Talk Business and Politics reports a ballot question committee has formed to push for casino gambling in Pulaski, Miller, Boone, and Benton counties.
The group is called Arkansas Wins In 2018, Inc.
You may recall Arkansas Wins In 2016 proposed a similar casino amendment that ultimately was removed from the ballot.
This appears to be an effort to let out-of-state businessmen build casinos in Texarkana, Harrison, Little Rock, and Northwest Arkansas.
The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma gave $6 million to Arkansas Wins in 2016. The Cherokee Nation also would have operated one of the casinos the 2016 amendment authorized. It is not clear at this point if the Cherokee Nation would operate casinos under the 2018 proposal.
Earlier this month Attorney General Leslie Rutledge rejected a casino proposal from Driving Arkansas Forward that would build casinos in Jefferson, Garland, Crittenden, and Pope counties. That amendment effort reportedly is backed by the Quapaw Tribe in Oklahoma.
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.
