Arkansas problem gambling helpline logs more than 4,520 calls in 2026 as sports betting handle tops $450.9 million

Arkansas’ problem gambling helpline has received more than 4,520 calls so far in 2026, up 22.5% from the same period last year. For PSPs and operators, the useful part is not the headline number itself but the timing: the call volume is rising alongside a sports betting market that has already processed more than $450.9 million through June 30, 2026.

1. Vena Schexnayder, executive director of the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council, said the increase in calls has coincided with higher gambling marketing spend and the arrival of new local gambling companies. FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook expanded into Arkansas over the spring through partnerships with land-based properties.
2. Sports betting handle in the state has risen by more than 50% in the first six months of 2026, reaching a record $450.9 million placed through June 30. The article notes that sports gambling is not the only regulated form of gambling in Arkansas, so the helpline calls are not tied exclusively to sports betting.
3. Big sports events continue to act as a pressure point. During March Madness this year, the Problem Gambling Council again flagged the need for vigilance and said more people were calling for help.
4. In 2025, more than 7,000 calls were placed to the helpline, and 2026 may surpass that total. Schexnayder has also said that remote gambling access has been a contributing factor to the outcomes the state’s problem gambling organization has been seeing.

For payment providers and operators in high-risk verticals, Arkansas is a tidy reminder that expansion, marketing intensity, and remote access tend to move in the same direction as helpline traffic. The state’s market is not just growing on paper; it is also generating more visible problem-gambling demand.