Bidding for Pope County Casino in Arkansas Begins, Single Qualified Applicant Exists
The Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) is set to begin a third round of bidding for the gaming license assigned to Pope County, almost six years after it was first authorized by voters. The state welcomed Las Vegas-style casinos in Crittenden, Garland, and Jefferson counties following a 2018 statewide referendum, yet the Pope County concession remains unassigned.
In 2018, citizens voted to legalize commercial casinos across Arkansas, enabling casinos with slot machines, live dealer table games, and sports betting. The Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB) and Gulfside Casino Partnership have been the main contenders for the Pope County license since the first round, both bidding for projects in Russellville.
To qualify for consideration by ARC, bidders require a letter of support from the current county judge or quorum court in the respective county where they want to operate. ARC initially granted the concession to Gulfside. However, CNB challenged this decision in court, arguing that the company's River Valley Casino Resort project lacked the required support from the current Pope County judge. CNB was justified as the current judge, Ben Cross, and a resolution from the county quorum court were in favor of CNB's Legends Resort & Casino project.
However, the first bidding round never resulted in a license being granted due to the unfavorable outcome in court, which deemed the CNB application invalid since it had included more than one entity. CNB will now apply as a single entity in the third round, while verbally securing the support of Judge Cross and the quorum court.
Meanwhile, Gulfside is optimistic about obtaining the quorum court's support as well.
Given that both parties have met the state's necessary requirements, we expect to be the sole qualified applicant,” stated Cherokee Nation Businesses CEO Chuck Garrett. “We're excited to present our comprehensive experience in gaming and hospitality and our vision for Legends Resort & Casino in Russellville to the Arkansas Racing Commission.”
Gulfside is also confident in their chance of earning the license despite their recent legal defeat.
Gulfside attorney Casey Castleberry said, “We look forward to presenting our proposal to the Pope County Quorum Court and seeking a resolution of support.”
The Pope County bidding period is to conclude on June 11, with proposals being reviewed by ARC commissioners, and a vote on the license-approved applicant anticipated. CNB will be filing their application as a single entity, rather than the multi-entity approach that was deemed invalid in January by the Arkansas Supreme Court. As per the bidding rules, entities should not apply collectively, and must showcase their gaming expertise.
In a parallel development, a campaign is underway to nullify the gaming opportunity in Pope County through a public referendum. Voters in Charge, a ballot question committee, are in the process of collecting signatures to repeal the local gaming designation. In March, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin authorized their ballot wording. The campaign must now gather and submit at least 90,704 validated signatures for the question to feature on the November 5 ballot.
If the majority of voters vote to revoke the Pope County license, ARC's third bidding round would be rendered moot.
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Source: www.casino.org
