Saracen Casino requests change in Arkansas law to allow online gambling

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An Arkansas casino is looking to double down on its gaming options through a request to state regulators. 

Saracen Casino Resort marketing manager Carlton Saffa has written to state Racing Commission chairman Alex Lieblong asking for a rule change. Currently, an Arkansas casino is allowed to offer online sports betting, but games such as slots, blackjack and craps must be played in the casino.

If the racing commission approves Saffa’s request, all three existing Arkansas casinos would be able to offer this expanded online gaming. In his letter, Saffa asserts that casinos are currently able to offer online poker and card games and is asking the commission to add other already authorized games.

Saffa argues that approving additional games would combat illegal offshore dual-currency casinos that advertise unregulated online gaming.

“Most importantly, amending Rule 5 [to add additional games] would provide a legitimate alternative to those already imposing their products onto Arkansas consumers, without regard for your standards of operation and without regard to your rules regarding minors placing bets,” Saffa said in the letter.

Saffa went on to claim in the letter that the addition of online gaming would add more than $20 million to state coffers, with $12 million in additional state gaming tax revenue, $3.7 million in purse support to the Oaklawn Jockey Club and another $5.6 million going to the books in Pine Bluff and Jefferson County.

“Notably, all of the above estimates are projections from Saracen alone and represent only one year of full operation,” Saffa said in the letter.

The letter concluded that online gaming would make it easier to identify those with gambling problems and has been shown not to impact the foot traffic to brick-and-mortar casinos. Saffa reportedly told Gambling.com that he hoped to appear before the racing commission at its May 6 meeting.

A spokesperson for the Department of Finance and Administration said the agenda for the commission’s next meeting has not been drawn up yet.