Betly Sportsbook kicks off online betting in Arkansas

Arkansas’s legal online sports betting market is up and running.

The state’s first digital sports wagering platform, Betly Sportsbook, went live on Saturday morning, just a day after mobile betting became officially legal in the jurisdiction. The brand is owned by Delaware North’s Southland Casino Racing, which is in West Memphis. The facility is one of the three establishments allowed to offer both on-site and mobile betting in Arkansas.

To mark the launch, Betly Sportsbook is giving new customers a $250 risk-free bet. Customers using the sportsbook will have a variety of betting options to choose from across both professional and college sporting events with the available markets ranging from basketball to football, baseball, auto racing, golf, soccer, and mixed martial arts.

Bettors can access the platform from any location within the state by visiting www.southland.betly.com. However, the sportsbook is only available on PC and Mac at the moment as the casino is still in the process of developing a mobile app.

Delivering convenient sports wagering to Arkansas

Announcing the debut of the Betly online sportsbook in a press release, the Southland Casino Racing President and General Manager, David Wolf, termed the platform as a convenient extension of the establishment’s sports betting product, noting that it would make the offering more accessible to bettors across Arkansas as well as anyone visiting the state.

“The Betly online sportsbook will make it even easier for our patrons, all Arkansas residents, and visitors to the state to wager on their favorite teams. Many patrons are already using our Betly sportsbook kiosks at Southland, so the online sportsbook will be a familiar and convenient extension of our sports betting experience,” Wolf said.

“The new Betly online sportsbook will allow Southland to build on its significant economic and community investments in West Memphis and the state, including the $250 million new casino gaming complex opening this spring and hotel opening later this year.”

Southland launched retail sports betting operations on Jan 29, 2020. The Betly Sportsbook at the facility has several self-service kiosks that patrons can use to place wagers round the clock. The venue also has live teller windows that operate from 10am to 10pm on weekdays and 9am to 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Following the Arkansas launch, Betly Sportsbook is now online in two states. The brand is also operational in West Virginia, where Southland’s parent company, Delaware North, operates two casinos – Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack in Wheeling and Mardi Gras Casino and Resort in Cross Lanes.

More AR mobile sportsbooks to launch soon

Arkansas mobile betting became legal last month following the approval of the state’s Joint Budget Committee.

The Committee signed off on the final regulations for the industry on February 22, allowing operators to launch their mobile and online sportsbook platforms after ten days from the day of approval. The 10-day waiting period ended on Thursday, and the first mobile app was expected to go live on Friday.

The Arkansas sports wagering act allows each of the state’s three casinos to partner with up to two online operators for mobile betting. Those who team up with the casinos for mobile betting are expected to share 51% of their revenue with the establishments.

With Betly Sportsbook now live, bettors in the Natural State can look forward to more launches in the near future. Among the brands expected to go live before the start of March Madness is BetSaracen, a mobile and online sportsbook app owned by Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluffs. The operator has said that it is working on clearing a few logistical hurdles like app store vetting and getting the green light from payment processors before going live.

The other licensee, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, expects to launch its online betting product between April and June. Unlike Southland and Saracen, Oaklawn did not start working on its mobile app until the legislature approved the final rules last month. The casino has tapped GAN to power its online sportsbook.