Casino Pushes for Rule Change Allowing Statewide Gambling Online

Gambling

KFSM reports Saracen Casino in pushing for a rule change that would effectively allow casino-style gambling statewide online.

Under current law, gambling is allowed at Arkansas’ three casinos — Oaklawn, Southland, and Saracen — and sports betting is allowed online via smart phones.

The casino’s proposed rule change reportedly would let people gamble on table games and slots online from anywhere in Arkansas.

Family Council opposes gambling — but online gambling is a particularly serious problem. The rule change could turn smart phones into pocketsize casinos.

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 in our state. Earlier this 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.

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Arkansas Lawmakers Approve Sports Betting on Smart Phones

Casinos,

On Tuesday the Arkansas Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee approved a state rule change that permits sports betting online via mobile devices.

The new rule is slated to take effect in a few days.

Under this new rule, gamblers will be able to bet on sporting events online via a computer, smart phone, or other mobile device from anywhere in Arkansas.

As we have said for weeks, when voters passed Amendment 100 in 2018, they authorized casino gambling at certain locations in Arkansas — not from anywhere in the state over the Internet.

This rule change permits sports betting anywhere in Arkansas. That isn’t what voters had in mind back in 2018.

It’s impossible to monitor Internet gambling to be sure state and federal laws are enforced.

No matter how many safeguards and security features are in place, there’s no way to guarantee that children won’t gamble via these smart phone apps.

People who gamble online face a serious risk of developing a gambling addiction, and some research indicates that people who engage in sports betting are twice as likely to suffer from gambling problems.

Arkansas already has enough problems from gambling. These new rules only make those problems worse.

Bottom line: Online sports betting is a bad bet for Arkansas.

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Legislative Subcommittee Approves Sports Betting on Smart Phones in Arkansas

Casinos,

On Thursday the Arkansas Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee Administrative Rule Subcommittee approved a state rule change that would permit sports betting online via mobile devices.

The proposal now goes to the full Joint Budget Committee for final consideration next week.

Lawmakers on the committee will be able to vote to approve or reject mobile sports betting in Arkansas.

If approved, gamblers would be able to bet on sporting events online via a computer, smart phone, or other mobile device from anywhere in Arkansas.

When voters passed Amendment 100 in 2018, they authorized casino gambling at certain locations in Arkansas — not from anywhere in the state over the Internet.

This rule change would permit mobile sports betting anywhere in Arkansas.

That isn’t what voters had in mind when they approved the casino amendment a little over three years ago.

It’s impossible to monitor Internet gambling to be sure state and federal laws are enforced.

No matter how many safeguards and security features are in place, there’s no way to guarantee that children won’t gamble via these smart phone apps.

People who gamble online face a serious risk of developing a gambling addiction, and some research indicates that people who engage in sports betting are twice as likely to suffer from gambling problems.

Arkansas already has enough problems from gambling. These new rules would only make those problems worse.

Bottom line: Online sports betting is a bad bet for Arkansas.

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