Cherokee Nation Entertainment files lawsuit following Arkansas ballot measure approval

Voters said yes to revoking a previously issued license to build casino in Pope County.

Cherokee Nation Entertainment has filed a lawsuit to challenge a recently passed constitution amendment in the state of Arkansas that will revoke the company’s license for its Pope County casino license, according to an Associated Press report.

This is the latest in a series of legal challenges from Cherokee Nation in response to pushback on its casino development proposal.

The Cherokee Nation’s bid involves building a $225m casino on its property in Russellville, Arkansas, which the Nation purchased for $35m.

 Last week, voters passed the ballot measure, which will take effect November 13. The Associated Press projected that the ballot measure was stuck down by Pope County voters by 13,391 to 10,668.

However, the amendment did not pass in Pope County. Those have since been erected in every location except for Pope County, the report said.

Good to know: During 2018, the state passed legislation that allowed casinos to be built on four sites

Cherokee Nation Entertainment has worked for the last several years to build a Pope County casino but has faced resistance and a series of legal setbacks in the process.

Last fall, the Arkansas Supreme Court denied the Cherokee Nation’s casino bid for its Legends Resort and Casino. The court ruled against the Tribe in a 5 to 2 decision.

The Nation’s attorney, Bart Calhoun, released a statement regarding the company’s recent legal action, “Cherokee Nation Entertainment is firmly committed to protecting its constitutional rights, defending its lawfully issued casino license, and safeguarding the substantial investments it made in good faith based on the establishment of the Pope County casino license under Amendment 100 in 2018.”

Laura Mack

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