Arkansas Wins 2020 Hits Another Snag in Pushing for over 16 Legal Casinos

The committee established to support a ballot vote on the legalization of casinos in the state has hit another snag.

Arkansas Experiences Another Set in a Bid to Legalize Casinos

The push to legalize casinos in Arkansas has experienced another hurdle with Arkansas Wins 2020’s bid for the legalization of 16 or more casinos hitting a wall during a Board of Election of Commissioners vote.

The vote pitted five commissioners against the proposed move with a single person endorsing the idea of pitching the constitutional amendments to the upcoming ballot. It’s within the remit of the board to decide whether a ballot title is sufficient and introduce it to a state-wide vote.

According to Secretary of State John Thurston, the board couldn’t give its former approval for the ballot vote, because the group had failed to comply with established norms, such as whether paid canvassers were vetted for criminal background.

The committee will now add the board decision to an appeal in court. According to Thurston, a single Democratic representative voted in favor of the proposed amendments that would make it possible for casinos to come to Arkansas.

What’s the Arkansas Wins Committee?

With most states in the U.S. needing a constitutional reform to legalize certain types of gambling, Arkansas Wins 2020 is a ballot committed looking for support to enact constitutional amendments and expand casinos in Arkansas.

Following the rejection, the committee released a statement related to a Petition for Review that was previously filed with the Arkansas Supreme Court. The statement read:

“Arkansas Wins in 2020 Inc. filed a petition for review today with the Arkansas Supreme Court. We have attempted numerous times to work with the Secretary of State’s office on rectifying their concerns which we believe are invalid.”

The Petition for Review will now focus on providing information that all paid canvassers hired by the Arkansas Wins committee had undergone background checks by the Arkansas State Police before they were allowed to proceed with collecting signatures.

Arkansas Wins spokesperson, Taylor Riddle, said that the committee was now looking to put the matter behind them, and focus on driving economic benefits for the state.

By allowing casinos to expand, Riddle said, the tax is looking at job creation, tourism, and increased tax revenue, which will all benefit the local economy and resuscitate flagging economies, especially given the current economic challenges.