A bad bill filed at the Arkansas Legislature last week would legalize internet gambling in Arkansas.
Under current law, gambling is allowed at three casinos in the state — Oaklawn, Southland, and Saracen — and sports betting is allowed online via smart phones.
H.B. 1861 by Rep. Matt Duffield (R — Russellville) and Sen. David Wallace (R — Leachville) lets casinos licensed in Arkansas offer additional forms of gambling online.
The bill would legalize mobile gambling via smart phones from anywhere in Arkansas.
Family Council opposes gambling — but online gambling is a particularly serious problem.
Compulsive gamblers could gamble — and lose — 24 hours a day from anywhere in the state. That kind of gambling ruins lives, tears families apart, and hurts communities.
We already have seen how gambling addiction has become a serious problem. Last year the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council announced it has seen a 22% increase in calls for help with problem gambling — driven largely by sports betting.
Legalizing other types of online gambling would simply make these problems worse.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
