LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Beginning the latest round of competition for the Pope County, Arkansas gaming license, Cherokee Nation Entertainment submitted on June 5 its application and proposal for the Legends Resort and Casino Arkansas to the Arkansas Racing Commission.
The CNE’s $300 million gaming venue would include 50,000 square feet with 1,200 slot machines, 32 gaming tables, a sportsbook, poker room and a 200-unit hotel with a luxury spa and pool. Plans call for dining options that range from steakhouse to grab-and-go, along with a multipurpose room for meetings, events, conferences and concerts.
The proposal by CNE also calls for outdoor music space, water park, RV park and dog park.
“For the past five years, we have been laying the groundwork for this one-of-a-kind, shovel-ready commercial casino resort and becoming engrained in the local community,” said Chuck Garrett, CEO for Cherokee Nation Businesses. “We are honored to have garnered the required support of Pope County leaders, purchased 325 acres of land and obtained a large-scale development permit from the c ity of Russellville. With the application now submitted, we are eager to present our plans and vast experience to the Arkansas Racing Commission and earn the state’s final casino license.”
The anticipated building site is northeast of Russellville and north of Interstate 40 between the Weir Road and Bradley Cove Road ramps.
There are two applicants that were fruitlessly awarded the license in the back-and-forth dating to 2019 – CNB and Gulfside Casino Partnership of Mississippi. They are expected to be the main and perhaps only contenders for the Pope County license.
CNE claims its proposal would make a $5 billion economic impact for the state of Arkansas over the initial 10 years and create thousands of direct and tangential jobs.
Gulfside announced in May its proposal for a $405 million venue.
“Our development is easily a year ahead of any other newly proposed casino project,” CNE President Mark Fulton said . “Once the casino license is awarded, we expect to commence the 18-month construction process after 60 to 90 days of permitting and pre-construction work. CNE is committed and eager to fulfill its obligations under the $38.8 million economic development agreement executed with Pope County. Since opening an office in Russellville nearly five years ago, the team has listened to the community, invested hours of volunteerism and partnered with organizations to make an impact on the lives of Arkansans.”
When reporting to the Council of the Cherokee Nation Executive and Finance C ommi ttee in April, Garrett mentioned a petition opposing the issuing of any gaming license for Pope County.
Voters in Charge is a citizen-led grassroots effort working to annul the Pope County license through another statewide ballot referendum. The ballot question committee seeks to remove any language referencing a Pope County gaming license from the state constitution.
Amendment 100 to the Arkansas constitution was approved by voters in 2018. It allowed the issuing of licenses to operate four casinos in the state. Three casinos at Southland in West Memphis, Oaklawn Downs in Hot Springs, and the Quapaw Nation’s Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff are open.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has signed off on the wording of the ballot questions. The initiative must gather 90,704 signatures and submit them to Griffin’s office to get the question on the Nov. 5 ballot.
A simple majority of “yes” votes would abort the entire Pope County gaming license affair, but Garrett told E&F members at the April meeting that he expected the question to have trouble compiling the signatures and passing.
Garrett added that surveys suggested voters do not want to throw out the casino license for Pope County.
According to a poll conducted in early 2024 by Main Street Analytics of Little Rock, a majority of Pope County voters – 55% – strongly support a local casino, compared with roughly 40% who oppose it. The poll surveyed 303 likely voters in Pope County through phone interviews. It has a margin of error of 5.6%. The poll was commissioned by Cherokee Nation Entertainment.
CN making trust request in Washington County
The Cherokee Nation has reportedly informed officials in Washington County that a request is being made to put land owned by the CN near Bartlesville in trust.
The CN wants to establish a gaming facility on 15 acres outside city limits. The property is along U.S. 75.
“We always look to invest in land throughout the Cherokee Nation’s reservation, especially when the land is positioned along a prominent commercial corridor,” CNE spokesman Travis Noland said in a statement.
A later statement added a quote from Nolan saying , “While the trust application cites gaming purposes, we are currently leaving all options open at this time.”
New federal rules in effect since Jan. 11 give state and local governments 30 days to comment on a request for land to be held in trust “within the boundaries of or contiguous to a reservation.” The comment period allows local officials to bring up potential effects and concerns.
