Officials in Jefferson County and Pine Bluff, Arkansas recently endorsed the Downstream Development Authority of the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, owner of Downstream Casino Resort, as operators of the proposed Saracen Casino Resort. The new venue could open as early as late 2019. The Quapaw Tribe has been working with Pine Bluff officials for five years to secure the bid. The new casino’s name was chosen to honor a Quapaw chief buried in Pine Bluff.
Applicants are required to demonstrate local support and casino experience. In letters to the Arkansas Racing Commission, which still must officially approve the license, Jefferson County Judge Booker Clemons and Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington said Downstream demonstrated the “experience, commitment to the community and qualifications” necessary to operating a casino.
In November, Arkansans voted 54 percent to 46 percent to approve Issue 4, now Amendment 100 to the Arkansas Constitution. It will grant casino licenses to the racinos Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs and Southland Park in West Memphis, to new operations in Jefferson and Pope counties. The Arkansas Racing Commission is required to establish rules for the state’s new casino gaming structure by March 14. The amendment protects local control and states local leaders may select who applies for a license in their community.
Clemons said, “The voters of Jefferson County overwhelmingly expressed their support for this amendment. They recognize, like I do, that our county will benefit from the positive economic impact Downstream Development Authority will provide to us. Downstream has longstanding ties to the state and to the community, and I am glad to be able to offer my support for its application.”
Washington added, “I’ve been impressed by the professionalism and loyalty to our community that I’ve seen from Downstream and the Quapaw Nation. Through our discussions over the last several months, it’s clear that Downstream wants to be a key partner in the growth and development of our city. I know the residents of Pine Bluff will join me in welcoming this resort, and we encourage the state to move forward quickly with the approval process.”
Quapaw Tribe Chairman John Berrey stated, “It has long been our goal to energize Pine Bluff and Jefferson County through a significant economic investment. As the original homeland for the Quapaw Nation, we believe we have an obligation to the region to be good corporate citizens. This casino resort will be a source of pride for the community. It will create hundreds of jobs and generate millions of dollars in taxes that will help improve the city’s and county’s infrastructure and quality of life.”
The Quapaw Tribe also announced it recently purchased 201 acres in Cherokee County in southeastern Kansas, near the Oklahoma border, with approval from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. The land now is part of the federal Quapaw Tribal Trust.
The Cherokee County Commission and the Kansas attorney general’s office opposed the purchase, fearing the land would be used for gambling. The National Indian Gaming Commission ruled in 2014 the Kansas property could be used for gambling, but Berrey said the tribe, owner of Downstream Casino Resort in nearby Quapaw, Oklahoma, will use the land for agriculture, not gambling. It already grazes cattle on other Cherokee County land it purchased in 2006.
“We don’t have any plans to expand upon our gaming operation, so we’re just excited to have that land. We’ll continue to graze our purebred bison herd and cattle on it. We’ll keep it nice, clean and environmentally in shape for our future generations to enjoy. This purchase brings more of our Oklahoma reservation, or what was at one time our reservation, back into our ownership and under our jurisdiction under federal statutes,” Berrey said. He noted the Quapaw Tribe owns about 5,000 acres in Oklahoma and Kansas.
