Arkansas Casino Backers Claim Poll Finds Support for Pope County Cherokee Resort
Backers of the Arkansas River gambling casino cast earmarked for Alexander Pope County say a late conducted canvas finds unexampled reenforcement for the project. a $225 million gaming development is to live situated just now turned Hob Nob Road at Interstate 40 inward Russellville.
The Land of Opportunity Tourism Alliance is a non-profit-making backed past the Cherokee Carry Nation Businesses (CNB), the Cherokee Carry Amelia Moore Nation of Oklahoma’s wholly-owned commercial-grade gaming subsidiary. The bond commissioned Impact Research to examine electric current attitudes towards the proposed venture inwards Pope County, called Legends Resort & Casino.
Pollsters found that likely voters inwards Alexander Pope County today favour edifice a gambling casino terminus by a 15-point margin. Impact researchers reported that 54% of respondents said they endorse the commercial cassino proposal, patch only 39% said they freeze off such an endeavor. In Russellville, 60% said they keep the casino.
Arkansas legalized iv commercial-grade land-based casinos in 2018. The authorization came through a November election ballot referendum that amended the Arkansas River Old Ironsides to tolerate commercial gambling.
The 2018 voting allowed the state’s two former racinos — Southland and Oaklawn — to become full-scale casinos with Las Vegas-style one-armed bandit machines, tabularise games, and sports betting. The jurisprudence additionally authorized 2 exclusively unexampled casino properties, ane from each one inward the counties of President Jefferson and Pope.
No Casino Blessing From Pope
Arkansas’ cassino referendum in the return of 2018 passed with a small more than 54% of the statewide vote. The voter approval allowed the racinos to quickly pivot into casinos.
Officials inwards Jefferson presently after moved send on with a gambling casino throw inwards alignment with the Quapaw Nation of Oklahoma. The Quapaws opened the Saracen Casino Resort inward Oct of 2020.
After many scandals involving competing proposals for the cassino opportunity inwards Pope, county officials need to go with the Cherokee-funded project. But a cause mounted past “Fair Play for Arkansas” — an anti-casino grouping — has for the most part stalled the $225 zillion undertaking.
Pope County was ace of the 11 counties inwards 2018 that rejected the gambling casino amendment. Some 64 other counties backed the gaming question.
“Fair Play for Arkansas” has contended that the body politic shouldn’t strength a cassino on a county whose residents oppose gambling. The organization is leading a legislative pushing to come out another ballot referendum before voters this shine to eradicate Pope County as a designated county where commercial message play is permitted.
Changing Opinions?
This week’s opinion poll from the AR Tourism Alliance argues such opinions experience changed.
It’s non often voters let in to ever-changing their minds, but this data clear shows a substantial dislodge inward sentiment since 2018, with a majority of Alexander Pope County voters at present inwards favour of the gambling casino resort project,” said Zac McCrary of Impact Research.
“Moreover, this information explicitly contradicts the current petition elbow grease that seeks to eradicate the Pope County cassino permit on the sole premiss that local voters don’t require it in their community,” McCrary added.
The Cherokee federation of tribes is partnered with Legends Hospitality, a stake formed inwards 2008 past Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Bobby Jones and the tardily New York Yankees possessor Saint George Steinbrenner, for the Pope County casino. The partnership plans to start expression this summer inwards Russellville.