Arkansas is home to a lot of really entertaining history. For instance, both Johnny Cash, and Bill Clinton hail from Arkansas, and Elvis Presley’s infamous televised haircut before he entered the United States military was in Arkansas as well. Well, one thing that isn’t talked about as much but should be is the rich history of horse racing in the state. Arkansas horse racing betting has been available since Oaklawn Race Track opened its doors in 1904. Well more than a century later that track is still up and running in Arkansas and is one of the most popular racetracks in the United States. The horse racing betting industry has been declining for years now but with the sudden spike in popularity due to online betting, fans need to know where they can bet. This page will cover all of the information you need about Arkansas horse racing betting.
This page can benefit players of all skill levels in Arkansas by providing necessary information on the laws that surround horse racing, all of the different opportunities you are given when wagering, and why online sites are a better betting outlet than live tracks. We will even give detailed reviews and recommendations of specific sites that you should check out.
Arkansas horse racing betting is legally licensed and regulated by state legislation. There are several tracks throughout the state that provides horse racing events and residents are free to place wagers on the races if they so choose. The only stipulation is that all bets must be pari-mutuel wagers which just require that all bets be placed into a pool, in which the track gets a percentage of. As far as federal laws that effect betting on horses in Arkansas, the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978 is the only law you need to know. This law allows horse racing to be considered a separate activity from sports betting, thus eliminating them from laws like PASPA and UIGEA.
Read More: Is It Legal To Gamble Online In Arkansas?
Straight wagers and exotic wagers make up the horse racing wager type spectrum. Straight bets are Win, Place, Show and combinations of the three. Win bets are betting on a horse you think will win, Place is betting on a horse you think will finish in the top two, and Show is betting on a horse you think will finish in the top three. Exotic Wagers are bets on multiple horses in a given race. Exacta and Quinella bets are a bet on two horses finishing first and second. The only difference is that with a Quinella it is irrelevant which of those two horses finishes where, and with an Exacta, they have to be in order. There are also Trifecta and Superfecta bets that predict the top three and four horses, in order, respectively.
Arkansas Triple Crown betting is a little more detailed than a lot of other states due to the fact that they are home to Triple Crown Prep Races. The Oaklawn Racing and Gaming track hosts annual races for horses that could potentially be in the first race of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby. Derby betting is probably the biggest market of the three races so you can get some added intel before the big race by watching and betting on the races at Oaklawn. The second race in the Triple Crown is the Preakness Stakes, which takes place in Pimlico, Maryland, and the Triple Crown ends in Elmont, New York for the Belmont Stakes. Betting on the Triple Crown is as thrilling and fun as it gets.
The Oaklawn Racing and Gaming track in Hot Springs, Arkansas is the lone racetrack in the state of Arkansas. As we mentioned before, it is a Kentucky Derby prep race and is one of the most popular racetracks in the country so if you are only going to have one track, this is a good one to have. While this is obviously a great place to enjoy live-track betting in Arkansas, residents need to also give thought to trying out online racetracks. There are a number of reasons for that but the first is the fact that this single racetrack is certainly not close enough for everybody in Arkansas to frequent. So why not eliminate those travel costs and wasted time and bet on the same races, and a ton more at online racebooks.
There is certainly no shortage of online horse racing betting sites on the web but the quality of said sites is what you should really be paying attention to. 5Dimes, SportsBetting.ag, BetOnline, and Bovada are the biggest names in the sportsbook industry and for good reason. They are all legally licensed and regulated sites from various locations outside of the United States and are 100% safe to use for legal Arkansas gambling. You can’t go wrong with any of their racebooks but just to help you decide, we have taken the time to review a couple of specific sites for you.
BetOnline has been pushing out quality service to their customers for the better part of two decades and is widely known as one of the juggernaut names of the online horse racing betting industry. They are legally licensed and regulated out of Panama City, Panama and accept players from all over the United States, including residents of Arkansas. Although they are mostly known for their incredible sportsbook, their racebook also garners plenty of attention.
For Arkansas residents who love to wager on horse races, BetOnline offers an excellent racebook with tons of different features and benefits throughout. The actual site itself is really easy to maneuver around so placing bets is really simple and quick at this site. They have promotions that are specific to horse racing, a great rebate deal, a free $25 credit when you sign up for their racebook, mobile compatibility and those are just a few of the great details about BetOnline.
The racebook at BetOnline offers unbeatable value and the site itself is about as helpful as it could possibly get. This site is all about providing a simple and enjoyable service to its patrons and that holds true to signing up as well. It takes no time at all and is free to join so don’t delay the inevitable anymore. Create your account and join the fun at BetOnline.
5Dimes is one of the most highly respected and frequented wagering sites on the web. Probably the first thing you will notice about 5Dimes is how simple the layout of their site is, but we assure you that what they lack in flash, they make up for in substance. They are known for having a larger selection of betting lines on all the sports they offer and that includes horse racing. 5Dimes has put together a racebook for all of the horse racing fans out there that is second to none. They accept players from every state in the U.S., including Arkansas, as well as some places outside of the country.
The racebook offered at 5Dimes is different than any other you will find due to the fact that they actually have two separate racebooks that you can choose between. They offer a Rebate Racebook that gives its players a very generous 9% rebate on all of their bets at 5Dimes and they also provide a Plus 10% Racebook that gives and extra 10% on top of all victorious bets when placed on a Win or exotic bet. Both of these options are better than a lot of other deals you will find so either option is worth it.
5Dimes has everything you would expect a good racebook to have and more so get started and don’t miss out on all the hot lines. Create an account and begin your journey into the exciting world of online horse racing betting.
| Racebook | Bonus | Arkansas Welcome? | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetOnline Racebook | $1,000 On All Deposits - 25% | Yes | Visit |
| 5Dimes Racebook | 50% To $200 Then 20% To $500 | Yes | Visit |
| Bovada Racebook | 50% Up To $250 First Deposit | Yes | Visit |
| SportsBetting | 50% Match On First Deposit | Yes | Visit |