Arkansas Casino Proposal Makes November BallotPlan Would Put A Casino In Three Counties |
|
A proposal to put casinos in Arkansas was approved Thursday and will be on the November ballot, according to reports.
The state constitution will have to be amended to allow casinos in three separate counties—Boone, Miller and Washington.
According to the reports, supporters of the plan, who were able to turn in more than 100,000 valid signatures to get the proposal on the ballot, have already found one casino operator that would run a casino if voters approve the measure.
Cherokee Nation Entertainment made a deal with Arkansas Wins in 2016, the group that gathered the signatures, to manage the Washington County casino should Issue 5 pass.
The state currently has two racinos with electronic gambling machines.
Arkansas’ governor reportedly opposes the plan over concerns that it would create a casino gambling monopoly in the state. Each county would have a casino owned by people in Arkansas Wins.
“We’re grateful to the 100,977 registered Arkansas voters that joined with our campaign to get this pro-growth, pro-jobs issue on the ballot this November,” Robert Coon, spokesperson for Arkansas Wins in 2016 and Arkansas Winning Initiative Inc., said in a statement. “This amendment will create thousands of good paying jobs, generate tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenue, increase tourism, and stimulate our state and local economies.”
In addition to the referendum in Arkansas, several other states have gambling-related issues on the ballot this fall.
The most significant for the commercial casino industry is the proposal to end Atlantic City’s decades-long monopoly in the Garden State by allowing two casinos in north Jersey. Additionally, Massachusetts could authorize a second slots-only casino; Rhode Island voters could approve the Twin River Casino in Tiverton; and Nebraskans could sign off on two horse track regulatory changes.
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
