Arkansas’ Tax Revenue from Sports Betting Likely Comes at a High Cost

Gambling,

Arkansas collected over $7 million in sports betting tax revenue in 2025, but the real cost to Arkansas families may be much higher.

Arkansas sports betting revenue is growing rapidly. According to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the state collected $7.229 million in tax revenue from sports betting between January and October of 2025 — up 28.1% from the same period in 2024. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports Arkansans wagered $655 million on sports betting last year.

But the tax revenue comes at a devastating cost to Arkansas families. The Arkansas Problem Gambling Council announced a 22% increase in calls for help with problem gambling in 2024, driven largely by sports betting.

The National Council on Problem Gambling reports that “the rate of gambling problems among sports bettors is at least twice as high as among gamblers in general.” When sports gambling is conducted online, the rate is even higher.

Research shows the hidden costs far exceed the tax benefits. The Northwestern University study found that for every dollar spent on sports betting, household investing falls by an average of $2. A UCLA study estimated that online sportsbooks are linked to an increase of roughly 30,000 more bankruptcies per year nationwide.

Arkansas families deserve better than trading their financial security for state tax revenue. The $7 million Arkansas collected in 2025 pales in comparison to the financial devastation that sports betting brings.

Sports betting is not a harmless pastime. As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, problem gambling will simply hurt more and more people in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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How Sports Betting Corrupts College Athletics and Exploits Student-Athletes

Gambling,

Sports betting is corrupting college athletics and putting student-athletes at risk of harassment, bribery, and exploitation.

Federal prosecutors recently announced major indictments in college sports betting corruption. On January 15, the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI unsealed indictments against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA basketball games.

The scheme involved “fixers” who recruited NCAA players to help ensure their teams failed to cover the spread. Players were offered bribe payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game to participate in the scheme.

The NCAA has opened investigations into dozens of student-athletes across 20 schools for sports betting violations over the past year. Twelve have already been permanently banned from competition. Many cases involve wagering on individual prop bets and first half under spread markets.

It’s now almost routine for the NCAA to announce player suspensions for student-athletes who colluded to bet on one another. Basketball players may scheme to help each other win bets by, for example, missing free throws or scoring fewer points than expected in some games.

Student-athletes face constant harassment from bettors. A recent NCAA study found that 36% of Division I men’s basketball players reported harassment from bettors on social media. When gamblers miss their bets, they often blame the athletes.

The NCAA is calling for immediate action to protect players. NCAA President Charlie Baker recently urged state gambling commissions to eliminate player prop bets and other high-risk bets that target student-athletes. “Player prop bets attach an individual student-athlete’s name to a bet and therefore increase the likelihood of betting harassment being targeted toward that student-athlete,” Baker wrote in a letter to state gambling commissions.

Besides the NCAA, recent news stories show that Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the NBA have all dealt with serious corruption in the wake of sports betting’s legalization.

Sports betting destroys what makes sports special. People play and watch sports for entertainment, athletic competition, and team spirit. When gambling is introduced, fans have a financial stake in the game, and athletes have an incentive to change how they play. Officials may be tempted to cheat, and fans forget why they enjoyed sports in the first place. All of that is a problem.

Sports betting is not a harmless pastime. As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, problem gambling will simply hurt more and more people in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Super Bowl Betting Explosion Shows Gambling’s Growing Grip

Gambling,

Americans wagered more than $1.7 billion on the Super Bowl this month, highlighting how online gambling has become a dangerous new norm in our culture.

A report from the American Gaming Association notes this figure represents only legal sports betting. The real number — which includes illegal betting and new “prediction markets” — is probably much higher.

Prediction markets, like Kalshi and DraftKings Predictions, are particularly troubling because they operate without state oversight. Unlike traditional sportsbooks that must get permission from each state before they can take wagers, prediction markets are classified as federally regulated futures exchanges, and they try to target users anywhere in America — including states that have rejected online sports betting.

Kalshi alone saw users trade $500 million on the Super Bowl game outcome, plus millions more on trivial bets like which song would play first at halftime or which celebrities would attend the game. This shows how gambling companies are turning every aspect of sports into a betting opportunity.

One report found that one in eight people at NFL games opened betting apps while in the stadium — which seems to suggest people may be gambling impulsively or placing prop bets during games.

All of this raises serious concerns. Sports betting promises entertainment and easy money, but it devastates individuals, families, and whole communities.

As powerful corporations try to make sports betting part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, problem gambling will simply hurt more and more people in our state.

That is why Family Council is calling on all Arkansans to stand up against predatory sports betting and prediction markets.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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