Pope County Quorum Court Caves to Casinos

Casinos, ,

This week the Pope County Quorum Court voted to repeal a local ordinance that requires voter approval before a casino can be built in the county.

Amendment 100 to the Arkansas Constitution passed in 2018 authorizes casinos in Jefferson County and Pope County, and it converts the racetracks in Garland and Crittenden counties into full-fledged casinos.

Last November voters in Pope County soundly rejected the casino amendment and overwhelmingly supported a local ordinance that requires county officials to let voters decide first whether or not to authorize a casino in the county.

Earlier this year the quorum court endorsed a casino proposal from the Cherokee Nation without first putting the matter to the voters. That decision prompted a lawsuit from citizens in Pope County.

The quorum court apparently voted to repeal the ordinance this week in an effort to undercut that lawsuit.

The day after the quorum court voted to repeal the ordinance, a circuit judge declared the ordinance unconstitutional, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Under normal circumstances, the judge’s bad ruling on the ordinance could be appealed to a higher court. Since the quorum court voted to repeal the ordinance, there’s really no point in asking a higher court to overturn the judge’s ruling.

The quorum court’s decision paves the way for a casino corporation from out of state to open a casino in Russellville.

That’s clearly not what voters want, based on last November’s election, and it’s going to hurt the community.

Meanwhile the Quapaw Tribe is operating slot machines at its “casino annex” in Pine Bluff, and a group is working to legalize casino-style games under Arkansas’ state lottery.

Casino gambling is linked to homelessness, domestic violence, divorce, and bankruptcy. It’s a blight on the community.

Arkansas already has enough problems from gambling. We don’t need any more.

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Family Council Opposes Amendment to Legalize Casino-Style Games Under Lottery

Arkansas Lottery, Casinos, Gambling, ,

On August 30 the group Arcade Arkansas filed an amendment to legalize coin-operated machines under the auspices of the Arkansas Lottery.

Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement saying,

“This amendment will bring casino-type gambling machines into convenience stores and eating places all over Arkansas.  It will turn the corner convenience store into a casino and create hangouts where people can gamble 24 hours a day.  This amendment is not about helping students or veterans.   This amendment allocates absolutely no money for scholarships or veterans.  Instead, it turns all the money over to Arkansas’ failing lottery.  It allows up to 15,000 gambling machines with little or no oversight to prevent fraud.  The state of Georgia has spent years trying to dig itself out of the crime these machines and their owners brought to the state. “

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Oaklawn Casino Opens Sports Betting, Renames “Electronic Games of Skill” As Slot Machines

Casinos, Gambling, ,

This week the casino at Oaklawn in Hot Springs began accepting bets of sporting events.

Gamblers will be able to wager on everything from professional golf to NASCAR races and from college football to Olympic events.

Gambling on sports is just a bad idea all around. Athletes already face enough pressure as it is. Nothing good is going to come of it if fans have big money riding on whether or not a 20-year-old college quarterback can throw a touchdown pass.

Interestingly, since becoming a full-fledged casino, Oaklawn has re-branded several of its so-called “electronic games of skill.”

Up until this year, the racetracks in Hot Springs and West Memphis let people gamble on electronic games that, in theory, required some level of skill to play and win.

In 2007 Family Council Action Committee filed a lawsuit over the “electronic games of skill.” Attorneys for Oaklawn and Southland assured people that even though these electronic games looked a lot like casino games, they really weren’t.

Fast-forward to 2019. Now that Oaklawn and Southland can offer casino games, some of these “electronic games of skill” from years past apparently are being re-designated as slot machines.

For example, Oaklawn has offered games like Willy Wonka Pure Imagination and Zeus: Son of Kronos since at least 2017. Once upon a time these were electronic games of skill. Now Oaklawn’s website lists them as slot games.

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