A proposed constitutional amendment that would authorize four casinos in Arkansas has qualified for the Nov. 6 general election ballot, the secretary of state’s office said Wednesday.
Leslie Bellamy, director of elections in the secretary of state’s office, said that proponents of the proposed constitutional amendment turned in no more than 99,988 signatures of registered voters and 84,859 signatures were required to qualify the measure for the ballot.
The proposal would allow the state Racing Commission to issue casino licenses to: an applicant in Jefferson County within 2 miles of Pine Bluff; an applicant in Pope County within 2 miles of Russellville; Southland Racing Corp. at or adjacent to Southland Gaming and Racing in West Memphis; and Oaklawn Jockey Club at or adjacent to Oaklawn Racing and Gaming in Hot Springs.
Under state law, Oaklawn and Southland operate electronic games of skill, so the proposed measure would allow for expansion of their gambling operations.
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson told reporters Wednesday he opposed the measure. The casino campaign drew criticism last week from the state's Highway Commission, which said TV ads in favor of the measure misleadingly depicted it as a road funding proposal. Driving Arkansas Forward defended the ads, saying they only said the casino revenue could go toward roads and highways.
The sponsors of the ballot measure have estimated that the proposal would initially raise about $66 million a year in state general revenue, about $33 million a year for the cities and counties where the casinos are located and about $25 million a year for purse support at Oaklawn and Southland.
They’ve disagreed with state Department of Finance and Administration officials, who’ve projected the state would receive less in general revenue during fiscal years 2020-2022 under the proposal. The state collected $64.3 million from Oaklawn and Southland’s electronic games of skill in fiscal 2018, which ended June 30.
Nate Steel, counsel for the Driving Arkansas Forward committee that is promoting the ballot measure, said that “Right now, about 30 percent of our state’s residents regularly visit casinos outside Arkansas.
“It’s time to keep that money where we live to support our economy, improve our infrastructure and create new jobs. We appreciate the Secretary of State’s Office for its efficient work through the time-consuming process of verifying voter signatures, and we are especially thankful for the tens of thousands of voters who have made it clear that they want Issue Four on the ballot,” he said.
A conservative group that has opposed past efforts to expand gambling in Arkansas said it expected to work with religious leaders to fight the measure, and left open the possibility the proposal could also face a legal challenge.
"I don't believe there's any grassroots groundswell whatsoever in Arkansas for more casino gambling," said Jerry Cox, head of the Arkansas Family Council.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.