Arkansas Casino Seeks iGaming Approval, Online NIL Drawing For University Athletics

Arkansas casino executive Carlton Saffa is seeking to legalize online casino gambling, known as iGaming, in the state.

Saffa, chief market officer at Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, also wants to create a 50/50 online drawing overseen by the casino. Half the funds generated by the drawing would go toward NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) funding to recruit athletes to the state's universities. The other half would go to the person who wins the drawing.

While Saffa has support from some lawmakers and university athletic boosters, his plans are facing resistance from the governor’s administration and from Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in nearby Hot Springs. With iGaming, bettors can use their phones to play traditional casino games such as slots, craps and blackjack for money. 

In a statement provided to Gambling.com, Jim Hudson, secretary of the state Department of Finance and Administration, said Saffa’s plans “represent a major expansion of gaming in Arkansas and should not be rushed into without understanding its impact on our state.”

Officials at Oaklawn have expressed concern that an online drawing to benefit NIL efforts could reduce money generated by the state’s scholarship lottery. Oaklawn also said iGaming could cut down on the number of people who visit brick-and-mortar casinos. The state's third resort, Southland Casino Hotel, is in operation in West Memphis.

Click to view Saffa’s interview on his proposal for iGaming and a 50/50 NIL drawing in Arkansas:

Saffa Could Seek Legislative Approval

On Aug. 21, Saffa was recorded on Gambling.com’s “The Edge,” discussing his plans to legalize iGaming in the state and to launch an online NIL drawing. Sports betting already is legal in Arkansas at sportsbooks inside casinos and on mobile apps. Saracen’s sports-betting app is BetSaracen.

If Saffa does not have success in getting his plans approved by the Arkansas Racing Commission (the state’s gaming regulatory body), he might seek approval at the next legislative session in Little Rock, he said.

“I have been approached by a number of state legislators offering to run legislation to authorize this,” he said on “The Edge.”