A much-debated casino in Pope County, Arkansas will note be able to open after voters statewide approved a proposal that strips the project of its license before it broke ground.
Voters approved the measure, which was on pace to be defeated by roughly 10 points as of early Wednesday morning. The “yes” vote will prevent the Cherokee Nation, which won a contested license to manage the project, from opening the casino in Pope County. The casino would have been located about an hour drive from Little Rock, the state capital and most-populated city.
Arkansas casino background
Arkansas voters approved a 2018 ballot measure that allowed up to four “Las Vegas-style” resort casinos to be built in the state. The state’s existing horse and greyhound track added casinos while a third property was approved and built in Pine Bluff.
The Pope County license was far more controversial.
County residents were divided over authorization for the property. Like the 2024 repeal measure, the 2018 vote was statewide; some residents argued casino approval should be a local issue.
Pope County officials also wrestled with years of legal challenges looking to deny a casino. After those failed, the Cherokee Nation was granted a license to operate the casino following a lengthy bidding process.
All Arkansas voters will see a question on their ballot that asks to maintain or reject the right to open a casino in Pope County; the strange situation around Issue Two means a "Yes" vote would prevent the casino from being built; a "No" vote would allow the casino to be built
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) October 21, 2024
After the Cherokees won the bid, the Choctaw Nation financed the ballot measure that would force the Pope County casino to be voted on – again – in another referendum. The Choctaws operate Oklahoma casinos that could lose Arkansas customers if a casino was to be built in the state.
This created an unusual voting situation where a “yes” vote on the measure prevented the casino and a “no” vote would have allowed it to be built.
It remains to be seen if the Cherokees or any other potential stakeholder will try to get a casino approved on a future ballot. The lengthy debate around the original decision, plus the opposition from voters and out-of-state gambling interests, could dissuade future attempts.
Arkansas gambling future
With six years of debates around the Pope County brick-and-mortar casino (seemingly) over, gambling stakeholders can pivot to Arkansas’ digital future.
Arkansas has three statewide mobile sportsbooks. It is the only state where no brick-and-mortar casino has partnered with a major third-party operator. DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars and all other leading national brands have no presence in the state. Arkansas casino regulations require any third-party mobile sportsbook brand to remit most of its revenue back to a casino partner, a non-starter for major operators.
Some existing Arkansas casino stakeholders are pushing to expand the platforms to offer digital slots and table games. If approved, Arkansas could be just the eighth state with a legal online casino gaming platform.
The lucrative potential for online casino games, which have far higher profit margins than sportsbooks, could potentially attract a major operator. Even in that scenario, it remains to be seen if the existing operators would be willing to sacrifice the brand recognition and financial investment for a new company’s platform.
No state south of the traditional Mason-Dixon line has approved online casino gambling. Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Louisiana are the only other Southern states with multi-operator online sports betting markets.
