All Roll Calls
Yes: 104 • No: 10
ArkansasHB16342025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
TO ESTABLISH THE ARKANSAS SPORTS RAFFLE ACT; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
Sponsored By: RJ Hawk (Republican), Jonathan Dismang (Republican)
Enacted
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
Raffle money can support student athletes
Sports raffle receipts can fund student-athlete scholarships, financial aid, stipends, and other compensation, but no athlete is guaranteed money. Payments for commercial use of athletes' publicity rights must follow the Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act. Receipts can also pay prizes, raffle operating and promotion costs, and needed software, technology, supplies, or equipment. They can support athletics programs and buy, maintain, repair, build, or pay debt on athletic property, facilities, and equipment. Receipts may be used only for the law's listed purposes.
Sports raffle buyers face new limits
You must be at least 18 to buy a sports raffle ticket, and the organization must reasonably verify ages. Organizations choose payment methods; when they accept credit cards, each credit-card transaction is capped at $250. Winners must claim prizes within 120 days of the raffle, or the college for which the raffle was held keeps them. A third party cannot conduct or administer the raffle for the qualifying organization.
Raffle receipts cannot pay organization workers
Qualifying organizations cannot use sports raffle receipts to compensate people who work for or are affiliated with them. This restriction applies to raffle receipts, not the organization's other funds.
Separate rules govern college sports raffles
College raffles that follow the Sports Raffle Act are exempt from the separate Charitable Bingo and Raffles Enabling Act. Qualifying sports raffles are also exempt from specified gambling bans at premises covered by alcohol permits or beer licenses. These exemptions do not remove other gambling rules, including Arkansas Constitution Amendment 84. The law bans electronic bingo and raffle play under the separate charitable law. The law took effect immediately under its emergency clause, and the finance department's secretary can issue rules to implement and enforce it.
Colleges gain sports raffles with limits
Arkansas public colleges and qualifying affiliated nonprofits can hold sports raffles online, through digital devices, or on premises they own or use. Each raffle must be tied to an official game against another college, with only one raffle per game. Affiliated nonprofits must raise money for college athletics and have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status as of January 1, 2025. They must also have been Arkansas tax-exempt nonprofits continuously for at least five years immediately before holding a raffle. Prize amounts or how ticket receipts will be divided must be publicly announced before sales begin.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
RJ Hawk
Republican • House
Jonathan Dismang
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Brandon Achor
Republican • House
Keith Brooks
Republican • House
Matt Duffield
Republican • House
Jon S. Eubanks
Republican • House
Brian S. Evans
Republican • House
Bart Hester
Republican • Senate
Justin Boyd
Republican • Senate
Lee Johnson
Republican • House
Matt McKee
Republican • Senate
Matthew J. Shepherd
Republican • House
John Maddox
Republican • House
David Ray
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/12/2025
Senate Vote - Wednesday, March 12, 2025 4:23:27 PM
Yes: 25 • No: 3 • Other: 4
House vote • 3/6/2025
House Vote - Thursday, March 6, 2025 2:53:51 PM
Yes: 79 • No: 7 • Other: 4
Actions Timeline
Notification that HB1634 is now Act 305
3/18/2025HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
3/13/2025HouseTO BE ENROLLED
3/12/2025HouseReturned from the Senate as passed.
3/12/2025HouseReturned to the House as passed.
3/12/2025SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
3/12/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
3/12/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
3/11/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to INSURANCE & COMMERCE - SENATE
3/6/2025SenateReceived from the House.
3/6/2025SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
3/6/2025HouseRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
3/6/2025HouseReturned by the Committee Do Pass
3/5/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on HOUSE RULES
3/3/2025HouseFiled
2/28/2025House
Bill Text
HB1634 - Introduced
2/28/2025
Act Version
Related Bills
HB1265, AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1686, TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.
HB1237, TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO SET PENALTIES FOR A VIOLATION OF THE PROHIBITION OF SOLICITATION OF INJURED INDIVIDUALS.
SB440, TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE USE OF ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS; AND TO REGULATE ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS FACILITIES.
HB1695, TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A MUNICIPALITY TO PETITION TO SET ASIDE THE SALE OF PROPERTY TO CERTAIN PERSONS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE PRIORITY OF UNRECORDED MUNICIPAL LIENS.
HR1012, TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY; TO REQUIRE THAT A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BE SELECTED AS A DESIGNATED SURVIVOR.