DraftKings and FanDuel are finally bringing their mobile sports betting operations to Arkansas after previously bypassing the state’s online market amid revenue-sharing requirements.
On Thursday, the Arkansas Racing Commission awarded the gaming giants with vendor licenses to provide online sports betting in partnership with land-based casinos in the state. Commissioners approved the move by a unanimous 7-0 vote.
Arkansas authorized online sports betting in 2022 with rules that require online sportsbooks to partner with a land-based casino that receives 51% of sports betting revenue. DraftKings and FanDuel previously believed that launching online sports betting operations in Arkansas was not worth the investment amid the state’s revenue-sharing standards. But the two market-leading online sportsbooks are now entering the state.
DraftKings collaborating with Southland Casino
DraftKings secured a market-access agreement with Southland Casino Hotel to bring its online sportsbook to the Natural State, pending regulatory approvals. The company’s forthcoming launch in Arkansas will bring its total reach of sports betting to 30 states.
“We’re excited to team up with Southland Casino Hotel to bring DraftKings’ top-rated mobile sportsbook to Arkansas and introduce fans to our best-in-class sports betting offering,” said DraftKings Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sports Gregory Karamitis. “As March Madness approaches and several major sports are underway, we look forward to serving Arkansas customers with innovative features, including our No. 1 live betting experience and a continued commitment to responsible gaming.”
Southland Casino Hotel previously had Betly Sportsbook as a vendor license partner through a market-access agreement signed in 2022 with Betly owner Delaware North. Betly was the first online sportsbook to launch operations in Arkansas.
FanDuel & Oaklawn Casino ink deal
Meanwhile, FanDuel is bringing online wagering to Arkansas through a market access deal with Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, a casino that also operates its own betting platform.
Oaklawn launched its own in-house sports betting app in 2022, Oaklawn Sports, which was powered by Kambi. As part of their partnership, Oaklawn will shut down that platform, requiring users to migrate to the FanDuel app in Arkansas.
“We are grateful to the Arkansas Racing Commission for approving us as a vendor,” a FanDuel spokesperson said in a statement to SBC Americas. “We look forward to the next steps.”
Arkansas casino Saracen pushes back
FanDuel and DraftKings’ entry to Arkansas’ mobile sports betting market drew concerns from the state’s third casino Saracen Casino Resort, which operates its in-house BetSaracen sportsbook without a partner.
Representatives for the casino questioned why FanDuel and DraftKings would enter a state with revenue-sharing requirements given that they have voiced their opposition to a measure in Wisconsin that requires operators to pay at least 60% of their revenue to tribal partners.
The Sports Betting Alliance takes issue with the proposed framework in Wisconsin, claiming that such a model would not work for its leading members FanDuel and DraftKings.
Saracen also pointed to Arkansas’ free play dedication rules, which do not provide a cap on deductions from free play or bonus bets. In Missouri, FanDuel and DraftKings led the state’s 16 sportsbooks in free bets, with the 16 operators dishing out over $125m in free play and bonus bets in December 2025, the first month of legal betting.
Another new mobile market for DraftKings
DraftKings is planning to enter Arkansas’ online sports betting market after launching online wagering in Puerto Rico.
Earlier this week, DraftKings launched online sports betting in Puerto Rico after securing a retail deal in November 2025 with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. DraftKings confirmed to SBC Americas that its online sportsbook will only be available to residents and not visitors of the popular vacation destination.
