Fair Play for Arkansas had spent $128,176.22, according to its latest report. Most of the rest came from realtor Cliff Goodin, a Russellville real estate agent who had donated $5,000 on June 11, 2021. Fair Play for Arkansas had raised $132,300 overall. 14, Choctaw Nation had donated $125,000 to that effort in January. The press release says that Fair Play for Arkansas is being funded by an out-of-state casino operator – which would be Choctaw Nation – that unsuccessfully sought the Pope County license.Īccording to Fair Play for Arkansas’ campaign filing report dated Feb. The Arkansas Tourism Alliance’s website says the Legends Resort & Casino initially will create more than 1,750 jobs in Pope County through direct and indirect employment, with estimated employee income during the first operating year of $43.3 million. It had obtained a letter from the previous county judge whose term ended before the application period began. The move came after the Arkansas Supreme Court had ruled that a competitor, Gulfside Casino Partnership, was not qualified because it did not have an official letter from an elected official. 12, the Arkansas Racing Commission voted to accept the application by Cherokee Nation Businesses/Legends Resort & Casino for the license in Pope County, allowing the process to move forward. Construction is expected to begin this summer. The fourth in Pope County has been slowed by a legal dispute over who would operate the casino. Couch has been instrumental in several ballot efforts in Arkansas.Ĭasinos in three counties are operational: Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis and Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff. McDaniel is a former Arkansas attorney general. McDaniel, a former Arkansas Attorney General, and Couch helped draft Amendment 100 establishing the Arkansas Casino Gaming Amendment. That group is collecting signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment that would remove Pope County from a list of four counties in Arkansas that became eligible for casino licenses as a result of Amendment 100 passed by voters in 2018. The Alliance, led by attorneys Dustin McDaniel and David Couch, said in a press release Tuesday that the group was being formed to oppose Fair Play for Arkansas. The Arkansas Tourism Alliance filed paperwork with the Arkansas Ethics Commission saying it had raised $1.1 million in February while making no expenditures.

A committee formed to oppose efforts to remove the Pope County casino from the Arkansas Constitution is starting with $1.1 million cash on hand provided by Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation Businesses, the group that will build the casino.

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