That came down to decisions made outside the county in the courts and meeting rooms of Little Rock. While opinions on the casino kept the town buzzing – that wasn’t what ultimately stopped a groundbreaking. “And this is what we’re trying to correct here.”īut as one showdown played on, a new game arrived: not just if a casino should be built, but by whom. “This is really wrong where the entire state makes a decision for what happens in one community,” said Hans Steritz with “Fair Play for Arkansas”, the group behind the ballot measure. Some even went so far as to attempt to repeal the amendment via ballot initiative an effort that ultimately failed. Pope County casino sees progress, still waiting on litigation and possible ballot measure “I think we just feel a little overwhelmed by saying, ‘Here it’s your baby’, and we weren’t asked,” Russellville hairdresser Renae Reeves explained.

While the amendment passed with 54% of Arkansans ready to cash in, 60% in Pope County were opposed – unwilling to try their luck. Resident Bob Balkman disagreed, adding, “when it materializes, I think it’ll all be a win-win.” “That is something we are not excited about in Pope County.” “The election was clear,” Russellville neighbor Larry Walker said. Right from the start, reaction to the gamble was mixed. Now, five years later, the county is still without a casino.

Four first-ever casinos for the state to be built in Crittenden, Garland, and Jefferson counties – and a fourth planned for Pope County. It all begins with a passed constitutional amendment looking to shuffle the deck on gaming in Arkansas. Mandated by law and fiercely supported and opposed, the casino has yet to be built – and some are betting it never will be.īut to place a bet, you first have to know the game, and this wheel’s been spinning since 2018.

– It’s the gamble that has yet to pay off the long-promised Pope County casino approved by voters five years ago that still has yet to materialize.

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