Are Slot Machines Electronic Games Of Skill

Are Slot Machines Electronic Games Of Skill Free
Are Slot Machines Electronic Games Of Skill
Electronic Slot Machine Games

Introduction to Arkansas Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Are Slot Machines Electronic Games Of Skill Free

Arkansas has two pari-mutuel facilities featuring “electronic games of skill,” which are defined as “games played through any electronic device or machine that affords an opportunity for the exercise of skill or judgment where the outcome is not completely controlled by chance alone.”. All VGM's offer standard slot machine-type games. Electronic Games of Skill means games played through any electronic device or machine that affords an opportunity for the exercise of skill or judgment where the outcome is not completely controlled by chance alone. A game is not completely controlled by chance alone if the betting public may attain through the exercise of skill. Nevada law changed in 2016 to allow machines with an element of skill, and in 2017 such machines started slowly creeping into the casinos. The reason for the change is that casinos are hoping to appeal to younger players with machines that play more like a videogame, since younger players haven't shown much interest in traditional slots.

Arkansas slot machine casino gambling consists of two casinos with racetracks and Class II skill-based gaming machines.

I’ve dedicated this weekly series to slot enthusiasts such as yourself as you master casino slots and win your way to success by using this State-By-State Online Resource to improve your slots gambling performance by reviewing your state’s slots gaming industry.

Keep Reading … Or Listen Instead!

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Arkansas*

The minimum legal gambling age in Arkansas depends upon the gambling activity:

Land-Based Casinos: 21
Poker Rooms: 21
Bingo: 18
Lottery: 18
Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

State law allows Class II skill-based gaming machines, but only if approved by local municipalities.

The competition-style slot machines must have some element of skill included with the device. However, in Arkansas, this decision-making feature on a secondary screen is often unused by players. The primary game theme played is often a Vegas-style game-of-skill.

The state legislature permitted skill-based gaming machines at Arkansas’ two racetracks with Act 1151 of 2005, the Local Option Horse Racing and Greyhound Racing Electronic Games of Skill Act.

Further, the Governor legalized the state’s tribes through negotiated tribal-state compacts to offer slot machines on their reservations in 1993. However, their proposed tribal casinos are not yet open.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Arkansas

All slot machines are legal to own privately.

Gaming Control Board in Arkansas

The Arkansas state gaming commission is the Electronic Games of Skill Section within the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). The Section is responsible for gaming regulation and compliance of skill-based games in Arkansas.

Casinos in Arkansas

Arkansas has two commercial casinos and two proposed American Indian tribal casinos.

The largest casino in Arkansas is Southland Park Gaming & Racing in West Memphis with over 2,000 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs.

Both proposed tribal casinos, one in Russellville and the second in Pine Bluff, will become the two largest casinos upon opening as they are both slightly larger than Arkansas’ existing casinos.

Commercial Casinos in Arkansas

The two commercial casinos in Arkansas are:

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, 57 miles southwest of Little Rock.
Southland Park Gaming & Racing in West Memphis, 132 miles east and north of Little Rock on the eastern state border near the Mississippi River.

These pari-mutuel wagering facilities with skill-based slot machines have a rich history going back over 100 years.

Tribal Casinos in Arkansas

The one proposed tribal casino in Arkansas without ongoing legal obstructions is:

River Valley Casino Resort in Russellville, 78 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Arkansas slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Arkansas is:

North: Missouri Slots
East: Mississippi Slots and Tennessee Slots
South: Louisiana Slots
Southwest: Texas Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Arkansas.

Our Arkansas Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Arkansas? If so, join our Arkansas slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to freely join this closed Facebook Group community.

There, you can meet online and privately share your slots experiences with local slots enthusiasts about playing slot machines in Arkansas. Join us!

Payouts and Returns in Arkansas

The state legislature requires electronic games of skill have a minimum theoretical payout of 83% over the expected lifetime of the game. There is no maximum theoretical payout limit.

The Electronic Games of Skills Miscellaneous Tax section of the DFA provides the gaming machine revenues for machines at the dog and horse racetracks. These publicly available amounts are insufficient to calculate player win percentages.

Summary of Arkansas Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Arkansas slot machine casino gambling consists of two racetracks with gaming machines with a minimum theoretical payout limit of 83%.

Annual Progress in Arkansas Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, there has been little change to the slots industry in Arkansas outside of the current national crisis.

Other States from Professor Slots

Previous: Arizona Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Next: California Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

Introduction to Kentucky Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Kentucky slot machine casino gambling does not include games of chance, which are strictly illegal. Instead, Kentucky has competition-based electronic gaming machines at four out of its five pari-mutuel wagering racetracks.

Theoretical payout limits are not available but monthly return statistics are available for electronic gaming machines.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!

Or … Listen Instead!

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Kentucky*

The minimum legal gambling age in Kentucky depends upon the gambling activity:

Land-Based Casinos: Not available
Poker Rooms: Not available
Bingo: 18
Lottery: 18
Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

Kentucky’s interpretation of legal gambling requires the competitor’s level of skill “must sufficiently govern the results.”

Therefore, competition-based games are legal as well as pari-mutuel wagering. Traditional slots are illegal, including those referred to as Class III, Vegas-style, and games-of-chance slot machines.

Kentucky has competition-based electronic games available in a few of their pari-mutuel facilities. These skill-based games are anonymously-based historical race results.

Historically, Kentucky has had a fascinating relationship with gambling. While casino gambling was never legal, gambling dens were prevalent before the Great Depression of 1929. To this day, the open display of illegal gambling from that time in American history continues to negatively affect the perception of gaming in Kentucky.

If you’re ever in Newport, directly across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, consider walking the Newport Gangster Tour.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Kentucky

In Kentucky, it is legal to own a slot machine privately.

Gaming Control Board in Kentucky

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) regulates skill-based games at pari-mutual racetracks in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

These devices are Historic Horse Racing (HHR) electronic gaming machines. The KHRC reports Kentucky offers 2,981 HHR machines.

Casinos in Kentucky

There are five pari-mutuel racetracks in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Of these, only four sites offer skill-based HHR electronic gaming machines.

The largest casino in Kentucky is Derby City Gaming with 1,000 HHR gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Red Mile Gaming & Racing, an HHR parlor in partnership with Keeneland Race Course, with 938 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in Kentucky

The four out of five of Kentucky’s pari-mutuel racetracks with skill-based HHR electronic gaming machines are:

Derby City Gaming in Louisville located 74 miles west of Lexington on the Indiana border.
Ellis Park Racing and Gaming in Henderson located 105 miles northwest of Bowling Green.
Kentucky Downs Gaming in Franklin located 29 miles south of Bowling Green.
Red Mile Gaming & Racing in Lexington.

Tribal Casinos in Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky has no federally-recognized American Indian tribes and, therefore, no tribal casinos.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Kentucky slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Kentucky is:

North: Indiana and Ohio Slots
East: West Virginia Slots
Southeast: Virginia Slots
South: Tennessee Slots
West: Missouri Slots

Each link above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Kentucky.

Our Kentucky Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Kentucky? If so, join our new Kentucky slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Kentucky. Join us!

Payout Returns in Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky does not offer any theoretical payout limits for their competition-based HHR gaming machines.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission offers statistics for HHR gaming under Quick Links entitled Wagering on Historical Horse Races. Its December 2019 report indirectly offers actual return statistics including comparisons to past actuals.

To calculate a player’s win percentage from the report, divide Less: Return to Public by Total Handle. For December 2019, the monthly Player’s Win% for HHR machines were:

State-wide: 91.5%
Derby City: 90.9%
Ellis Park: 93.9%
Keeneland/Red Mile: 91.3%
Kentucky Downs: 92.0%

From this December 2019 report, Ellis Park had the highest player win% at nearly 94% while Derby City had the lowest at nearly 91%.

Summary of Kentucky Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Kentucky slot machine casino gambling exists as competition-based, games-of-skill Historical Horse Racing (HHR) electronic gaming machines instead of games-of-chance slot machines.

No minimum or maximum theoretical payout limits have been set. Monthly return statistics are publicly available for each pari-mutuel racetrack with HHR games.