An Arkansas opposition group has submitted more than 160,000 signatures to the state’s attorney general’s office to prevent the construction of a proposed casino in Pope County.
Specifically, the Local Voters in Charge group petitioned the attorney general to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to avoid constructing a casino in the county. Amendment requests require 90,704 signatures.
In response, the vice chairman of investing in Arkansas, Natalie Ghidotti, said in a statement, “Arkansas voters approved Amendment 100 in 2018, and a majority of Pope County voters still stand by that decision.
"This small group, funded by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is trying to rob Arkansans of thousands of jobs and shut down what will be historic economic growth for the community, region and state.”
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has raised $2,450,000 for the Local Voters in Charge group, accounting for all but $100 of the group’s finances.
The Pope County casino has become an issue recently as the Cherokee Nation was awarded a license to build a casino in Russellville. Pope County was one of four counties in The Natural State permitted to host casino gambling when voters passed an amendment in 2018.
The proposal has come under fire from other angles recently. Earlier this month, the Gulfside Casino Partnership filed a lawsuit against Cherokee Nation Businesses after its own last-minute proposal for a license was turned down. The lawsuit cites coercion and illegal use of practices to secure a casino license.
