From Bet to Bust: Long-promised Pope County casino still not in the cards
POPE COUNTY, Ark. – 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.
Mandated by law and fiercely supported and opposed, the casino has yet to be built – and some are betting it never will be.
Pope County casino gets the green light
But to place a bet, you first have to know the game, and this wheel’s been spinning since 2018.
It all begins with a passed constitutional amendment looking to shuffle the deck on gaming in Arkansas. Four first-ever casinos for the state to be built in Crittenden, Garland, and Jefferson counties – and a fourth planned for Pope County.
Now, five years later, the county is still without a casino.
Right from the start, reaction to the gamble was mixed.
“The election was clear,” Russellville neighbor Larry Walker said. “That is something we are not excited about in Pope County.”
Resident Bob Balkman disagreed, adding, “when it materializes, I think it’ll all be a win-win.”
The town was split. While the amendment passed with 54% of Arkansans ready to cash in, 60% in Pope County were opposed – unwilling to try their luck.
“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.
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Some even went so far as to attempt to repeal the amendment via ballot initiative; an effort that ultimately failed.
“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. “And this is what we’re trying to correct here.”
But as one showdown played on, a new game arrived: not just if a casino should be built, but by whom.
While opinions on the casino kept the town buzzing – that wasn’t what ultimately stopped a groundbreaking. That came down to decisions made outside the county in the courts and meeting rooms of Little Rock.
The Arkansas Racing Commission had already sounded the bugle, deciding which horse to back in the race for the casino license. It was neck and neck between two developers: Gulfside Casino Partnership, who proposed the “River Valley Casino Resort”, and Cherokee Nation Businesses with “Legends” resort and casino.
Current county judge Ben Cross has always made his opinion known.
“As far as I’m concerned,” Cross said, “Pope County is done with the issue… Our commitment to Cherokee Nation Business is just as strong as theirs is to Pope County.”
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In the end, the racing commission had the final say, granting the license to Gulfside.
“It is a wonderful feeling,” Gulfside Casino Partnership co-owner Terry Green said. “It’s been a lot of hard work for the commission and for us.”
With a successful gamble and a jackpot win, Gulfside celebrated the end of a two-year bet coming out on top.
Or so they thought.
What ultimately stopped the developer from moving forward happened in a different venue; trading the table for the bench, and a license for a lawsuit.
At issue was a letter, part of the application process and signed by outgoing Pope County Judge Jim Ed Gibson throwing his support behind Gulfside.
But requirements needed the signature of a current county official, a technicality pointed out by their competitors that made all the difference.
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In 2021, the Arkansas State Supreme Court showed their hand, rescinding the license and reshuffling the deck with only one ace left to play and only one qualified applicant left: Cherokee Nation Businesses and Legends, waiting in the wings and ready to break ground.
“This I think was the turning point,” Kelly Goocher, founder of Legends support organization, said. “Pope County Majority. “We just literally refused to believe that there was going to ever be anyone else here.”
With the go-ahead they’d been waiting for, land was set aside, and plans were drawn up for a plot off Hob Nob Road close to the interstate.
It should have marked the end for the county after years in limbo; but anyone who’s ever rolled the dice can tell you it’s never that simple, and CNB Legends was facing a lawsuit of their own.
Their issue was the fact that both “Cherokee Nation Businesses” and “Legends” were listed on the application. The constitution dictates only one is allowed, a fact challenged by Gulfside and the final straw for the Arkansas Supreme Court – who in 2023 ultimately revoked their license, as well.
“We’re really happy today the Supreme Court saw it our way,” Casey Castleberry, a representative of Gulfside Casino Partnership, said.
Meanwhile, Chuck Garrett, CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses chimed in with, “we are disappointed by today’s ruling.”
In the most recent update, the Pope County Quorum court voted in early December 7 to 6 to support Cherokee Nation’s bid for the county casino license.
Pope County casino candidates react to Supreme Court decision to vacate license
Right now, it’s still not clear when the application period will re-open for the final casino license as there are still measures tied up in court the Arkansas Racing Commission is waiting to be resolved.
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