating-notice relative\">Casino<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\n\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-button box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-button-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/7-bit-casino\/\" title=\"Visit Site\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\tVisit Site<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The organization urged lawmakers to reconsider, calling for collaboration with industry stakeholders to develop fair regulations. <em>\u201cThe SPGA urges Arkansas lawmakers to reject this broad, punitive legislation and instead engage with stakeholders to create a balanced, informed policy. Don\u2019t destroy a legal, thriving industry\u2014and consumer choice\u2014based on misinformation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/casino-news\/arkansas-lawmakers-push-for-igaming-legalization-while-targeting-sweepstakes-casinos\/\">Arkansas Lawmakers Push for iGaming Legalization While Targeting Sweepstakes Casinos<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/\">iGaming.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lawmakers in Arkansas are moving forward with plans to legalize iGaming for the state\u2019s three land-based casinos while aiming to ban online sweepstakes casinos. The proposed legislation, SB524 and HB1861, introduced by Senator Dave Wallace and Representative Matt Duffield, seeks to establish the Interactive Gaming Act. If approved, it would allow Saracen Casino Resort in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8854\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}