Arkansas Southland Casino begins taking sports bets

Sports betting was authorized in Arkansas by the casino gambling amendment approved in 2018. 

The Arkansas Racing Commission voted unanimously to approve  Southland Casino Racing’s offering sports betting, which now became the third casino in the state to be authorized by the commission to do so. 

Oaklawn began taking sports bets last summer, the Arkansas Times reports. The Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, still under construction, opened its gambling annex in October with 300 slot machines and sports betting on offer.

Southland’s opening came with good timing, with the biggest betting event of the year, the Super Bowl, which took place Sunday.

At 1 p.m. Tuesday sports betting made its debut in the casino and the timing Southland says is a straight-up coincidence with the biggest sports betting game of the year, the Super Bowl less, than a week away.

“Timing is great,” said Jeff Strang, with Southland.

Strang says the sports betting offers a new attraction, increasing the odds more patrons will also come.

“We feed off a population and we’re hoping it’s going to make it more convenient to come here based on time, travel as elsewhere in the Midsouth,” said Strang.