The Arkansas Racing Commission awarded Cherokee Nation Entertainment a license on Thursday, granting it permission to build a casino in Pope County.
Under Arkansas gambling laws, only four casinos are allowed to be constructed in the state, and this is the fourth and final license the commission has awarded. The commission approved the license with a unanimous vote.
“With the license in hand, we are prepared to finalize the remaining permitting and administrative processes so we can commence construction,” said Cherokee Nation Entertainment CEO Chuck Garrett, according to the Associated Press.
Cherokee Nation Entertainment has already outlined plans for casino construction. It proposes a 50,000-square-foot gambling space with 200 hotel rooms, an outdoor music venue, and a conference center. The proposed location is northeast of Russellville and 60 miles northwest of Little Rock.
The proposal from the Cherokee Nation was the only one considered by the Arkansas Racing Commission after a last-minute application from Gulfside Casino Partnership was dismissed as it didn’t have support from a county judge or quorum court.
While approval from the Arkansas Racing Commission is a positive step for the proposed U.S. casino, the plan may still face more resistance from a group backed by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma trying to put a measure on the November ballot to remove the Pope County license. This measure needs to get more than 90,000 signatures by July 5.
This wouldn’t be the only type of gambling limited in Arkansas in recent times, with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration sending cease-and-desist letters to Daily Fantasy Sports operators in February.
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