While real-money online casinos aren’t legal in Arkansas, fans of casino games in the Natural State can look to sweepstakes casinos to get in on the action. Sweepstakes casinos are much like real-money casinos, but use coins to redeem for prizes or cash gifts instead. Below, we’ll examine the top sweepstakes casinos, the best bonuses, the leading games, an overview of gambling in Arkansas, and more.
At the best sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas, you’ll find several types of games, including slots, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, live casino, and more. Below, we’ll cover the five popular games of each type and list the RTP percentage.
At sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas, you’ll “win” money by earning Sweepstakes Coins and redeeming them for real-money prizes. At most sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas, you’ll need to earn 100 SC before redeeming. Alternatively, you can cash them out for gift cards with a minimum of 50 SC. These amounts can vary from site to site.
Online casinos in Arkansas aren’t yet legal. However, Arkansas sweepstakes casinos follow a completely different set of US gambling laws - sweepstakes law, to be exact.
While there haven’t been any legislative attempts to bring legal online casinos to the state, casinos in the area, like Saracen Casino Resort, have publicly asked the Arkansas Racing Commission to amend the existing law to allow for it. For now, players will have sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas.
Creating an account at Arkansas social casinos is incredibly easy. Follow these steps to ensure everything is done correctly.
To play at sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas, you never need to spend real money to do so. However, you can purchase currency packages to play for longer or with more.
Depending on the site, you have numerous options for completing these transactions. Some will have more payment methods than others, like Apple Pay, while others only accept debit cards and credit cards. Additionally, you can cash out SC for cash prizes with either bank transfers or gift cards.
Below is a table of all of the available methods.
To play at an Arkansas social casino, you must be at least 18 years old. However, you must be within the state to be able to play the selected games. As you cannot win real money at these sites, they are not subject to the same restrictions as online casinos.
To play at sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas, you must meet the minimum gambling age of 18. Most of these sites will ask you to confirm your identity, including uploading a picture of your government-issued ID.
The Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) oversees all gaming in Arkansas, but real-money online casinos aren’t yet legal. The ARC doesn’t necessarily oversee sweepstakes casinos, as these platforms fall under sweepstakes laws. Instead, sweepstakes casinos are mainly overseen by the Attorney General and Federal Trade Commission.
In Arkansas, the legal forms of gaming include retail casinos, sports betting, horse and greyhound racing, sweepstakes casinos, bingo, raffles, and the lottery. Arkansas online casinos aren’t yet legal. The state has three retail casino locations, with a fourth opening in 2026. Sports betting is available both online and in person.
With sweepstakes casinos, many of the games you’d find at Arkansas online or retail casinos are also found there. This includes slots, table games, live dealers, and more. These platforms even have some games you may not find at retail casinos, like scratch-offs, slingo, crash games, and more.
With Arkansas only offering sweepstakes casinos, the availability of mobile apps is relatively sparse. Still, one mobile casino from our top five list above offers one. See the rating for the app below.
While Arkansas is more open to gambling now, reaching that point was a long journey. We’ve highlighted some of the key points in Arkansas gambling history below:
Arkansas legalizes pari-mutuel wagering on horse races. This allowed Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort to prosper. It originally opened in 1904.
Arkansas expanded pari-mutuel wagering laws to greyhound racing, which led to the opening of Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis.
Arkansas enacted code 5-66-118, which made internet gambling illegal. Individuals and businesses could not accept bets online.
Retail sports betting becomes available, with Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort taking the first bet.
The Arkansas Racing Commission passes rules and regulations for legal online sports betting.
Legal online sports betting is approved. The first online sportsbook, Betly, launches in Arkansas a month later.
While the only casinos you can access in Arkansas are sweepstakes sites, it’s still worth knowing the difference between legal and offshore casinos.
Legal real-money casinos are sites licensed by the state’s appropriate governing body, the ARC, which provides players with a source to go to for complaints. These agencies are tasked with ensuring that online casinos have systems in place to keep customer data safe and ensure that all games are fair. These platforms aren’t available yet, but that’s how they will work if they are approved.
Offshore casinos operate internationally and have licenses from countries like Malta, Curacao, and others outside the United States. Some sites may not be licensed at all.
The problem with playing at these sites is there’s no way to 100% make sure you’ll get your winnings, enjoy the benefits of promotions, and more. If there are any issues, you can’t remedy the problem. Additionally, the software these platforms use cannot be verified, putting your data at risk.
So, it’s best to play at Arkansas sweepstakes casinos or legal real-money sites when these sites become available.
The ARC oversees retail casinos in Arkansas. Three are currently operating in the state, and a fourth, Legends Resort Casino, is expected to open in 2026.
Below is information about these casinos, including their name and the number of slots and table games on-site.
Oaklawn is home to a horse racing track but also has an on-site casino, hotel, spa, dining, and wedding venue. The entertainment found on the site includes live music, comedians, and more.
The casino also offers its “Interblock Stadium,” which is described as an “easy-to-use gaming interface that allows guests to play with friends or individually, at their own pace and skill level, in a non-intimidating environment”.
Southland Casino Hotel is home to more than 2,300 slots and 50 table games. There’s an online sportsbook, simulcast racing, eight restaurants, an on-site hotel, and the Lucky North Rewards program.
There are almost frequent promotional events, including holidays like Valentine’s Day and other live events.
At Saracen Casino, you can play slots, table games, and poker, and there’s also a retail sportsbook, BetSaracen. Several on-site restaurants include Red Oak Steakhouse, Legends Restaurant, Saracen Sports Bar, and The Post.
Two sections of the casino are a combined 215,000 square feet. There are more than 2,100 slot machines and 30 table games on site.
No. Arkansas hasn’t passed legislation for legal online casinos. Instead, players can turn to sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas, which are more widely available throughout the USA due to different regulations.
Yes. Sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas are legal. Sweepstakes casinos operate differently than real-money online casinos. With sweepstakes casinos, you’ll purchase credits, play games, and redeem Sweepstakes Coins for real money.
The best Arkansas sweepstakes casinos include RealPrize, Hello Millions, High 5, WOW Vegas, and Stake.us. Each site offers players different games, promotions, and more.
Yes, sweepstakes casinos in Arkansas are perfectly safe. These sites follow different laws than standard real-money online casinos and are widely available in the United States.
Yes. So long as social casinos in Arkansas offer bonuses, you can claim them. Just complete the requirements provided by the sweepstakes casino.