Arkansas gambling operators saw month-to-month increases in casino play and revenue in February, but there were declines for Arkansas sportsbooks compared to January.
February’s handle at the three Arkansas casinos combined was $633.3 million, up 5.6% from January (nearly $600 million).
February’s casino revenue (net win) was $49.56 million, up 9.0% from $45.47 million in the Arkansas January casino revenue report.
Arkansas Sports Betting Down
Meanwhile, February’s total sports betting handle was $29.5 million, down 10.4% from January (nearly $33 million).
The state does not have major national operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings or BetMGM that would offer Arkansas sportsbook promo codes. Those companies have steered clear of The Natural State so far because of a law that stipulates operators share half of their revenue with casinos. That rate is much lower in most states.
MORE: Arkansas online gambling
Arkansas Sports Betting, February vs. January
Online Sports Betting Prevalent
Of the total sports wagering handle, about $24.86 million, or 84%, was in online betting. That mobile sports betting handle was down 4.9% from January ($26.134 million).
The February overall sports betting net win was nearly $1.71 million, down 40.4% from January (about $2.87 million). Looking at just mobile sports betting in February, the net win was about $1.35 million, down 38% from January ($2.17 million).
This is a big time for college basketball betting with the NCAA Basketball Tournament going on, so March should see sports betting numbers bounce upward from February. Arkansas aims for its third straight Elite Eight appearance when the Razorback men face Connecticut tonight (6:15 Central, CBS) in the Sweet Sixteen.
