LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Right now, it seems like football has been on the brains of millions of fans across the country— but what about sports like beach soccer, rowing, handball, and rodeo?
In Arkansas, it could pay off to get into them.
This year, there are 35 new sports to bet on across Arkansas and some of them may surprise you.
On Thursday, the racing commission approved 16 new sports to be bet on in Arkansas.
Those sports are beach soccer, beach volleyball, biathlon, chess, Gaelic games, handball, jai-alai, netball, pesapallo, pickleball, rodeo, rowing, slap fighting, summer athletics, swimming, and winter athletics.
This happened less than three months after they approved 17 other sports, which are bare-knuckle fighting, bowling, bowl, cornhole, disc, field hockey, floorball, futsal, lacrosse, NHRA drag racing, pool, world sailing, snooker, table tennis, volleyball, beach volleyball, and water polo.
Saracen Casino's CMO Carlton Saffa explained how these types of sports betting are offered in other states and help make Arkansas even more competitive.
"In order to continue to grow and continue to be a national quality sports book we need to offer some of these lesser markets," Saffa added.
This is all happening in what's already been a record year for sports betting in Arkansas.
As of August, people have bet more than $211 million and the state could see around $100 million more dollars put down before the end of the year as football season continues.
Most of these bets are placed through mobile apps, which the racing commission said is how 85% of wagers in Arkansas are made.