Cherokees Lose Out on Pope County Casino License
Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB) lost its chance for an Arkansas casino on election night, after the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma mounted a campaign to have an already issued license rescinded. Issue 2 was a bit of an oddity as ballot questions go. A “yes” vote meant that the casino license in Pope County would be pulled back, while a “no” vote meant it would stand.
The measure won, 56 percent-44 percent, and the $30 million spent on the dueling campaigns made it the most expensive in state history.
The license – which was among four approved by voters in 2018 – has been fraught from the start. The three other licenses have been issued and casinos are open in Hot Springs, Pine Bluff and West Memphis. But in Pope County, a license issued in 2020 was taken back in 2021 and CNB was granted a license.
That license and the CNB bid were challenged more than once before the Arkansas Gaming Commission approved it in June. From there, the Choctaws, in an effort to preserve their customer base, began a massive lobbying effort that ultimately won. The Choctaws operate nine gaming locations in Oklahoma, including one on the Arkansas border, about 90 miles from the proposed Cherokee location.
Arkansas was one of three states in which voters decided the fate of a casino. In Virginia, only the residents of Petersburg voted on the issue and they approved a new casino in their town. But in Arkansas and Missouri, where the votes were statewide, casinos were not approved.
More Movement in Minnesota Wagering Deal?
Fox 9 in St. Paul is reporting that an “insider” told it that “stakeholders are closer than ever” to a deal to legalize digital sports betting. In October, Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) Executive Director Andy Platto told an audience at Global Gaming Expo that a “framework” was in place.
The latest news seems to indicate that representatives from the Running Aces Casino – part of a racetrack in the state – are ready to negotiate. The state’s two racetracks have been at odds with the state’s tribes over the issue. The tribes have exclusivity for gaming in Minnesota and previously have been opposed to the tracks being granted betting licenses. But Fox 9 shared a statement, sent from Running Aces to MIGA, Nov. 5. It reads, in part:
“Running Aces understands the importance of tribal gaming in Minnesota and the economic support that it provides to each of the sovereign tribal nations in this state. We also believe that racetracks, tribal casinos and charitable gaming all provide important and distinct benefits to the communities we each serve and broad benefits to all Minnesotans. Minnesota has demonstrated that all three types of gaming can be successful. We believe it is possible to work through any disagreements and arrive at successful compromises. … We stand ready to do what we believe is in the best interests of the horse racing industry, employees and shareholders and provide our full support to a sports betting bill that accomplishes this goal.”
WarHorse Lincoln Expansion Opens
The WarHorse Lincoln Casino Nov. 4 opened Phase 2 of its permanent facility, which includes 400 new slot machines, table games and more than 100 simulcast screens. With the opening, gamblers at the casino are now able to play blackjack, roulette and mini-baccarat.
The casino, owned and operated by Hochunk, Inc., the business arm of the Winnebago Tribe, is banking on increased foot traffic and revenue from the table games, in particular.
“A lot of people, when they think of Las Vegas style gambling, they think of table games, right? Blackjack, Roulette,” Hochunk’s Lynne McNally told Nebraska Public Radio. “So, you know, we’ve been open for two years with only enough room for slot machines, but we now have 10 table games.”
A third phase that will add a combined 500 more slot machines and table games is planned for 2025.
Hard Rock CFO Gets Initial Nevada Approval
Vincent Zahn, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Seminole Hard Rock International, Nov. 6 became the first executive moving through the licensing process as the company revamps the former Mirage Hotel site on the Las Vegas Strip. The Nevada Gaming Control Board recommended his license be approved, and the state gaming commission is expected to vote on it Nov. 21, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Zahn, who previously lived in Nevada, oversees 120 people in his position. He’s been traveling between the company’s Florida headquarters and Nevada as the renovation progresses. The company is the first tribal-owned entity to have a location on the Las Vegas Strip. Hard Rock shut down the Mirage July 17 and has plans to replace the iconic volcano with a guitar-shaped hotel tower.
In Other News …
Aristocrat Gaming debuted its Phoenix Link slot machine at the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in California this week. The debut was a world premiere. The machine is a spin-off of Dragon Link, and players will see some similarities between the machines, according to the company.
The polls in Arizona’s Navajo Nation Nov. 5 were kept open late after “delays” earlier in the day, reports Cronkite News. The polls at multiple locations were kept open until 9 p.m., though any ballots cast after regular polling hours are being treated as provisional ballots.
