Arkansas voters on Election Day amended their 2018 resolution to legalize business casinos in Crittenden, Garland, Jefferson, and Pope counties.
A on line casino license in Arkansas earmarked for Pope County has been rescinded after state voters handed a gaming referendum through the 2024 presidential election. The Cherokee Nation had hoped to take a position $300 million for a on line casino in Russellville. (Picture: CBS 11)
Six years in the past, a statewide referendum licensed slot machines, stay vendor desk video games, and sports activities betting within the Razorback State. The modification to the Arkansas Structure allowed the Southland and Oaklawn racetracks, respectively in Crittenden’s West Memphis and Garland’s Scorching Springs, to turn out to be full-fledged casinos. A property referred to as Saracen On line casino Resort has additionally since opened in Jefferson’s Pine Bluff.
The Pope County on line casino license has been tied up in courts for a lot of the previous six years. Authorized challenges about how the Arkansas Racing Fee (ARC) initially reviewed and graded two bids for the license, adopted by contentions about whether or not one of many bids ought to have been thought of within the first place, stalled the gaming concession from being issued for years.
After greater than a half-decade of conflicts and setbacks, ARC in June decided {that a} bid from the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma was the lone qualifier, and the license was subsequently awarded to the tribe. However following Tuesday’s election referendum final result, the on line casino license is not legitimate.
Arkansas Voters Again Problem 2
A rival tribe to the Cherokees — the Choctaw Nation — bankrolled a 2024 statewide gaming referendum in search of to repeal the Pope County on line casino license. In an effort designed to guard its tribal casinos in Japanese Oklahoma, the Choctaws, via its Arkansas political marketing campaign referred to as Native Voters in Cost, poured nearly $18 million right into a poll measure titled, “Require Voter Approval for On line casino Licenses.”
Problem 2 requested statewide voters to once more amend the Arkansas Structure to solely permit ARC to grant on line casino licenses for tasks positioned in counties the place native referendums expressing help for a on line casino have been held.
“A FOR vote means you’re in favor of adjusting the state structure to take away the Pope County on line casino gaming license from the Arkansas Structure and, ought to any future amendments authorizing extra on line casino licenses be accredited by a statewide vote, requiring a particular election and approval of voters within the county the place that on line casino could be positioned to approve it,” the poll learn.
With 100% of the state vote in, Problem 2 simply handed with nearly 56% help. The result rescinds the Cherokees’ gaming license, which it had deliberate to make use of to assemble a $300 million leisure and hospitality vacation spot referred to as Legends Resort & On line casino in Russellville.
Pope Assist
In 2018, voters in Pope County have been amongst solely 11 counties that went in opposition to the on line casino referendum. Arkansas’ 64 different counties accredited the on line casino query.
Pope County Decide Ben Cross, a staunch supporter of the Cherokees’ on line casino plan, inspired voters to reject the 2024 gaming referendum. He reasoned that opinions had modified within the county because the 2018 vote.
Cross was proper, as Tuesday’s vote in Pope went in opposition to Problem 2. Virtually 56% of Pope voters rejected Problem 2.
Native Voters in Cost has been saying they need a neighborhood vote. Properly, they obtained one tonight, and it was definitively in opposition to their motion,” stated Cross.
“We’re upset by the truth that folks purchased into the disinformation that was being put out,” the decide continued. “The folks closest to the supply of competition knew the fact of it and acknowledged it for the worth it’s, whereas the remainder of the state purchased into deceptive promoting.”
