Legal Poker For Arkansas Residents
Is it legal to play poker within the State of Arkansas? As you might imagine, the answer to this question is much more complex than a simple yes or no. There are many issues to address, ranging from home poker games to casino poker room play, to say nothing of Internet poker rooms. And, as with most states, Arkansas has a set of poker laws that are not always purely logical or clear. The fact is, knowing what is and isn’t legal, as far as gambling is concerned, can prove tough—yet for Arkansas’ poker enthusiasts, these questions are critical for understanding the realities of legal Arkansas poker.
This page was established as an educational resource for those Arkansas poker enthusiasts, zealous to know what is and isn’t legal in the state of Arkansas. The page will first address some of the broad, overarching laws that impact legal Arkansas poker. From there, we will get into more of the specifics of land-based, live poker games, and then we will address the question of whether online poker will land an Arkansas resident in legal trouble. Above all, we will seek to inform Arkansas poker lovers about where they can play, safe from legal consequence.
Arkansas Poker Laws & Statutes
First and foremost, we must turn our attention to Arkansas’ poker laws. Arkansas is not a state as lax or as progressive as Nevada, or even New Jersey. In fact, many who live in the state will surely characterize Arkansas as a state that is not particularly player-friendly. This stems, in part, from the simple fact that the state does not offer any true casinos or state-sanctioned poker rooms.
With that said, there are some opportunities available to Arkansas poker buffs. Home games are permissible so long as you do not turn your family room into a for-profit casino. Additionally, online poker rooms, if not directly sanctioned by the law, do provide some safe and consequence-free poker action for Arkansas natives.
Is it Legal to Play Online Poker in Arkansas?
The next question is that of online poker and its legality—and here, we get into some muddier waters. Online poker is very much a current, widely talked-about issue in the U.S., and Arkansas is no exception. Across the country, lawmakers are grappling with the decision to make online poker fully legal. In Arkansas, online gambling is not sanctioned by the state—but neither is it criminalized.
In fact, the laws in Arkansas really don’t address online poker. This is ultimately good news for online gambling buffs; certainly, there is no history of online poker players being prosecuted in Arkansas. In fact, online poker sites can be visited and utilized without fear of legal consequence.
Can I Get into Trouble for Playing Online Poker Arkansas?
To put it differently, will Arkansas natives get into trouble for participating in online poker rooms? The answer is no. Once more, online poker may not be expressly allowed by Arkansas’ laws, but neither is it penalized. It is a perfectly safe option—and given the lack of casinos in Arkansas, it is really the only convenient option!
Most laws in the U.S. prosecute those who own and operate online gambling sites. That’s the closes thing to a legal precedent that you’ll find in Arkansas. Simply put, Arkansas poker lovers can play online without having to worry about trouble with the law.
Legal Poker Sites That Accept Arkansas Players
In the state of Arkansas, residents who wish to play poker are often restricted by the limited availability of legal poker rooms. However, it does not have to be this way. Arkansas can join the millions of people around the United States who play poker legally online, both for recreation and for profit.
Bovada Poker - Most Trusted Online Poker Room For Arkansas
When looking for a good legal poker site for Arkansas residents, always start with the best option available to make the searching process as fast as possible. In this case, the best option available is obviously Bovada. The legal online poker room at Bovada offers the most comprehensive poker experience available on the web, delivering hundreds of quality tables at any given time. Account holders get to choose when and how they play, whether they want to play in a tournament or just sit in at a table for a couple of hands, they have the freedom to play however they please, for as high or low stakes as they wish.
In order to entice new users, Bovada poker has implemented one of the absolute best bonus and reward systems known in the industry. When a new player creates their account for the first time and deposits money into it, they are eligible to play with not only the money they have initially deposited, but they will receive up to 100% of their initial deposit back in installments just for keeping their account active and playing poker. Once awarded, the bonus may be withdrawn immediately. Bovada is so confident in their product that they will pay new players for simply using it, and they are confident you will log back on no matter what.
BetOnline Poker - All Arkansas Players 18+ Welcome Here
For Arkansas residents craving a more unique and modern take on legal online poker, they would do well to take a look in the poker room at BetOnline. This legal poker site for Arkansas residents offers the absolute latest and most cutting edge in software design and interface, ensuring that even users with slower connection speeds can log in from anywhere and take advantage of any of the hundreds of thousands of tables that BetOnline offers. Whether a user wants to sit all day in a high stakes tournament or play a few hands for pennies on the dollar, BetOnline has a home for all legal poker wants and needs.
Perhaps the best part about the BetOnline interface is the ease in which it can be played anywhere in the world. Through the use of their award winning mobile app, customers are able to log in from anywhere they receive a phone signal and get the same high quality service and access to different hand and tournaments. When a users join BetOnline, they get to experience what it’s like to bring a real live poker room around with them in their front pocket.
| Legal Arkansas Poker Sites | Welcome Bonus | What To Play | Site Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada Poker Play / Sign Up | $1,000 FREE - 100% Match | Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo - Stud Hi/Lo |  |
| BetOnline Poker Play / Sign Up | Maximum $1K: 200% Rate | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo | |
| SportsBetting Play / Sign Up | 200% Match / $1,000 Max | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo | |
| 5Dimes Poker Play / Sign Up | Vary Weekly - Check Website | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo |  |
Does Arkansas Have Legal Land-Based Poker?
Now, we’ll turn to some more specific questions about the legality of poker in Arkansas—beginning with land-based, live poker games. Again, Arkansas is not known as an especially gamer-friendly state, and those looking for casino poker actions will likely need to head out of state. The state does have some racetracks, but their poker options are limited to video poker. The only other way to play poker in Arkansas—legally, and in a land-based setting—is to start up a low-key, friendly home poker game.
Legal Land-Based Poker Rooms For Arkansas Players
Now that we’ve talked about the laws surrounding poker in Arkansas, we can address the question of where the state’s poker buffs can play. When it comes to live, land-based action, the options are tragically slim. Casinos are more or less non-existent, unless you care to travel to a riverboat casino in Mississippi, or to head down to Louisiana. Home games are allowable, without certain parameters.
Online poker represents a much better, much more convenient option. Indeed, online poker rooms are plentiful, and they are all more than happy to welcome Arkansas gamers into the fold. What’s more, these online poker rooms are all totally safe, and ought give no concern over legal consequence.
Future of Poker/Online Poker in Arkansas
Finally, we might address the tricky question of where Arkansas’ poker laws will go from here. Will online poker ever become fully recognized by the law? Obviously, nobody can predict the future, and so all we can do is conjecture. With that said, it seems reasonable to suggest that Arkansas will one day take a much more lenient view toward gambling in all its forms. Simply put, this is the trajectory the country is on, with many states already eying the full embrace of online poker—so why wouldn’t Arkansas follow suit?
Until that time comes, though, those who live in Arkansas and love to play poker do have a handful of options open to them. One is to travel to an out-of-state casino, which is not exactly convenient. Another is to play in a home game, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. Finally, there is the option of playing in an online poker room, which is not just convenient and exciting, but also a totally safe way to play poker in Arkansas.
