Arkansas voters reject Cherokee Nation's Pope County casino license

Arkansas voters have approved a measure to block a planned casino in Pope County, effectively canceling the Cherokee Nation’s license to build and operate the state's fourth "Las Vegas-style" gaming facility.

The measure, which passed by a 10-point margin, halted the Cherokee Nation’s long-debated project just before construction could begin. The casino was planned for Pope County, about an hour’s drive from Little Rock, and backers said it would bring significant economic investment to the area.

The decision follows a 2018 statewide vote that authorized up to four resort casinos in Arkansas. Since then, casinos have been established at existing horse and greyhound tracks as well as a third new property in Pine Bluff, while Pope County’s license remained mired in controversy. Many local residents voiced concerns over the statewide nature of the casino approval, arguing that authorization should be decided by county residents rather than voters across Arkansas.

After extensive legal disputes, the Cherokee Nation was awarded the Pope County license, but this decision quickly drew the attention of other tribal interests. The Choctaw Nation, which operates casinos in neighboring Oklahoma, funded the measure to revoke the license, driven by concerns that an Arkansas casino could draw away customers from Oklahoma.

The ballot measure forces the Pope County casino to be voted on – again – in another referendum. The Cherokees or any other potential stakeholder could still try to get a casino approved on a future ballot, but the opposition from voters and out-of-state gambling interests could dissuade future attempts.

With the Pope County casino project off the table, Arkansas stakeholders may now look to the state’s online gambling future. The state currently has three mobile sportsbooks, but regulations require these platforms to share the majority of their revenue with local casino partners, deterring national brands such as DraftKings and FanDuel from entering the Arkansas market.

Stakeholders are also exploring potential legislation to introduce online slots and table games, which could position Arkansas as only the eighth state with legal online casino gaming. No state south of the traditional Mason-Dixon line has approved iCasinos, making Arkansas’ potential expansion into digital gaming a significant development in the Southern U.S. market.