Arkansas could eliminate the in-person registration requirement for sports wagering and allow mobile sports betting as soon as this week.
Per its published notice of public hearing, the Arkansas Racing Commission will meet on December 30 at the Commission office in Little Rock, Arkansas, to consider the adoption of several rule changes.
The most significant item on the agenda relates to Casino Gaming Rules 4.220 and 4.225. The regulator said the proposed amendments it is considering would allow sports wagering by persons physically present in the state of Arkansas but not necessarily present on the premises of the casino, as formerly required by the Casino Gaming Rules.
The proposed amendments also delete the requirement that patrons personally appear before an employee of the casino prior to engaging in wagering through a wagering account.
If the Commission approves, this paragraph will be removed:
“A licensee shall not allow a patron to make any wagers using the wagering account until the patron personally appears before an employee of the licensee at its licensed gaming establishment or at the licensed gaming establishment of its affiliate where the patron presents a government issued picture identification credential confirming the patron’s identity.”
The replacement language will state:
“Licensees / books may accept wagers on sporting events from any person who is not physically present on the Licensee’s / franchise holder’s premises so long as the person is physically present in the State of Arkansas when placing the wager and the wager is made pursuant to the account wagering system provisions of these Rules. Wagers accepted by licensees / books on sporting events shall be treated for all purposes as a wager made by the person on the grounds of the licensee’s facility where casino gaming is conducted.”
The ARC will be considering similar language changes to Casino Gaming Rules 20, 22 and 24, the effect of which would be to allow off-casino-premises sports wagering, limit the acceptance of offtrack pari-mutuel wagers to casino licensees approved by the Commission, and allow off-casino-premises sports wagering and account wagering to occur as long as the person placing the wager is physically present within the State of Arkansas, respectively.
The Commission also is considering changes to Casino Gaming Rule 6.030. The proposed amendment would require all license fees and renewal fees be deposited into the Commission Cash Fund for use in the regulation of casino gaming or racing in Arkansas. Other specified fees, fines and penalties are deposited in State of Arkansas general revenues.
