Sportsbooks enforce location checks
FanDuel and DraftKings are using geolocation to verify identity and confirm users are inside state borders before enabling betting in Arkansas—making location a core compliance and onboarding control. That dual role (fraud blocking plus smoother verification) is now table stakes for sportsbooks entering new markets. (fanduel.com) (5newsonline.com)
FanDuel’s help pages instruct Arkansas users to install the GeoComply location plugin and to disable VPNs or remote-desktop software if the app won’t verify location, noting Chromebooks are not compatible. (support.fanduel.com) DraftKings’ support documentation identifies the “GeoComply Player Location Check” plugin as the company’s location-verification method and states the tool is required by multiple state regulators for licensed online sportsbooks. (support.draftkings.com) GeoComply’s product descriptions say the vendor performs VPN/proxy detection, device-integrity checks and constructs geolocation evidence used in chargeback disputes and regulator reporting. (geocomply.com) The Arkansas Racing Commission granted unanimous vendor-license approvals to DraftKings and FanDuel on Feb. 26, 2026, enabling each operator to partner with an in‑state casino under the state’s regulatory framework. (gamingamerica.com) DraftKings launched in Arkansas via a market-access agreement with Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis and FanDuel is powering an Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort mobile app in Hot Springs; both apps went live statewide on March 20, 2026. (businesswire.com) Arkansas’ unique rule requiring casinos to retain at least 51% of net mobile sports‑betting revenue shaped the “powered by” vendor model that permitted these entries, and the state’s sportsbooks recorded roughly $655 million in total handle in 2025 — about $618 million of which came from online wagering. (squawka.com)
