Good News: Federal Court Rules Against Pope Co. Casino Effort

Gambling, ,

On Thursday, a federal court dismissed the lawsuit over Issue 2 of 2024.

Issue 2 is a constitutional amendment that voters passed last November. The measure prevents the State of Arkansas from licensing a casino in Pope County.

It also prevents any additional casinos from being opened in Arkansas without a new constitutional amendment and without local voter approval at a special election.

Cherokee Nation Business received a license to operate a casino in Pope County before Issue 2 passed. After passage of Issue 2, Cherokee Nation Business filed a federal lawsuit to undo the will of the people and block the amendment.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr., ruled against Cherokee Nation Business’s lawsuit. This decision effectively upholds Issue 2 and keeps a casino out of Pope County. That is something to celebrate.

Gambling has become a scourge in our state. On average, Arkansans gamble millions of dollars every day.

In spite of that, casino tax revenue has not improved Arkansas’ roads or boosted the economy. Instead it’s hurt our communities.

Last year the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council announced it has seen a sharp spike in calls for help with problem gambling.

We have written in the past how gambling companies often oppose safeguards and promote compulsive gambling. 

Unless Arkansans take a stand, gambling addiction is simply going to continue wrecking lives and hurting families in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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WSJ Highlights Growing Concern Over Sports Gambling Scandals

Gambling,

Last week The Wall Street Journal highlighted how “spot-fixing” is a growing concern when it comes to gambling on professional sports.

“Spot-fixing” is a type of gambling fraud that involves manipulating small events during a game. Most of the time, spot-fixing is difficult to notice, because it centers on things that don’t clearly affect the outcome of the game — like a specific pitch or kick in a ballgame.

Spot-fixing is particularly concerning given that modern sports betting lets gamblers wager on nearly every aspect of a game — not just its final score.

The WSJ reports Major League Baseball recently “placed Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz on leave amid an investigation into suspicious betting activity surrounding his pitches.” Observers noticed unusual wagers placed on specific pitches that Ortiz threw outside the strike zone during ballgames on June 15 and 27. The incident is currently under investigation.

Thanks to smartphones, sports betting it’s now possible for people to gamble — and lose — on sporting events from anywhere with Wi-Fi or cell service.

Nationwide, sports betting is now legal in most states — including Arkansas. Last March, Arkansans wagered more than $2 million per day, on average, on sports betting.

Studies show people who gamble on sports may be twice as likely to suffer from gambling problems.

Young men in particular are hurt by sports betting. Twenty-year-old males account for approximately 40% of calls to gambling addiction hotlines, and upwards of 20 million men are in debt or have been in debt as a result of sports betting.

And research now shows that the legalization of sports betting may be linked to serious financial problems in America — such as credit card debt, overdrafts, late payments on loans, lower credit scores, and higher bankruptcy rates.

We’ve seen how sports betting companies often oppose safeguards and promote compulsive gambling. Last year the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council announced it had seen a 22% increase in calls for help — a spike driven largely by sports betting.

Scandals like spot-fixing corrupt sporting events and erode public trust in athletes and athletic programs, but there’s a much bigger problem in play. Sports gambling in general is a scourge, and it is ruining lives. As multi-billion dollar corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise gambling addiction will simply continue hurting families in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Is Sports Gambling Okay?

Gambling,

You’re in a conversation, and someone says, “Sports gambling is harmless. It shouldn’t be regulated.” What would you say?

Betting on sports is nothing new, but since a 2018 Supreme Court case struck down a federal ban and paved the way for 38 states, along with Washington, D.C. to allow sports gambling, it has exploded in popularity. So far, this national experiment has been a disaster for individuals and families.

Here’s how:

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