In Arkansas, the Local Voters in Charge committee has received the go-ahead to start collecting registered voters’ signatures to place on the November 5 ballot an amendment allowing local communities to determine if they want a casino.
Attorney General Tim Griffin recently approved revised ballot language for the amendment which would revoke existing casino licenses in Pope County issued before November 13, 2024, the date the proposed amendment would take effect, and mandate local voter approval for any new casino licenses beyond Crittenden, Garland and Jefferson counties.
Commercial casinos in those counties—Southland Casino, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort and Saracen Casino Resort—would be grandfathered in. In 2018, Arkansas voters approved Amendment 100, allowing those counties, along with Pope County, to host casinos.
Voters in Charge spokesman Hans Stiritz said, “This measure will keep casinos out of communities that don’t want them, and allow local voters to determine the character of their own hometowns. We look forward to bringing our proposal to the voters of Arkansas during this busy canvassing season, and ultimately to the ballot this fall.”
Stiritz noted more than 60 percent of Pope County residents voted against a casino. “Amendment 100 essentially forced a casino in Pope County.”
The committee must gather 90,704 signatures from at least 50 counties by July 5 for the amendment to be placed on the ballot. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma contributed $250,000 to the committee in February.
The proposed amendment is a response to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Pope County casino license. Despite local opposition in Pope County, since statewide voters approved Amendment 100, the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) was allowed to consider applications for a Pope County license.
Bids were presented from Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation Businesses and Mississippi-based Gulfside Casino Partnership. But due to regulatory and application errors, lawsuits and other issues, the license still has not been issued. However, the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) said it will open a bidding period for the Pope County casino license for the third time as early as May.
Meanwhile, according to Allison Burum, representing Cherokee Nation Businesses, which hopes to develop the Legends Resort & Casino, “We continue to follow the direction of the Attorney General’s office and the Arkansas Racing Commission with respect to the licensing process. We look forward to ultimately proceeding with construction on the more than $300 million Legends Resort & Casino which will generate more than $5 billion in economic impact over the first 10 years.”
