Natural State launched mobile sports betting over a year ago and recently sports betting regulators in that state approved a measure to more than double the betting menu with 17 additional events but slap fighting was not one of them.
Arkansas sports betting enthusiasts can now enjoy an even broader range of options to enhance their sports betting experience.
That’s a Sport?
The dog days of the sports betting season are upon us with only MLB and a few one-off events in tennis, golf, and MMA to sate our wagering appetites until football makes its triumphant return in September.
As a result, the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) pondered 56 additions to the sports betting menu but ultimately whittled that number down to 17 new attractions for sports bettors to consider.
And if you are wondering what sports will now be included in addition to the mainstream sports currently being offered in Arkansas, they are the following:
- Bare-knuckle fighting
- Beach volleyball
- Bowling
- Cornhole
- Disc golf
- Field hockey
- Floorball
- Futsal
- Lacrosse
- Lawn bowling
- NHRA drag racing
- Pool
- Snooker
- Table tennis
- Volleyball
- Water polo
- World sailing
As you can see there are some familiar faces among the new additions like lacrosse, bowling, and field hockey to name a few. However, floorball is something that few North Americans are familiar with as it originated in Europe and is only now making its way to the States.
The game is much like street/floor hockey which is often a mainstay of pickup games and recreational leagues in North America. However, the primary difference is the goaltenders have no gloves on either hand and are without the typical goalie pads seen in ice and street hockey.
How much interest these off-beat sports, many of which are the domain of backyard barbecues, will generate among sports bettors is anyone’s guess.
One market that will not be available in Arkansas is slap fighting. There are now more than a few of these leagues available with the UFC’s Dana White’s Power Slap being the most noteworthy. The regulators and sportsbook operators will reportedly meet soon regarding as many as 40 new additions using Colorado’s online sports betting menus as a blueprint.
Regulators Choose – Sportsbooks Decide
Another substantive change is that the regulators will now host the betting markets and the sports betting providers can choose which of these new entries they want to add to their betting menus. Previously, it was incumbent upon the online sportsbooks to ask for approval every time they decided on a sport or an event they wanted to include on their slate of betting options.
Bet Saracen Senior Director of Tables and Sportsbook Operations Neal Atkinson said, “With the expansion of gambling across the states and Arkansas being a unique jurisdiction, we may not add all of these [to our menu], but if we do see interest, we want to be ready.
“There is more and more cable news coverage of these emerging sports, and we want to have these emerging sports available [for wagering]. The idea is to get as much approved as possible, so if the consumer does decide it’s what they want, we can get it up quickly.”
Calculators
