ARC put wheels in motion to resolve Pope County casino license wrangle

Article by : Charles Perrin Jan 30, 2024

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The Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) has put the wheels in motion to make it easier for prospective casinos to apply for licenses in Pope County.

So far, the debate surrounding Pope County casino licenses has been prickly and contentious, with bureaucratic and legal battles waged by dozens of lobbyists, while some residents have voiced their disapproval for casinos in the area.

However, the ARC are hoping to wipe the slate clean, and after being recommended changes by the Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office, another meeting has been set up for Tuesday to consider the next steps forward.

Once publicized, the rules must then get the nod from the Arkansas Legislative Council before the Commission must act swiftly to lodge them within 10 days with the secretary of state to make them effective.

Should the Commission get its way, then all future applications will be subject to a strict scoring matrix system.

There will also then be set dates for the 30-day application period in which licenses must be ratified.

Discussing the nature of the application process, Dorralee Chandler, a deputy attorney general overseeing state agencies for Griffin, said: “I would say you are looking at anywhere between 60 and 120 days for the rule promulgation.

“Our goal is to move this as expediently as we can and eliminating as much potential litigation as possible.”

Much of the fallout arose when Arkansans voted to legalize casino gambling through a 2018 ballot initiative.

Indeed, Amendment 100 to the Arkansas Constitutions permitted there to be four fully-fledged casinos in the state.

After originally being awarded a casino license, Pope County had this privilege revoked in the Supreme Court, but now attorneys for the Cherokee Nation Businesses are of the firm belief that the notion of casino licenses needs to be readdressed.

Inevitably, lobbyists are going to inundate the ARC with requests about the Pope County casino license, but we should know more about how the picture is looking later this week.