U.S. Supreme Court Says States Can Legalize Sports Betting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 14, 2018

On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that had generally prevented states from legalizing gambling on sports.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “Any expansion of gambling is a bad thing. This court ruling sets the stage for states like Arkansas to become awash in a sea of gambling. Arkansas law already generally prohibits betting on ballgames and other sports. We need to make sure that ban stays in place and applies to the racetracks at Hot Springs and West Memphis.”

Cox dismissed the idea that sports betting would be good for Arkansas’ economy. “In December consultants for the State of Arkansas told our legislators that the State might be able to collect tax money from sports betting if the U.S. Supreme Court ever issued an opinion like this one. You can’t gamble and tax your way to economic prosperity. Gambling preys on the poor. It’s linked to an increase in domestic violence, homelessness, and divorce. Sports betting is going to appeal to younger people who are more likely to develop a gambling addiction. For every dollar the State would get in tax revenue from sports betting, it would have to spend a lot more on social services trying to clean up the mess that gambling makes in our communities.”

Cox said his group will oppose any expansion of gambling in Arkansas. “Out-of-state groups are trying to open casinos in Pine Bluff, Texarkana, and elsewhere. Now I expect we’ll see groups wanting to legalize sports betting in Arkansas, too. Between the State Lottery and the casino games in Hot Springs and West Memphis, Arkansas already has enough problems from gambling. We don’t need any more.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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Photo Credit: By Bobak at en.wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia by SreeBot) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

A.G. Rejects Another Casino Proposal

Last Thursday Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge rejected a proposed constitutional amendment authorizing four casinos in Arkansas.

Under the amendment, one casino license would go to Oaklawn in Garland County; another would go to Southland in Crittenden County; and two more casinos would be built in Pope and Jefferson counties.

The proposal is similar to one the A.G. rejected a few weeks ago. The amendment reportedly is backed by the Quapaw Tribe in Oklahoma.

In related news, last week Talk Business and Politics reported 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, and it appears to be an effort to let out-of-state businessmen build casinos in Texarkana, Harrison, Little Rock, and Northwest Arkansas.

As the Associated Press reported last week, all of this is setting up the possibility for competing casino amendments appearing on the ballot this November. Fortunately, Arkansas’ Attorney General is successfully stopping these groups from foisting their gambling proposals on voters.

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.

You can read the A.G.’s entire opinion on the casino amendment here.

Photo Credit: By Toni Lozano [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

New Casino Proposal In The Works

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.