Disastrous Arkansas decision for Gulfside Casino Partnership
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Gulfside Casino Partnership's winning bid to operate a $254 million casino resort in Pope County, Arkansas was invalidated by the state's highest court. The winning candidate's proposal to the Arkansas Racing Commission had a letter of support signed by Pope county judge Jim Ed Gibson just a few days before his term expired at the end of 2018.
Arkansas Racing Commission did not begin accepting applications for the Pope County casino license until May 2019. The Gulfside Casino Partnership's bid was considered invalid, but it was later reversed through the courts.
Arkansas Supreme Court has overturned and dismissed the earlier reversal to invalidate the bid from Gulfside Casino Partnership and throw the matter back to the five-member Arkansas Racing Commission. The court ruled that any selection process should have included endorsements from officials that were in office at the time the license application was filed.
Arkansas Supreme Court ruled against the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, which came second in the state’s casino license race.
Arkansas voters legalized casinos in November 2018. Oaklawn Racing and Gaming in Hot Springs and West Memphis’ Southland Park Gaming and Racing were transformed into fully-fledged casinos. Quapaw Nation opened the first phase of its Saracen Resort Casino in rural Jefferson County.
