Arkansas Racing Commission

Cherokee Nation awarded Pope County casino license

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

The Arkansas Racing Commission has unanimously approved a license to build a casino in Pope County.

The Cherokee Nation Entertainment made a presentation to the commission at a meeting on Thursday, following years of legal disputes over the casino license and an ongoing ballot initiative to possibly prevent the casino from being built.

A spokesman for the Cherokee Nation Entertainment told the commission that they are in the planning phase, but could build the whole facility in 18 months. The state-of-the-art casino will be owned by Cherokee Nation, and go by the name Legends Casino.

Cherokee Nation awarded Pope County casino license

Legends Resort & Casino

A rendering of the casino planned for construction in Pope County.

Arkansas Racing Commission defers vote on new Pope County casino license process

KUAR | By Hunter Field / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

The issuance of Arkansas’ fourth and final casino license will be delayed — again — likely for months.

And if the litigious history of the Pope County casino permit is a guide, the wait could be far longer.

The Arkansas Racing Commission, which oversees the state’s casinos, met for a half hour on Wednesday, but it took no action, instead deciding to study a set of proposed rule changes until next week.

Arkansas Racing Commission defers vote on new Pope County casino license process

Legends Resort & Casino

A rendering of Legends Resort & Casino in Pope County.

Governor appoints Steven Anthony to Racing Commission

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has appointed Steven M. Anthony to the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Mr. Anthony was born in Fayetteville and grew up in Fordyce, where he graduated from high school in 1979. He is president of Anthony Timberlands Inc. (ATI).

“Steven Anthony is Arkansas to his core,” Governor Hutchinson said today. “He grew up working in his family’s timber business, which was founded in 1907. He knows the law, and he knows how to run a business. The racing commission will be an even stronger agency with the benefit of his legal education, his professional network, and his life experience.”

Mr. Anthony, the son of John E. Anthony of Hot Springs and Mary Lynn Dudley of Little Rock, graduated summa cum laude from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, in 1983 with a degree in business administration. He received a juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.

Mr. Anthony’s timber company manages five Arkansas sawmills, several secondary processing facilities, and 180,000 acres of timberland in south-central Arkansas.

He is past chairman of the Arkansas Forestry Commission, and past president of the Arkansas Forestry Association and the Southern Forest Products Association. He serves on the board of directors of the Bank of Bearden and on the executive committee of the Arkansas Forestry Association. 

He and his wife, Gay, live in Fordyce. They have two sons, Addison, who works at Anthony Hardwood Composites in Sheridan, and Wilson, who works at Anthony Timberlands. They also have four grandchildren.

Mr. Anthony’s term will expire January 14, 2027. He replaces Butch Rice, whose five-year term expires today.

Arkansas Racing Commission moves forward with Cherokee Nation casino license in Pope County

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Racing Commission on Friday (Nov. 12) accepted the application and $250,000 filing fee from Cherokee Nation Businesses to move forward on a casino license in Pope County.

The motion passed on a 3-2 vote with two commissioners not participating. The Cherokee Nation proposal was deemed qualified after the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled ineligible the Gulfside Casino Partnership proposal in late October. The state’s high court previously ruled that Gulfside did not have an official letter from an elected official during the active part of the application process, while Cherokee Nation did.

There is still separate litigation pending that could affect the eligibility of the Cherokee Nation license, but it may not be resolved for months.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/11/arkansas-racing-commission-moves-forward-with-cherokee-nation-casino-license-in-pope-county/

John Amatucci/Cherokee Nation

A Cherokee Nation casino in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. The business was issued a license Friday by the Arkansas Racing Commission.