Summary:
- Saracen Casino in Arkansas has required the Racing Commission to change the current rules and allow expanded online gambling.
- The current law only allows sports bets online while casino games like slots and blackjack are limited to land casinos.
- If the request is given the green light, it will affect all three state casinos.
Saracen Casino Resort in Arkansas wants to expand its gaming options by adding more online casino games to its current online offering which currently only includes sports betting and several online casino games, according to the law.
Amending Rule 5
The casino’s marketing manager, Carlton Saffa, has formulated a request to the state Racing Commission’s chairman, Alex Lieblong, asking for the rules to be changed.
At the moment, all three casinos in Arkansas are allowed to offer sports betting, poker, and card games online while craps, slots and blackjack are confined to brick-and-mortar casinos.
Saffa wants the commission to add these additional games that have already been authorized.
The marketing manager used the argument that, by giving the green light to these extra games, the state would successfully fight against illegal offshore currencies that use the dual-currency model.
Plus, this would help Arkansas crackdown on advertisements for unregulated forms of online gambling.
For the commission to allow the additional games to be added to casinos’ online lobbies, it would have to first amend Rule 5 which refers to adding more games.
In Saffa’s opinion, this would offer a “legitimate alternative to those already imposing their products onto Arkansas consumers” without respecting the state standards of operation and while disregarding rules connected to minors gambling.
The Decision Will Impact All State Casinos
Provided the request is approved, all of Arkansas’ three casinos would be allowed to provide the expanded online gaming offering to players.
In formulating his request, Saffa used the argument of the additional $20 million in taxes that would reach state coffers in case the request is approved.
Of that, around $12 million will be represented by additional state gaming tax revenue while $3.7 million will be used to support the Oaklawn Jockey Club.
The remaining $5.6 million would be directed to Pine Bluff and Jefferson County.
Saffa concluded online gaming would simplify the identification of players suffering from gambling problems while not impacting foot traffic to land casinos.
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