Arkansas House Rules Committee to Review Online Sports Betting Bill

After in 2018, Arkansas was among the first states to legalize retail sports wagering, now the state is getting closer to online sports betting as well. House Bill 1942, which proposes the immediate start of online sports betting, will be reviewed by the Committee on House Rules today.

After Legalizing Retail, Now, Arkansas Pushes For Online Sports Betting

In 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act), which limited sports wagering to Nevada for 25 years. Consequently, the legalization and regulation of the activity were left in the hands of each state’s legislature.

Arkansas was one of the states that took advantage of the opportunity and legalized retail sports wagering in 2018. The process was completed via a constitutional amendment, which made the state one of the first to offer retail sports wagering. However, now, the state may be getting closer to online sports betting as well.

HB 1942 to Be Reviewed by the Committee on House Rules Today

House Bill 1942 was introduced on Monday this week by Representative Lee Johnson. The proposal calls for the “immediate” start of online sports betting operators in the state. After the bill was read two times, it was referred to the Committee on House Rules. Consequently, the Committee is expected to review the bill today.

Under the proposal, the Arkansas Racing Commission would be in charge of regulating the activity. Furthermore, the bill proposes each casino licensee provide no more than three individually branded online sports pool platforms. Each of those platforms may be operated by the licensee or by a sports pool operator.

HB 1942 proposes sports wagering accounts to be funded either in person at a retail location or online via one of the licensed online sportsbook operators. Furthermore, the proposal enables the Arkansas Racing Commission to be in charge of responsible gambling, prohibiting advertisements targeting minors or self-excluded individuals, as well implementing new rules and regulations.