RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — A couple of different casino companies are eyeing the Pope County casino license, and on Wednesday, one of them presented its plan.
Gulfside Casino Partnership is trying to gain the county's support for its casino proposal.
"It's just a tremendous market opportunity here," Gulfside Casino Partnership co-founder Terry Green said.
On Wednesday, Gulfside Casino Partnership announced its plans and commitment to Pope Count. Still, it doesn't have a letter of support from Pope County Judge Ben Cross, which is needed for the application to be considered and scored by the Arkansas Racing Commission.
Casey Castleberry with Gulfside Casino Partnership said the company plans to invest $405 million through its proposed River Valley Casino Resort in Russellville, with $65 million going to the county, city of Russellville, and other organizations like fire protection, education, and the arts.
"We think that merits our consideration, and it superior, frankly, to anything that's been offered by any other potential applicant, so we're really excited about that," Castleberry said.
According to the Arkansas Racing Commission, no casino company has applied for the license yet, but Gulfside Casino Partnership and Cherokee Nation Entertainment plan to before the June 11 deadline.
Cherokee Nation Entertainment President Mark Fulton issued this statement:
"Our more than $300 million project is not just an idea; it is a full-fledged economic development plan that has been in the works for over five years with the required support of Pope County leaders," Fulton said. "We own more than 325 acres of land and have obtained our Large-Scale Development permit from the City of Russellville. Our shovel-ready development positions us to be open and operating more than a year ahead of any other proposals. Legends Resort & Casino is a world-class entertainment destination that will bring thousands of jobs to Pope County and provide more than $5 billion in economic impact over the first 10 years. Our next step is to submit an application for our casino resort destination before the Arkansas Racing Commission deadline on June 11.”
Right now, Cross said Cherokee Nation Entertainment is the only one with his letter of support, and he expects it to stay that way.
"I don't anticipate issuing any more letters of support," Cross said. "I'm satisfied with the relationship that Cherokee Nation businesses built within the community over the last five years."
Gulfside Casino Partnership still plans to give its proposal to both the judge and quorum court next week. The company will present to the Pope County Quorum Court on June 6, hoping to gain a letter of support.
If they obtain it, Gulfside Casino Partnership will submit their application to the racing commission before the June 11 deadline.
Click here to learn more about the plans of Cherokee Nation Entertainment and Gulfside Casino Partnership.