TVH11.com reports that Gulfside Casino Partnership is seeking a casino license in Pope County, Arkansas, by submitting a $405 million proposal to the county.
A couple of companies are looking to obtain the Pope County casino license, but Gulfside needs a letter of support from Pope County Judge Ben Cross. According to local laws, a letter of support from Judge Cross is required to be considered for the license issued and regulated by the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC).
Casey Castleberry, a representative for Gulfside, told reporters that they plan to invest $405 million into the Russellville River Valley Casino Resort. Gulfside also intends to invest in the community by allotting $65 million for county and city departments such as fire, education, and arts.
Cherokee Nation Entertainment
There is a June 11th deadline to submit for the Arkansas casino license, and so far, no one has applied, according to the ARC. However, Cherokee Nation Entertainment is also expected to apply for the license.
The Cherokee Nation Entertainment company has already received their support letter from Judge Ben Cross. Cross told the media that he doesn’t anticipate issuing any other letters of support as he is happy with his relationship with the group and what they have done for the local community.
Arkansas Casinos
However, as it stands, either the Cherokee Nation Entertainment company or Gulfside Casino Partnership will likely be awarded the license.
In Arkansas, domestic casino gambling requires players to be over 21, but players over 18 can bet on bingo, horse racing, and the lottery. 18+ Arkansas casinos are only accessible online from out-of-state casinos that operate legally.
Arkansas Online Casino Laws
The state of Arkansas currently does not allow online casinos to operate from inside state lines. However, they haven’t made specific laws restricting access to online casino sites. Most 18+ gambling states allow online gambling, just not from casinos located inside their state.
Arkansas does offer some online gambling services, such as sports betting, which launched in 2022. Saracen has already submitted a proposal to the ARC asking for permission to allow online casino games, but so far, there has been no further effort.