LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — When Amendment 100 was passed a couple years ago, Arkansas was allowed to have casino's in the Natural State. A part of the amendment was dedicated to finding funds to help those suffering from gambling addiction.
Unfortunately, that never happened.
Scott Hardin, spokesperson for the Arkansas Racing Commission, said this conversation wouldn't be a problem had those resources actually happened.
"We have to find $200,000 and build that into the state budget every year going forward," Hardin said. "It's not frustrating on our part, because we're working day to day just to get this complete."
A couple of months ago, a lawsuit was brought against the commission to figure out where the money and treatment resources were.
That's where Joe Denton comes in.
"This seems to be the only portion of Amendment 100 that hasn't been fully implemented," Denton said.
He is the attorney for that lawsuit. It alleges that the Racing Commission acted 'contrary to the clear and unambiguous language of Amendment 100 of the Arkansas Constitution.'
"When you consider the overall cost of implementing this portion of the amendment, compared to the revenues that would be generated by casino gambling," Denton said. "It seems like it's rather silly that we haven't already moved funding for this project."
It's a thought shared by those working to help those suffering from gambling addiction. Vena Schexnayder is the chairman for the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council.
She said Arkansans need this help – and they need it soon.
"The silent addiction is not silent anymore," Schexnayder said. "Problem gambling and responsible gambling is here in the state and we want to be able to fund that need."
It's a thought that's shared by Hardin. He said they're close to accepting proposals for companies to come in and help.
If all goes well, Hardin said they'll have something up and running soon.
"I understand why someone would say 'why is this not in place,'" he said. "But our position is we're almost there."
Denton said they're exploring all options going forward, including pulling the lawsuit if needed.