Arkansas casino proposal gets one more chance

The Secretary of State’s office has given the group behind the proposal 30 more days to gather signatures.

US.- Driving Arkansas Forward, the group that is behind a push that would bring casinos to Arkansas, has been given 30 more days by the Secretary of State’s office to get enough signatures to include the proposal on the November election ballot.

While the group initially turned in 94,880 signatures, only 70,054 were considered valid and it qualified for a 30-day extension to recollect the remaining signatures needed to be included on the November ballot.

The proposal wants to get the casino industry expanded into a Hot Springs horse track and West Memphis greyhound track that already offer video poker and other electronic games. The proposal would also legalise casinos in Pope and Jefferson counties.

Earlier this month, the group said that it spent US$715,711 in June, US$385k of that for advertising. Moreover, it said that the majority of the donations came from the Downstream Development Authority of the Quapaw Tribe and Cherokee Nation Businesses LLC.