Casino supporters fall short with signatures, but have 30 days to collect more
by July 27, 2016 2:03 pm 151 views
An amendment that would authorize casinos in Boone, Miller and Washington counties fell short of the required number of signatures, but backers will have a 30-day “cure period” to collect the rest, the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office announced Wednesday (July 27).
According to a letter sent by the Secretary of State’s office to amendment attorney Cal McCastlain, supporters of the amendment submitted 87,108 signatures July 8, which was more than the required 84,859 valid signatures by registered voters. However, after being checked by the secretary of state’s office, only 63,725 were determined to be valid.
To qualify for the cure period, the effort was required to reach 75% of the 84,859 amount, which would be 63,644.25. It’s not clear if that number rounds up or down, but backers had 80.75 more signatures than they needed. abase.
When supporters, known as Arkansas Wins in 2016, submitted their signatures July 8, the group’s Robert Coon emphasized they had collected the signatures in only about five weeks since the attorney general had certified the ballot name and title.
The measure would embed in the Constitution the entities allowed to operate the casinos: Washington County Gaming, LLC; Miller County Gaming, LLC; and, in Boone County, Arkansas Gaming and Resorts, LLC, or those entities’ successors or assignees.
Casinos would be required to pay the state 18% of their net and pay 1.5% to the city where they are located and .5% to their local counties.
The casinos would be subject to laws enacted by the General Assembly and would be governed by regulations enacted by the Arkansas Gaming Commission, which the amendment would create. The commission would be composed of five commissioners appointed by the governor by July 31, 2017, and who would serve five-year terms. Initial regulations would have to be in effect by March 31, 2018.
The measure would allow casino gaming as well as wagers on sporting and other events. The casinos would be allowed to operate at all times and sell alcohol at all times.
Previous efforts to legalize casino gaming have failed. Coon said earlier this month that this time will be different because Arkansans have become more comfortable with gaming. Voters have passed a lottery, Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs and Southland Gaming and Racing in West Memphis operate casino-like entities, and casinos operate near Arkansas in other states.