ARKANSAS, USA — As football season kicks off in Arkansas, so does the most popular time of year for sports betting.
Claire Hoskins, General Manager at Foghorn’s Wings in Fayetteville, says the restaurant is preparing for an influx of sports fans through the fall.
“We’ve only gotten just a preview of what this football season’s going to be like for us, and already it’s just been crazy busy,” Hoskins said.
As Foghorn’s prepares for football season to bring more business, Scott Hardin with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) says it will also bring an increase in sports betting.
Hardin says sports betting is becoming more popular every year since it was legalized in Arkansas in 2018. In the first few years, betters had to drive to the nearest casino to place their bets.
“At that time, sports betting was just not a significant portion of revenue at the casinos,” Hardin said. “It would be a few million every month, but nothing really significant. That changed with the introduction of the mobile option last year.”
Now, people can place bets online with mobile apps provided through the three Arkansas casinos. Hoskins says these apps are popular among Foghorn’s guests, and it’s not just football people are betting on.
“With sports betting, you've got people who are wanting to watch a lot broader games than just the normal, what we would expect,” Hoskins said.
In fact, this year, the Arkansas Racing Commission more than doubled the number of sports available on the sportsbook apps.
“Now, you see these really interesting sports,” Hardin said. “You have things like cornhole, sailing, hand-to-hand combat, these very specific sports.”
Hardin says with these expansions to the betting process, they’re already seeing record revenue for this year.
“Last year, Arkansans legally wagered about $187 million on sports. That was a good year, that was a record year. Already this year, through the first seven months of 2023, we've already surpassed that, we’re already well beyond that,” Hardin said.
Hardin says a significant portion of the millions of dollars collected go back to the cities and counties that are home to the casinos.
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