DraftKings, FanDuel Approved To Operate In Arkansas; March Madness Launch Targeted

The seven-member Arkansas Racing Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to allow DraftKings and FanDuel to begin operating sports betting platforms statewide.

DraftKings will partner with Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis, while FanDuel will partner with Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs.

The goal is to have these apps up and running in Arkansas in time for March Madness this year, Scott Hardin, commission spokesman, told Gambling.com on Thursday.

Below is the March Madness schedule, as posted on the NCAA.com website:

2026 NCAA tournament schedule, dates

• Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 15
• First Four: March 17-18
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
• NCAA championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

Southland, Oaklawn Apps To Get New 'Powered By' Names

At the meeting on Thursday in Little Rock, representatives of Oaklawn and Southland said their current apps, Oaklawn and Betly, would no longer be operated under those names. The new apps under the partnerships would be Oaklawn Sports Powered by FanDuel, while Betly would become a Southland-branded app under the Powered by DraftKings banner. Before the apps are available, the proposed new app names may be adjusted slightly.

Under the partnerships voted upon Thursday, DraftKings and FanDuel would not make their prediction market platforms available in Arkansas. Meanwhile, Oaklawn's horse racing wagering app, Oaklawn Anywhere, will still be available, a state official told Gambling com. Thursday's Racing Commission vote only impacts sports betting.

The partnership approved Thursday would make DraftKings and FanDuel vendor licensees. These two companies, which lead the nation in online sports betting, would not operate their own app in Arkansas separate from the "powered by" relationship with their local casino partners. This means Southland and Oaklawn would not be using the second sports betting skin each Arkansas casino is allowed to use, officials said.

Wayne Smith, Oaklawn's general manager, said at Thursday's meeting that Arkansas sports betting revenue would grow by five times with national brands in the market. This growth would help horse racing purses, he said. Oaklawn has a historic horse track that hosts the Arkansas Derby, an important prelude to the Triple Crown races.

In a social media statement Thursday after the Racing Commission meeting, DraftKings said this arrangement expands its access to more than 2 million adult residents in Arkansas, increasing its coverage to 53% of the U.S. population. Arkansas will be DraftKings' 30th U.S. state. The company also operates in Washington, D.C., Ontario, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Arkansas' third casino, Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, is not partnering with a national online bookmaker. Its chief market officer, Carlton Saffa, has attempted to block efforts by DraftKings and FanDuel to partner with Arkansas' other two casinos, Southland and Oaklawn.

On Thursday, Saffa said during the Racing Commission meeting that allowing national sports betting operators into Arkansas will expand gaming statewide, but he questioned whether the free play these companies offer will cut into the state's overall revenue.